Hodge and Whateley’s top three predictions for 2024 AFL MVP award

Luke Hodge and Gerard Whateley have named their Most Valuable Players for the 2024 AFL season.

It comes as the AFLPA MVP Award will be named this week. Marcus Bontempelli won in 2023.

The four-time premiership Hawk and the esteemed broadcaster selected their top three standouts on a 3-2-1 votes basis.

Read their thoughts below:

Hodge’s MVPs

3 votes - Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
2 votes - Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
1 vote - Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

“I looked at Isaac Heeney. I would have said early on that Heeney was up there,” Hodge explained on SEN’s Whateley.

“But I look back at the Most Valuable Player (aspect). How important is he to that group? I look beside him and there’s Errol Gulden, Chad Warner and Brodie Grundy who have all dropped away as well.

“I’m thinking is it Heeney that is so important for them or is it Grundy who is that important which might have dropped him out of my top three. I’m kicking myself as I’m saying it.

“I looked at Jesse Hogan who has had such a consistent year. I don’t have him in my top three, I’m sitting here going, ‘I probably should’.

“I had Lachie Neale sitting there with Nick Daicos but I left him out.

“So I’ve gone Nick Daicos at three, so one vote. If it wasn’t for him I don’t know what would have happened for Collingwood. He turned games.

“This is a young 21-year-old kid. As I’m talking I’m thinking I should have had him higher. He had that football club on his shoulders because so many games around him were injured or not playing at their best.

“I’ve got Bontempelli as two votes. He was able to play midfield and had 600 touches, he’s kicked 30 goals, has been able to fill the void in different areas. He’s so crucial to that football club, the heart and soul.

“Three votes is the skipper of the Blues. I’m not sure if it’s a man crush because I love what he’s done and how important he is.

“They rely so heavily on him to be the bull, to be in and under and setting the tone for the players. I’ve got Cripps for the three votes in my MVP this year.”

Whateley’s MVPs

3 votes - Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
2 votes - Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
1 vote - Isaac Heeney (Sydney)

“I came up with six (candidates) - Nick Daicos, Patrick Cripps, Marcus Bontempelli, Isaac Heeney, Lachie Neale and Jesse Hogan,” said Whateley.

“The standard is so high here. I tried every which way to get Jesse Hogan in because he’s been so influential to what the Giants have done.

“I considered Nick Daicos but I ended up going Heeney above him because I felt like he shaped the Swans’ whole season with the way that he played those first 10 weeks.

“I’ve got Bontempelli at two and it’s absolutely pick your poison, choose your guy because they’re both worthy of it, buy I landed with Cripps at one.”