ANOTHER week, another Rookie Me Central Medal leader with Sandringham Dragons’ Rory Wright taking advantage of many of his peers being out with an impressive performance through the midfield against the GWS Giants Academy.

While the Dragons ultimately went down, Wright polled two votes to take his season tally to seven, sitting in the lead by a solitary vote. He has been ultra-consistent this year polling in four games to leapfrog previous leader Jai Saxena.

The Collingwood Next-Generation Academy member was unavailable over the weekend which opened the door for Wright to impress, racking up 30 touches in defeat. Saxena was joined on six votes by Sydney Swans Academy midfielder Nicholas Andreacchio who has notched up back-to-back best on ground performances.

Those two are sandwiched by Wrights, with Bendigo Pioneers’ Hunter Wright in outright fourth on five votes before the leaderboard opens up. The only other change to the top group was another Dragon in small forward Ricky Theodoropoulos who polled a vote to go with his Round 1 best on ground performance to make it four for the season.

Theodoropoulos sits alongside a host of players including Collingwood father-son prospect and Western Jets ball-winner Thomas McGuane, over-age forward-ruck Floyd Burmeister, Calder Cannons draft bolter Adam Sweid and Gippsland Power talent Zac Walker on four votes.

>> ROUND 5: Snapshot | Player of the Week

ROUND 5 VOTES

Swans Academy 9.16 (70) def. Oakleigh Chargers 9.11 (65)
By: Peter Williams

3 – Nicholas Andreacchio (Swans Academy)
2 – Lachlan Carmichael (Swans Academy)
1 – William Jenkin (Swans Academy)

Sandringham Dragons 10.7 (67) def. by Giants Academy 11.15 (81)
By: Peter Williams

3 – Jim Houston (Giants Academy)
2 – Rory Wright (Sandringham Dragons)
1 – Ricky Theodoropoulos (Sandringham Dragons)

Murray Bushrangers 12.10 (82) def. Northern Territory 4.10 (34)
By: Erin Piez

3 – Cody Gardiner (Murray Bushrangers)
2 – Ben Kennedy (Murray Bushrangers)
1 – Oscar Roberts (Murray Bushrangers)

Tasmania Devils 4.8 (32) def. by Lions Academy 12.8 (80)
By: Declan Reeve

3 – Daniel Annable (Lions Academy)
2 – Cooper Hodge (Lions Academy)
1 – Matthew Owen (Lions Academy)

Eastern Ranges 6.10 (46) def. by Suns Academy 15.11 (101)
By: Peter Williams

3 – Dylan Patterson (Suns Academy)
2 – Beau Addinsall (Suns Academy)
1 – Koby Coulson (Suns Academy)

Western Jets 7.5 (47) def. by Northern Knights 18.20 (128)
By: Adrian Dixon

3 – Nicholas Driscoll (Northern Knights)
2 – Nick Canavan (Northern Knights)
1 – Tom Burton (Western Jets)

TOP FIVE LEADERBOARD

1. Rory Wright (Sandringham Dragons) – 7 votes [2, 1, 2, 2]
eq. 2. Nicholas Andreacchio (Swans Academy) – 6 votes [3, 3]
eq. 2. Jai Saxena (Oakleigh Chargers) – 6 votes [3, 3]
4. Hunter Wright (Bendigo Pioneers) – 5 votes [3, 2]
eq. 5. Floyd Burmeister (GWV Rebels) – 4 votes [3, 1]
eq. 5. Thomas McGuane (Western Jets) – 4 votes [1, 3]
eq. 5. Adam Sweid (Calder Cannons) – 4 votes [2, 2]
eq. 5. Ricky Theodoropoulos (Sandringham Dragons) – 4 votes [3, 1]
eq. 5. Zac Walker (Gippsland Power) – 4 votes [2, 2]