MVP, best captain, best forward: Hasleby and Martin’s mid-season AFL awards

SEN WA The Run Home duo Paul Hasleby and Damian Martin have put in their picks for three mid-season AFL awards.

The honours they chose were MVP, best captain and best forward.

Former Fremantle great Hasleby had Isaac Heeney as his MVP, Alex Pearce as his best captain and Jake Waterman as his best forward.

Martin went with Marcus Bontempelli as his MVP, Zach Merrett as his best skipper and also sided with Waterman as his forward pick.

Check out the duo’s reasoning behind their picks below!

MVP

Martin’s pick: Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)

“My MVP, who is an absolute superstar, and it should come as no surprise because being there as an All-Australian multiple times and he is my MVP, Marcus Bontempelli,” Martin said on SEN WA The Run Home.

“Even though his team frustrates me, he goes above and beyond. He can play multiple roles throughout the course of any individual game, whatever’s asked of him, and he does it and usually better than anyone else.

“He might have two, three or four of the best individual games out of the top 10 we've seen so far this season when he's at his best.

“I think it's daylight to second. So, he is my MVP.”

Hasleby’s pick: Isaac Heeney (Sydney)

“I'm going to go Isaac Heeney.

“He's averaged 27 disposals and he's kicked 21 goals.

“I think he's been a little bit more consistent across every game where Bontempelli, there's no doubt his best four or five games are probably better, and I think he's the better player.

“But right now, from what I've seen in this season, I'm with Isaac Heeney. He is in first place on 85 Coaches votes ahead of Nick Daicos on 74.”

Best captain

Martyn’s pick: Zach Merrett (Essendon)

“This was the toughest for me to actually select out of all the categories.

“I’ve gone with two, the first is Zach Merrett

“He took over from Dyson Heppell and Dyson was always well respected, but he was never in the same category as a Selwood or a Pendlebury, but he got it done.

“But his individual performances have been amazing and at times I do see him holding others accountable and I can only imagine what's happening at training.

“The coach says when it comes to preparation and elite qualities on a daily behaviour, there's none better.

“The other one is Patty Cripps at Carlton … I don't have him at number one but I wanted to throw him in there because it's hard to turn the corner and start going back up that ladder.”

Hasleby’s pick: Alex Pearce (Fremantle)

“I want to throw Alex Pearce into the mix as well.

“He's had a really good season. We all believe he's the All-Australian full-back at this point in time and unless something dramatic happens and there's a big falloff, he should be the All-Australian full-back.

“But of course, the death of Cam McCarthy and the way that he handled that as an individual (was impressive).

“I think the way he's carried himself has been great. So, I want to put him into the mix.”

Best forward

Martyn’s pick: Jake Waterman (West Coast)

“I'm going with Waterman.

“Jake Waterman has played only the 11 games and 33 goals, but he's only got five goals less than Charlie Curnow on 38 from 13 games.

“Teams are scouting now and they're treating him by far as the key forward that gets all of the attention (at West Coast).

“I think he's going to be All-Australian and he's right now the most feared forward in the game.”

Hasleby’s pick: Jake Waterman (West Coast)

“I’m with you, I think Jake with what he's been able to do limited supply has been huge.

“He needs to come again because he's had the injuries, the concussion, the shoulder concerns as well.

“So that'll be the challenge for him going forward to see if he can finish off the season with Oscar Allen back into the mix.”