Brisbane duo Will Ashcroft and Hugh McCluggage are within five votes of top spot in the Gary Ayres Award standings heading into the 2025 AFL Grand Final.
Hawthorn's Jai Newcombe held an eight-vote buffer over the chasing pack heading into week three of the finals; however, Dylan Moore was the only Hawk who managed to poll a vote in Friday's loss to Geelong.
That game saw Cats skipper Patrick Dangerfield voted best on ground unanimously, earning 10 votes, with teammates Mark Blicavs and Bailey Smith each having six.
Gryan Miers (four votes), Jeremy Cameron (two), Tyson Stengle (one) and Moore (one) were the others to poll.
Blicavs is the highest-ranked Cat after three weeks of finals action, with the All-Australian having polled 11 votes across his two games.
From Saturday's preliminary final, six of the seven vote-getters were Brisbane players, with McCluggage leading the way with nine votes.
Ashcroft polled five votes in the win to level with McCluggage on 13 overall for the series, with the pair sitting one vote ahead of defender Harris Andrews, who polled six votes from the preliminary final.
Zac Bailey (four votes), Jamie Elliott (three), Ty Gallop (two) and Darcy Gardiner (one) were the other vote-getters.
With the grand final voting having a 1.5x multiplier, any player who is playing this week and has at least three votes already to their name is in the mix to win the award, meaning a total of 15 players remain contenders for the Gary Ayres Award.
2025 Gary Ayres Award Leaderboard
18 votes Jai Newcombe (HAW)
13 Will Ashcroft (BL)
13 Hugh McCluggage (BL)
12 Harris Andrews (BL)
11 Mark Blicavs (GEEL)
10 Patrick Dangerfield (GEEL)
10 Darcy Moore (COLL)
10 Caleb Serong (FRE)
9 Oliver Dempsey (GEEL)
8 Finn Callaghan (GWS)
8 Josh Dunkley (BL)
8 Jack Gunston (HAW)
7 Jordan De Goey (COLL)
7 Blake Hardwick (HAW)
7 Tom Stewart (GEEL)
6 Matt Rowell (GCFC)
6 Bailey Smith (GEEL)
5 Nick Daicos (COLL)
5 Tom Green (GWS)
4 Tom Atkins (GEEL)
4 Zac Bailey (BL)
4 Jarrod Berry (BL)
4 Sam Collins (GCFC)
4 Jamie Elliott (COLL)
4 Max Holmes (GEEL)
4 Gryan Miers (GEEL)
4 Wil Powell (GCFC)
4 Isaac Quaynor (COLL)
4 Josh Ward (HAW)
3 Noah Anderson (GCFC)
3 Lloyd Meek (HAW)
3 Steele Sidebottom (COLL)
3 Josh Worrell (ADEL)
