Rowell reigns supreme, Serong starts strong as five poll perfectly: AFL MVP – Round 1

All 18 teams were back in action over the weekend and while a few names have separated themselves in their second outings, many more caught the eye in their kickstarter clashes.

Matt Rowell continued a perfect start to 2024 thus far with another 20 votes, torching the Crows midfield for 29 touches (20 contested), 10 tackles, nine clearances and a goal.

This time he was matched by three young stars and an ageing icon, as Archie Perkins, Connor Rozee, Caleb Serong and Patrick Dangerfield all shone with perfect polls of their own.

Serong's 46 disposals broke a Freo record and cut the Lions ceaselessly through four quarters as the Dockers downed the Lions by 23 points.

Perkins proved he's more than just a young Bomber on the rise with 24 damaging disposals to go with two goals and 12 tackles under the hot sun.

Rozee led from the front in his first game as Power skipper, also kicking two from his 27 touches at 82%. 14 score involvements also led the match in Port Adelaide's 50-point belting of West Coast.

Dangerfield was the other perfect poller with his 25 possessions, nine score involvements and a game-sealing goal following an act of captain's courage running back with the flight.

Thursday night's clash saw Patrick Cripps take the bulk of the votes against Richmond after 31 touches and a pivotal hand in some crucial scores.

Isaac Heeney dominated once again out of the midfield, collecting 29 with two goals and a compelling forward presence on Friday night against an undermanned Magpie defence.

Tom Green and Jesse Hogan shared the top vote honours in the Giants' defeat of North Melbourne, the former continuing his ball-winning ways with 37 disposals and 14 score involvements, the latter kicking six with 13 involvements himself.

Max Gawn polled a near-perfect 19 in his return to form, racking up 26 touches with nine marks and a ruck-bout belting of the reigning All-Australian.

Criteria: Each week Zero Hanger experts Mitch Keating, Frank Seal, Aidan Cellini and Nick Splitter will vote on every match from the weekend, with votes given out in a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 system for each game, meaning the maximum number of votes any player can record in any game is 20.

Carlton vs Richmond

Collingwood vs Sydney

Essendon vs Hawthorn

GWS vs North Melbourne

Geelong vs St Kilda

Gold Coast vs Adelaide

Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs

Port Adelaide vs West Coast

Fremantle vs Brisbane

Leaderboard

RANK		PLAYER	LAST ROUND	TOTAL
1		Matthew Rowell	20	40
2		Isaac Heeney	19	37
3		Tom Green	18	32
4		Patrick Cripps	14	23
5		Jesse Hogan	18	21
6		Chad Warner	16	20
6		Archie Perkins	20	20
6		Caleb Serong	20	20
6		Patrick Dangerfield	20	20
6		Connor Rozee	20	20

VIEW THE FULL ZERO HANGER MVP LEADERBOARD HERE.