Will Ashcroft leads Gary Ayres Award race after preliminary finals

Will Ashcroft of Brisbane increased his tally to 14 votes in the Gary Ayres Medal standings following a strong performance in the preliminary final against Hawthorn on September 19, 2026. He received six votes in that match, adding to the eight votes earned in the prior week against Adelaide. Luke Jackson from Fremantle is in second place with 12 votes after contributing to his team's victory over Sydney. Hawthorn's Nick Watson and Fremantle's Caleb Serong each garnered 10 votes despite being on the losing side in their respective matches. The voting system has been revised this year to exclude wildcard finals, with potential adjustments being considered for the 2027 process.

• 6:24 AMAFL — Gary Ayres Award: Mr September takes the lead, two perfect 10s