The league's leaders believe Lavington's Shaun Mannagh will overcome the hurdle of missing five games to claim the Morris Medal on Monday night.
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Five of the coaches believe the pacy Panther will claim the league's most prestigious award, joining Yarrawonga's leadership group member Jake Wild.
"Just probably his goalkicking ability, he's had a number of games where he's kicked four-plus," Wodonga Raiders' coach Jarrod Hodgkin said.
"He's a ball-winner as well, so if you're kicking four or five goals a game, it's pretty hard not to poll a three vote, so I think he'll poll a lot of three votes."
Mannagh kicked 46 goals in his 13 games during the home and away season, missing the other five with Richmond VFL commitments.
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He kicked five goals or more in six games, including a season-high seven against Wangaratta.
"He's up there, I think he's probably got the ability to be right up there as one of the best," Hodgkin said.
"He's got all the tricks, he kicks goals, he's quick, he's tough, he wins a lot of the footy, he's probably just got to tie up a couple of areas to be as good as he can but, with his age (Mannagh turned 22 last month), he's certainly got in all in front of him."
Wangaratta Rovers' coach Daryn Cresswell also believes the Panthers' ace will overcome the odds of missing almost a third of the regular season to win.
"I think he's the best player in the competition," he said.
"He's a game-breaker, he was a a large reason why they (Lavington) finished on top of the ladder."
Wodonga's Zac Fulford, Corowa-Rutherglen's Marc Almond and Wangaratta's Luke Morgan were the other coaches to nominate the speedster.
Of the rest, Myrtleford's Jake Sharp offered his star forward Lachie Dale, as did Lavington's Simon Curtis, Albury co-coach Tom McGrath nominated ball magnet Curtis, while North Albury's Isaac Muller suggested Sharp could claim the title in his full-time return to the league after five years at Werribee.
Muller also picked Wodonga Raiders' coach Hodgkin as a bolter, while Sharp also had the midfielder in his top three.
Hodgkin is a proven vote-winner, finishing in a tie for second behind Albury's Chris Hyde, by two votes, in a thrilling count in 2017.
"It's probably been a fair bit better this year than the last couple of years, but I still think those 'Lavi' boys (Mannagh and Curtis) will be hard to get past," he said of the skilful Panthers' duo.
Whatever happens, the league will certainly crown a new medallist after Brodie Filo (Wodonga Raiders) left mid-season.
WHO THE COACHES TIPPED
TOM McGRATH (Albury)
1: Simon Curtis (Lavington)
2: Elliott Powell (Albury)
3: Jake Sharp (Myrtleford)
Bolter: Shaun Daly (Albury)
MARC ALMOND (Corowa-Rutherglen)
1: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
2: Elliott Powell (Albury)
3: Simon Curtis (Lavington)
Bolter: Tim McAuley (Yarrawonga)
SIMON CURTIS (Lavington)
1: Lachie Dale (Myrtleford)
2: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
3: Brad Melville (Wangaratta)
Bolter: Jake Sharp (Myrtleford)
JAKE SHARP (Myrtleford)
1: Lachie Dale (Myrtleford)
2: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
3: Jarrod Hodgkin (Raiders)
Bolter: Nick Meredith (Lavington)
ISAAC MULLER (North Albury)
1: Jake Sharp (Myrtleford)
2: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
3: Shaun Daly (Albury)
Bolter: Jarrod Hodgkin (Wodonga Raiders)
LUKE MORGAN (Wangaratta)
1: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
2: Shaun Daly (Albury)
3: Jake Sharp (Myrtleford)
Bolter: Brad Melville (Wangaratta)
DARYN CRESSWELL (Wangaratta Rovers)
1: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
2: Shaun Daly (Albury)
3: Jake Sharp (Myrtleford)
Bolter: Brad St John (Wodonga Raiders)
ZAC FULFORD (Wodonga)
1: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
2: Jake Sharp (Myrtleford)
3: Elliott Powell (Albury)
Bolter: Joe Richards (Wangaratta)
JARROD HODGKIN (Wod Raiders)
1: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
2: Brad Melville (Wangaratta)
3: Simon Curtis (Lavington)
Bolter: Tim McAuley (Yarrawonga)
JAKE WILD (Yarrawonga)
1: Shaun Mannagh (Lavington)
2: Lachie Dale (Myrtleford)
3: Jake Sharp (Myrtleford)
Bolter: Nick Meredith (Lavington)