Western Bulldogs boss Luke Beveridge has become just the second coach to win back-to-back coach of the year awards.
The honour, which is named after coaching legend Allan Jeans, was presented to Beveridge at the AFL Coaches' Association awards on Tuesday night in front of more than 380 guests at Peninsula in Docklands.
Former Geelong mentor Mark Thompson is the only other person to win the award in consecutive years (2007-08).
Beveridge is now one of only four coaches to win the award twice along with Thompson, John Worsfold (2006, 2011) and John Longmire (2012, 2014).
The unassuming Bulldogs coach has been rewarded for overseeing his club's remarkable qualification for their first grand final in 55 years against Sydney, despite contending with significant injuries to numerous key players along the way.
Beveridge won the award with 341 votes – 139 clear of his opposing number in Saturday's grand final – Longmire (202) – and 223 ahead of Greater Western Sydney's Leon Cameron (118) who rounded out the top three.
The award was voted for by more than 180 of Beveridge's peers. This is the first year since the award was established in 2003 that voters have taken the first three weeks of the finals into consideration.
Interestingly, Hawthorn master coach Alastair Clarkson is yet to claim the award despite being a four-time premiership coach.
Longmire's lieutenant, Stuart Dew, was named the assistant coach of the year ahead of Hawthorn's Damian Carroll and Melbourne's Simon Goodwin who will coach the Demons in his own right from next season.
Sydney's Isaac Heeney took out the best young player award with 569 votes ahead of Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan (337), Adelaide defender Jake Lever (315), Bulldogs midfielder Caleb Daniel (285) and Collingwood forward Darcy Moore (253).
