MELBOURNE midfielder Karen Paxman has been recognised for her strong start to the season, polling nine votes from the coaches for the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award.

After every game, both coaches get the chance to vote on who they think were the top five players on the ground, and come the end of the season, the player with the highest tally of votes will claim the award.

Paxman was the leading possession getter in the Demons Round 1 clash with Fremantle at Casey Fields on Sunday, showing her power with 21 disposals.

The 30-year-old’s best on ground performance sees her well placed on the leaderboard after the opening week of the AFLW competition.

Paxman wasn’t the only Demon to poll in the side’s four-point loss, with Elise O’Dea and Lauren Pearce receiving two votes each.

O’Dea shone in her first game as co-captain, gathering 17 touches and laying nine tackles in a gutsy on-ball performance.

In the ruck, Pearce was prominent winning 50 percent of the contests she competed in – the fourth best result of any player over the weekend. The 184cm ruck also had 11 disposals as she made her presence felt around the ground.

AFLCA Votes

Round 1: Melbourne v Fremantle

9 – Karen Paxman (MELB)

7 – Kiara Bowers (FRE)

6 – Ebony Antonio (FRE)

4 – Dana Hooker (FRE)

2 – Elise O’Dea (MELB)

2 – Lauren Pearce (MELB)

AFLW Leaderboard:

10 – Emily Bates (BRIS)

10 – Nina Morrison (GEEL)

10 – Lauren Spark (WBD)

9 – Jasmine Garner (NMFC)

9 – Karen Paxman (MELB)