Toast Sam Walsh - 2023 Gary Ayres Award winner

[Jeremias]

Remarkable achievement from Walsh, who becomes the first to ever win the Gary Ayres Award without making the Grand Final.

Final leaderboard:

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

Youngest ever recipient of the award.

Well done Sam. Very deserved.

 

[augie]

Great effort. Was the reason the blues got to week 3.

 

[HairyO]

6 year old award so not a big pool to choose from.

Plus both Grand Finalists only played 3 Finals for the 1st time since 2014.

Was the year to win it. Coleman came close which isnt bad for a half back flanker who isnt a Daicos.

 

[banzai]

6 year old award so not a big pool to choose from.

Plus both Grand Finalists only played 3 Finals for the 1st time since 2014.

Was the year to win it. Coleman came close which isnt bad for a half back flanker who isnt a Daicos.

Walsh was the 8th winner. Kennedy (Swans) won the first in 2016.

 

[TwiggleyFanClub]

Grand final earns 50% more votes than the other games, so to get the gong without being in it wasn’t a bad effort.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Seems like a pretty vanilla award...

 

[Pancakes]

Well done to him, very talented kid who will win more awards in the future.

But this seems like the dumbest medal there is to be honest, the award should be the best player from the premiership team in the finals. Someone able to win from a team that lost in the prelims just seems a bit off.

 

[Danw0w]

Plus both Grand Finalists only played 3 Finals for the 1st time since 2014.

Since last year*

And 2017

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Don’t really know why this award exists, very strange one. Nobody cares, I doubt Walsh does either.

 

[Foucault1989]

Great achievement by Walsh. He was incredible in the finals. Stood up big time on the big stage. Will win a Brownlow in the next few years.

 

[Anderson Brown]

Meh. The season wrapped up on Saturday and seems pointless now. I guess it gives Carlton something to hang their hat on though.

 

[Swanks McSwankserton]

Well done to him, very talented kid who will win more awards in the future.

But this seems like the dumbest medal there is to be honest, the award should be the best player from the premiership team in the finals. Someone able to win from a team that lost in the prelims just seems a bit off.

Any award that doesnt allow players from multiple clubs to compete for it has to be an internal club thing for me, no way another entity needs be involved.

Even with the grand final boosting and playing the same number of games, the fact that no player from the grand final teams managed to rack up more votes than Walsh tells me that Walsh had a great finals series.

Part of what makes the grand finalists great sides is that some guys can go quiet for a game or two and others will step up so they still get the W. But Walsh didnt go quiet for a game or two and that makes him a worthy recipient of best player in the finals series imo.

 

[marcmurphy3]

Don’t really know why this award exists, very strange one. Nobody cares, I doubt Walsh does either.

Heaps of major sports around the world have a finals MVP award. I think its weirder that it took the AFL so long to have one.

 

[lilJeffyG]

6 year old award so not a big pool to choose from.

Plus both Grand Finalists only played 3 Finals for the 1st time since 2014.

Was the year to win it. Coleman came close which isnt bad for a half back flanker who isnt a Daicos.

What an odd statement. Final 4 teams all played 3 finals.

 

[beerbandit]

Congrats to Walsh, well deserved.

 

[OniAu]

Don’t really know why this award exists, very strange one. Nobody cares, I doubt Walsh does either.

We talk about big game players all year every year. Whats bigger than being consistent in a finals atmosphere.

 

[Chism]

We talk about big game players all year every year. Whats bigger than being consistent in a finals atmosphere.

May have something to do with the fact his own team has not won a final for nearly 10k days.

So they are always going to piss on any award where a finals win and big game performances are paramount.

#bomberlogic101

 

[RonnieRaven]

Well done to Walsh
I do think in the future they should change it so only grandfinalist are eligible and award it after the game
Would build prestige over time

 

[Chief]

Well done to Walsh
I do think in the future they should change it so only grandfinalist are eligible

Don't they already have a medal?

 

[South of the Yarra]

Walsh really enhanced his reputation this September. Stood up when it counted.

 

[Foucault1989]

Well done to Walsh
I do think in the future they should change it so only grandfinalist are eligible and award it after the game
Would build prestige over time

Kind of like the Norm Smith medal?

 

[hdi]

Congrats Sam Walsh

18

Sam Walsh

Age

23

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.1

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

5.1

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

3.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

26.2

5star

K

15.4

5star

HB

10.8

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

4.8

5star

, a deserving winner

 

[Fadge]

Worthy winner. Was enormous in all three Carlton finals.

 

[Foucault1989]

Maybe they should also change the Brownlow, Coaches Award, MVP and Rising Star to be representatives of the team that wins the premiership