Nick Daicos wins the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFLPA’s MVP

Nick Daicos after being presented with the Leigh Matthews Trophy for Most Valuable Player during the 2025 AFL Awards at Centrepiece on August 28, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

NICK Daicos has become the youngest player in more than two decades to be voted the AFL’s most valuable by his peers, with the Collingwood star winning the Leigh Matthews Trophy on Thursday night.

Daicos, 22, is the first fourth-year player to win the AFLPA’s MVP award since Nick Riewoldt did as a 21-year-old in 2004 and he is the fourth-youngest winner in the award’s 43-year history.

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In 2022, Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw also won the award at the age of 22, but he was in his fifth season and was two months older than Daicos is today.

Daicos has had another standout season, averaging more than 30 disposals per game (ranked second in the AFL) while he also ranks in the top 10 for score involvements (third) and inside 50s (sixth).

In votes cast by the playing cohort, he won ahead of Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson, St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, three-time winner Marcus Bontempelli and Geelong forward Jeremy Cameron.

Jordan Dawson celebrates after the R23 match between Adelaide and Collingwood at Adelaide Oval on August 16, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Dawson was named best captain ahead of Bontempelli and Gold Coast’s Noah Anderson, while Fremantle young gun Murphy Reid affirmed his status as one of the favourites for the Telstra Rising Star by being named Best First-Year Player.

Brisbane midfielder Josh Dunkley won the Robert Rose Award for the game’s most courageous player, finishing ahead of two-time winner Zak Butters.

Josh Dunkley in action during the match between Gold Coast and Brisbane at People First Stadium in round 20, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

AFL.com.au’s Josh Gabelich was also honoured by the AFLPA, winning the Grant Hattam Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism for his feature on Western Bulldogs veteran Tom Liberatore.

2025 AFLPA AWARDS

AFLPA MVP – Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
AFLPA Most Courageous – Josh Dunkley (Brisbane)
AFLPA Best First Year Player – Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
AFLPA Best Captain – Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)

Leigh Matthews Trophy (MVP)
1) Nick Daicos
2) Jordan Dawson
3) Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera
4) Marcus Bontempelli
5) Jeremy Cameron

Robert Rose Award (Most Courageous)
1) Josh Dunkley
2) Zak Butters
3) Tom Atkins
4) Tom Liberatore
5) Nick Vlastuin

Best First-Year Player Award
1) Murphy Reid
2) Levi Ashcroft
3) Harvey Langford
4) Alix Tauru
5) Finn O’Sullivan and Sam Davidson

Best Captain
1) Jordan Dawson
2) Marcus Bontempelli
3) Noah Anderson
4) Toby Greene
5) Harris Andrews

The winners of the MVP, Best First-Year Player and Most Courageous Player are determined by a two-stage voting process.

Players first select three teammates, with those results tallied into a list of 54 nominees across the 18 clubs. All players then vote on a 3-2-1 basis, but they are not able to vote for a player at their own club. The player with the most votes wins.

Every captain is automatically nominated for the Best Captain Award.