Ablett wins Suns’ AFL best and fairest

Brownlow Medal favourite Gary Ablett has secured his first post-season AFL honour for 2013 by winning Gold Coast’s Club Championship award for the third straight year.

The Suns captain was a clear winner in the club’s best-and-fairest voting, tallying 260 votes to win from Dion Prestia (213) and young gun Jaeger O’Meara (204).

Ablett’s win was no surprise after the former Geelong star dominated the club’s statistics, recording the most kicks, handballs and goals in the Suns’ breakthrough eight-win season.

Ablett is also tipped to become the Suns’ first Brownlow Medallist after his stellar year when that honour is awarded on September 23 by the AFL.

The superstar midfielder dominated the countback for the year, topping the leaderboard for all but two rounds with Charlie Dixon holding an early edge after rounds two and three.

The 2009 Brownlow Medallist was judged the club’s best player in eight games and was ranked in the top three in 13 of 21 matches this season.

He also secured two perfect games with the Suns’ coaching panel, receiving a total of 25 votes for his displays against St Kilda in the opening match of the year and his 49-possession performance against Collingwood in round 17.

Other award winners on Friday night included Danny Stanley as the club’s players’ player of the year, defender Rory Thompson as the club’s most improved and young rising star Jack Martin was the club’s reserves player of the year.

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