Three teams now sit atop of the AFL ladder after five rounds but the Saints are still on top. Some great performances from the week that saw nine matches in Adelaide.

The Edge of the Crowd writers have come together after the second round to submit their predicted Brownlow votes for Round Two.

Adelaide 118 d Carlton 62

3. Jordan Dawson

2. Rory Laird

1. Darcy Fogarty

Jordan Dawson came to Adelaide as a talented half-forward but has blossomed in the city of churches over the past couple of years to the point where he was named Adelaide Crows' captain ahead of this season. In 2023 he has taken his game to another level. He was at it again on Thursday night, racking up 32 possessions and accumulating 11 score involvements.

Even in the darkest days of the Crows’ rebuilding phase, Rory Laird was still a prolific possession winner. Although results are becoming more positive for the Crows, that hasn’t changed, as witnessed by his 37 touches in the big win against the Blues.

The current batch of Crows is spoiled for choice in terms of talented forwards this season. This week it was Darcy Fogarty’s time to shine as he bagged five goals in a dominant performance.

Fremantle 100 d Gold Coast 90

3. Caleb Serong

2. Michael Walters

1. Jack Lukosius

Serong might be the most underrated midfielder in the completion. Much like Nat Fyfe who went underrated for a long time, Serong should be getting more attention. He had 37 touches on the weekend with eight clearances from the middle gaining the Dockers 466 metres.

Walters is putting together an interesting start to the season, finding the goals with relative ease. He kicked four on the weekend while having 13 touches with a couple of clearances. The final vote goes to Lukosius who is in the votes for a second week after kicking a goal with gaining 725 metres.

Richmond 78 def by Sydney 122

3. Tom Papley

2. Nick Blakey

1. Isaac Heeney

Tom Papley lit Adelaide Oval alight on Friday night, producing a six-goal second half - including four in the final term to see the Swans get over the top of the Tigers. The livewire’s performance during Gather Round also included 25 disposals, six inside 50s, and five clearances while spending his time between the midfield and forward line.

Nick Blakey was a rock in defence for the Swans, limiting the Tigers’ ability to convert their opportunities going forward. He had 13 intercept possessions throughout the contest and eight one-percenters and was involved in four scores for Sydney as a result of his four inside 50s and seven rebounds from the defensive end.

Isaac Heeney picked up his game when it mattered in the final quarter, amassing 10 of his 20 disposals in the fourth term alone. He kicked two crucial third-quarter goals as the Tigers were starting to press and get back into the game where he kept up the pressure throughout with seven tackles - four of which were inside his team’s forward 50.

Brisbane 152 d North Melbourne 77

3. Lachie Neale

2. Joe Daniher

1. Harry Sheezel

The ball magnet that is Lachie Neale continues to do exactly what he's good at. The midfielder had 37 touches with 21 handbells and 16 kicks in an excellent performance. 13 clearances and a goal assist just add to why he deserves three votes.

Daniher is a divisive figure in the AFL but he was brilliant on the weekend playing in Adelaide. He kicked five goals while having 18 total disposals. No player has started their career with more disposals than Sheezel and he continued his good work this weekend with 31 touches and one goal.

Essendon 104 d Melbourne 77

3. Clayton Oliver

2. Zach Merrett

1. Darcy Parish

It's never easy to get three votes on a losing side but Oliver simply continues to dominate through the midfield racking up touches and finding the ball. He had 41 touches on the weekend while getting nine clearances along with a couple of tackles.

On the winning side, Zach Merrett also had a great game through the midfield with 35 touches and four clearances while laying seven tackles on the defensive end. Parish also had 34 touches while gaining 602 metres for Essendon in their massive win.

Port Adelaide 70 d Western Bulldogs 56

3. Zak Butters

2. Dan Houston

1. Adam Treloar

Gather Round was a game Port Adelaide needed to win and thankfully they did pushing them towards the top eight, where they are looking to be this year. Butters had 32 touches while playing up forward and in the middle. With a single goal and seven clearances, he was clearly the best for Port.

Houston didn't get as many touches as a lot of other players but he was incredibly effective with seven clearances and a goal while gaining 565 metres. Adam Treloar had a great match in the middle with 35 disposals and eight clearances in a losing effort.

Geelong 136 d West Coast 89

3. Mark Blicavs

2. Jake Waterman

1. Jeremy Cameron

Who doesn't love a ruckman in the votes? This week it's Blicavs that gets the three after a dominant performance in the ruck with 37 hit-outs to go with eight clearances and two goals. Simply dominant both forward and in the ruck sharing with Rhys Stanley.

Four different men kicked four goals on the weekend but Waterman was the best of them with 20 disposals to go with three hit outs for a total of 403 metres gained. Cameron is in the votes again continuing his dominance in the Coleman with four goals and 18 touches.

GWS Giants 77 d Hawthorn 75

3. James Worpel

2. Toby Greene

1. Stephen Coniglio

Worpel is certainly the future of the Hawks and will be part of their middle for the next decade as Mitchell looks to build around him. The midfielder had 35 touches with eight clearances out of the middle for a total of 541 metres gained.

Toby Greene continues to show how the captaincy has improved his game with 24 touches on the weekend with three goals. A couple of clearances as well to go with 445 metres gained. Coniglio gets the final vote of the match for 33 touches and eight clearances.

Collingwood 70 d St Kilda 64

3. Nick Daicos

2. Brad Couch

1. Josh Daicos

The Daicos boys are simply incredible and it's hard to see how Collingwood will fit them both into the salary cap when their contracts begin to change. The weekend belonged to Nick once again with 42 touches and seven marks in an incredible effort that saw him gain 856 metres.

Brad Crouch was the best for the Saints continuing a great season for him. He had 33 touches through the middle while kicking two goals with nine clearances. The other Daicos gets the final vote with 30 touches and three clearances. Not quite as good as his brother but still excellent.

Leaderboard

1. Clayton Oliver (12)

1. Nick Daicos (12)

3. Jeremy Cameron (8)

4. Harry Sheezel (7)

4. Jordan Dawson (7)

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