GIANTS midfielder Jacob Hopper is well placed to claim his first Carey-Bunton medal as the leading player from New South Wales.

The Carey-Bunton Medal is given to the highest placed New South Wales player in the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award.

Hopper, originally from Leeton in the Riverina, currently sits three votes behind Adelaide’s Taylor Walker who took the lead having polled six votes in the round 11 match against Richmond.

The tough midfielder is leading the way for the GIANTS with the leaderboard dominated by a number of Swans players.

Hopper has taken his game to another level in 2021 following his elevation to the leadership group. 

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R3: Hopper makes the most of slick assist

The GIANTS score their second major through Jacob Hopper after a brilliant goal assist from Josh Kelly

The 24-year old hasn’t missed a game so far this season and has stamped himself as one of the best clearance players in the competition.

He’s classified as “elite” in terms of contested possessions, averaging 13.5 per game in 2021 and is ranked seventh across the competition in this category.

VOTES AFTER ROUND 11

36 Taylor Walker (North Broken Hill) – Adelaide (R11 6 votes v RIC)

33 Jacob Hopper (Leeton-Whitton) - GWS Giants 

24 Callum Mills (Mosman) - Sydney Swans 

23 Isaac Heeney (Cardiff) - Sydney Swans (R11 10 votes v CAR)

13 Tom Hawkins (Finley) – Geelong  (R11 8 votes v COLL)

10 Sam Wicks (Manly-Warringah) – Sydney Swans 

9 Errol Gulden (UNSW-Eastern Suburbs) - Sydney Swans 

8 Lachie Schultz (Moama) – Fremantle 

5 Braeden Campbell (Pennant Hills) – Sydney Swans 

6 Jacob Koschitzke (Albury) – Hawthorn 

4 Harry Cunningham (Turvey Park) - Sydney Swans (R11 4 votes v CAR)

3 Matthew Flynn (Narrandera) - GWS Giants

3 Harry Perryman (Collingullie) - GWS Giants 

3 Zach Williams (Narrandera) – Carlton 

2 Harry Himmelberg (Mangoplah-Cookardinia United) -

2 Jarrad Witts (Sydney University) – Gold Coast 

2 Todd Marshall (Deniliquin) – Port Adelaide 

2 Dane Rampe (UNSW-Eastern Suburbs) Sydney Swans 

1 Isaac Smith (Cootamundra) – Geelong 

The medal is named after two of New South Wales' finest products in Wayne Carey and Haydn Bunton Snr.

Previous winners of the Carey-Bunton Medal include Brett Kirk, Lenny Hayes, Taylor Walker, Kieran Jack, Zac Williams and Tom Hawkins.