Each week, the senior coach of each AFL club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best.
Each week during the finals series, the senior coach of each competing AFL club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game their team plays in, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best.
The award is named after Gary Ayres, a 5-time VFL/AFL premiership player and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee.
[18] Awarded to an AFL coach who has "shown exceptional commitment to their professional development".
In recognition of "an individual who has made an outstanding contribution" to Australian rules football.
Awarded to an individual who displays "respected and insightful coverage of AFL football at the professional level".
Awarded to an Australian rules support staff member who shows "outstanding contribution, innovation, [or] initiative in carrying out [their] duties".
In its first year, in what was described as "ditching traditional positions in favour of modern tactics,"[20] in each position on the field (decided by analysts), the highest-scoring player from the Champion Player of the Year Award voting was chosen.
Each week, the senior coach of each AFL Women's club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best.