Charlie Dixon has capped a career-best season in the AFL by finishing a close second in the Port Adelaide best & fairest award.
In his second season at Port Dixon polled 234 votes to finish just seven behind All-Australian ruckman Paddy Ryder.
Completing the Port top 10 were Tom Jonas (203), Robbie Gray (202), Brad Ebert (190), Ollie Wines (184), Sam Gray (171), Chad Wingard (166, captain Travis Boak (152) and Justin Westhoff (145).
It was the best B&F finish in Dixon’s seven-year AFL career after he was 9th in the Gold Coast B&F in 2012 and 6th in 2015.
It was also the first time Dixon has played a full season without any injury disruptions.
As most club B&F awards were concluded over the weekend, ruckman Zac Smith finished 8th in the Geelong count.
Smith polled 188 votes to finish just outside the top five, with Tom Stewart fifth with (195 votes), Sam Menegola (194) sixth and Lachie Henderson (190) seventh behind Patrick Dangerfield (240), Mitch Duncan (225.5), Zach Yuohy (219.5), and Joel Selwood (213.5).
It was also the third top 10 finish of Smith’s seven-year AFL career. He was 6th in the Gold Coast count in his first season in 2011 and 10th in the Geelong B&F in his first season at the Cattery in 2016.
This mean that seven Queenslanders have finished top 10 in club B&F awards in 2017.
Dayne Zorko head the list when he won his third consecutive Merrett/Murray Medal at the Lions from teammate and fellow Queenslander Dayne Beams, who was runner-up.
Harris Andrews was eighth at the Lions and Eric Hipwood equal 10th.
And at the Gold Coast, Jarrod Harbrow finished 7th in a count won by Gary Ablett.
It was the fifth top 10 finish of Harbrow’s career. He was 6th at the Western Bulldogs in 2009. And at the Suns has finished 8th in 2011, 5th in 2013 and 7th in 2014.
In other Queensland news, Josh Thomas has signed a one-year contract extension to stay at Collingwood in 2018, and Mabior Chol has won a third rookie contract at Richmond.
But Fremantle rookie Matt Uebergang, whose 2017 was savagely disrupted by injury, was de-listed. He spent two years at the Dockers without playing a senior game.
This comes after Brisbane de-listed Jono Freeman and rookie Blake Grewer, and Melbourne off-loaded Jake Spencer.
By Peter Blucher
