AFL awards 2023: Footy stars and their glamorous partners dazzle on the red carpet as Zak Butters and Marcus Bontempelli take home big prizes

Footy stars and their glam partners hit the red carpet on Wednesday night as players and coaches celebrated the 2023 season at the AFL Awards.

Nick Daicos, Marcus Bontempelli and Christian Petracca led a plethora of stars to the Melbourne Park Centerpiece venue, but it was Port Adelaide’s Zac Butters who took home the top prize.

The Power star won his first major individual AFL award after Daicos’ knee injury cost Collingwood’s young arm.

Butters received 17 of 20 votes in the final two rounds to earn the Coaches’ Association champion player award.

Daicos led the vote at 99, seven ahead of Butters, after round 22.

Richmond star Dustin Martin was the All Australian team’s most notable omission as Toby Greene became the first GWS player to be named captain of the honors squad.

Port Adelaide are now the only club not to have an All Australian captain.

At the age of 33, Adelaide’s Taylor Walker became the oldest player to earn his first All Australian selection since the start of the AFL era in 1990.

Also at Collingwood, Nick and Josh Daicos are the first brothers to play the same All Australian side since Port’s Chad and Kane Cornes in 2007.

Butters received 17 of 20 votes in the final two rounds to earn the Coaches’ Association champion player award.

Daicos had led the vote at 99, seven ahead of Butters, after Round 22.

The Magpies have missed the last three games due to his knee fracture and are in a race against time to be part of Collingwood’s final series.

Butters, 22, finished on 109 votes after voting in 16 of his 23 contests and garnering a maximum of 10 votes in seven contests, including round 23.

Bontempelli also moved past Daicos to finish second on 102, while Melbourne star Christian Petracca was fourth on 98 and Brisbane captain Lachie Neale fifth on 91 votes.

But Daicos, the Brownlow Medal favorite before the injury, received recognition for his outstanding season when he won the Coaches’ Association’s Best Young Player award.

He received no fewer than 129 votes, followed by Nick Martin van Essendon with 50.

Bontempelli won his second Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Players Association’s Most Valuable Player award ahead of Daicos.

The Bulldogs star was also named the AFLPA’s best captain, again for the second time after doing the same double in 2021, as Butters won their most courageous player category.

Butters and Bontempelli’s wins ahead of Daicos will fuel speculation about next month’s Brownlow, with all three of them on the All Australian squad and expected to rank highly in the vote.

North Melbourne defender Harry Sheezel predictably won the AFL Rising Star award, presented to him by last year’s winner Daicos.

Sheezel had an excellent debut season, receiving 54 votes, with Brisbane’s Will Ashcroft next on 39 after his season ended last month with a knee injury.

Mitch Owens from St Kilda finished third at 34.

Sheezel was also named the best first-year player of the players’ association.

Carlton star Charlie Curnow was honored for his second straight Coleman Medal as the league’s best goalkeeper.

Martin, Brisbane defender Harris Andrews and Western Bulldogs onballer Tom Liberatore were popular picks to be named in the All Australian 22 but failed to make the final.