A terrific race is developing between the leading contenders in the Great Southern Football League coaches’ player of the year award, entering the last part of the regular season.
A total of 11 votes is all that separates the top four in the standings and 20 votes covers the top five at the conclusion of round 10.
Voting will go silent after round 12 and the winner will be announced on Kleemann Medal night.
Last year’s winner Ryley Valli is firmly in the mix again, the Railways ball magnet holding a slender lead going into round 11.
Valli picked up five votes in round seven, before a perfect 10 in the round eight win over Mt Barker and then added seven in the round nine win over Royals to climb to the top with 53.
Bulls pair Daniel Patching and Darcy Wallinger are nipping at his heels, with 46 and 44 votes respectively.
Patching collected nine votes in the Bulls round nine triumph over Albany while Wallinger got a perfect 10 from the coaches in round seven when his side beat Denmark-Walpole.
Ever consistent Shark Isaac Baum is fourth with 42 votes while the big mover over the last four rounds has been Bulls defender Tristan Ballard.
Ballard has regularly picked up votes to shoot himself to fifth on 33.
North Albany find themselves on the bottom of the ladder but are represented inside the top 10 with veteran Matt Orzel, who was awarded 10 votes in the Kangas big win over the Lions in round nine.
Bailey Taylor received nine votes in NAIDOC Round last weekend as the Sharks handed the Tigers their first loss of the season.
Lion Corey Ward collected nine votes in a losing affair against the Magpies while Tyler Stone, who sits inside the top 10, picked up eight in that same round 10 fixture.
Nine-goal hero Camball McMahon was two short of a perfect 10 for the Bulls in their big win over the Kangas.
McMahon got five votes and three votes from the two coaches while Tyreice Brown and Wallinger picked up six each.
Each league coach votes 5-4-3-2-1 for players on both sides at the end of every game.
2025 Coaches’ Player of the Year Award
Voting Round 7
Albany v North Albany
9 Max Grimes (ALB)
8 Isaac Baum (ALB)
7 Bailey Taylor (ALB)
4 Brock Anning (ALB)
1 Robbie Lee (ALB)
1 Morgan Davies (ALB)
Railways v Royals
5 Lachie Cale (RAIL)
5 Ryley Valli (RAIL)
5 Nathan Powell (ROY)
5 Bodhi Stubber (RAIL)
3 Lorcan McNamara (RAIL)
3 Lucas Smart (RAIL)
2 Hayden Parker (RAIL)
2 Jayson Ford (ROY)
Mt Barker v Denmark-Walpole
10 Darcy Wallinger (MB)
8 Keane Griffiths (MB)
5 Daniel Patching (MB)
5 Tristan Ballard (MB)
1 Ryan Hick (MB)
1 Jared Ballard (MB)
Voting Round 8
Royals v Albany
10 Isaac Baum (ALB)
7 Robbie Lee (ALB)
6 Ashley Ayles (ALB)
3 Cameron Smith (ROY)
3 Michael McGlade (ROY)
1 Bailey Taylor (ALB)
Mt Barker v Railways
10 Ryley Valli (RAIL)
6 Tristan Ballard (MB)
6 Beau Ewen (RAIL)
4 Darcy Clarke (MB)
2 Shane Braimbridge (RAIL)
1 Kye Griffiths (MB)
1 Sam Lehmann (MB)
North Albany v Denmark-Walpole
10 Brody Hickey (DW)
6 Tyler Stone (DW)
5 Nick Barrow (NA)
4 Jedd Nazzari (DW)
2 Ash Smith (DW)
2 Kobi Keen (NA)
1 Anthony Coyne (NA)
Voting Round 9
Albany v Mt Barker
9 Daniel Patching (MB)
6 Tristan Ballard (MB)
5 Isaac Baum (ALB)
3 Tyreice Brown (MB)
3 Darcy Clarke (MB)
2 Bailey Taylor (ALB)
2 Darcy Wallinger (MB)
Denmark-Walpole v Railways
8 Kane Shephard (RAIL)
7 Ryley Valli (RAIL)
6 Ryan Davies (RAIL)
5 Bodhi Stubber (RAIL)
2 Jaxon Lombardini (RAIL)
1 Hayden Parker (RAIL)
1 Max Swarbrick (RAIL)
North Albany v Royals
10 Matt Orzel (NA)
8 Travis Conn (NA)
4 Kobi Keen (NA)
3 Luke Pickering (NA)
3 Daniel Parker (NA)
2 Mitch Lenegan (ROY)
Voting Round 10
Railways v Albany
9 Bailey Taylor (ALB)
6 Logan Stubber (RAIL)
6 Taj Williams (ALB)
5 Morgan Davies (ALB)
2 Jesse Owens (ALB)
1 Mitch Geddes (RAIL)
1 Kane Shephard (RAIL)
Royals v Denmark-Walpole
9 Corey Ward (ROY)
8 Tyler Stone (DW)
4 Reagan Hutchinson (DW)
3 Tait Hartfield (DW)
2 Mitch Lenegan (ROY)
2 Simon Barker (DW)
1 Ryan Hick (DW)
1 Declan McNamara (ROY)
Mt Barker v North Albany
8 Camball McMahon (MB)
6 Tyreice Brown (MB)
6 Darcy Wallinger (MB)
4 Tristan Ballard (MB)
3 Matt Orzel (NA)
3 Brent Parsons (MB)
Leaderboard
53: Ryley Valli (RAIL)
46: Daniel Patching (MB)
44: Darcy Wallinger (MB)
42: Isaac Baum (ALB)
33: Tristan Ballard (MB)
30: Matt Orzel (NA)
29: Lachie Cale (RAIL)
Darcy Clarke (MB)
28: Bailey Taylor (ALB)
Tyler Stone (DW)
25: Bryce Blaszkow (ALB)
Declan McNamara (ROY)
24: Hayden Parker (RAIL)
21: Taj Williams (ALB)
https://thewest.com.au/news/albany-advertiser/gsfl-2025-ryley-valli-holds-slender-lead-over-chasing-pack-going-into-final-five-round-of-coaches-votes-award-c-19480355
