Heeney Wins AFLCA Best Young Player Award

Heeney, who was named the AFL Players' Association best first year player last season, was a clear standout, polling 569 votes ahead of the next best, Melbourne's Jesse Hogan with 337. delaide defender Jake Lever (315), Western Bulldogs midfielder Caleb Daniel (285) and Collingwood forward Darcy Moore (253) rounded out the top-five.

Heeney joins some of the game's modern greats by winning the award. Brownlow medallists Chris Judd (2003), Adam Cooney (2005) and Nat Fyfe (2011) are previous winners. 

Previous AFLCA Best Young Player winners

2015 - Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
2014 - Jaeger O'Meara (Gold Coast)
2013 - Jeremy Cameron (GWS)
2012 - Dyson Heppell (Essendon)
2011 - Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle)
2010 - Stephen Hill (Fremantle)
2009 - Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn)
2008 - Joel Selwood (Geelong)
2007 - Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
2006 - Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs)
2005 - Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs)
2004 - Daniel Wells (Kangaroos)
2003 - Chris Judd (West Coast)