Seb Ross must have taken it personally when didn’t feature in Trevor Barker Award voting in Round 1.

After a quiet day out against the Demons, the 24-year-old responded by polling in all but one game for the rest of the season.

Ross finished on 159 votes, 25 votes ahead of Dylan Roberton, marching to his first club best and fairest in emphatic fashion.

Ross registered his first best-on-ground performance against the Eagles in Round 2, before surging to the top of the leaderboard with a maximum 15 votes against GWS in Round 7.

And that’s where he stayed.

The Horsham product produced a stunning run of consistency through the middle part of the season, amassing nine consecutive hauls of 30 or more disposals and 11 in the space of 12 weeks.

He was voted best on ground on five occasions, including starring rolls against the Eagles and Giants, while he was also dominant against another top-eight side in Richmond in Round 16.

Ross was included in the All-Australian squad for good reason in 2017, averaging 29.9 disposals – the 9th most in the AFL – 9.8 contested possessions, 5.1 clearances, 4.3 tackles and 4 inside 50s.

After finishing sixth in last year’s count, the emerging leader elevated his game to a new level in 2017.

Where he polled his votes:

Round 2 v West Coast (15 votes) – 29 disposals, nine contested possessions, five clearances and five tackles

Round 7 v Greater Western Sydney (15 votes) – 31 disposals, 17 contested possessions, nine clearances and four inside 50s

Round 16 v Richmond (14 votes) – 33 disposals, 10 contested possessions, eight tackles, five clearances and five inside 50s

Round 4 v Collingwood (13 votes) – 36 disposals, 12 contested possessions, seven inside 50s and five clearances