Bombers trio Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker and Brendon Goddard have been nominated for the AFL players MVP award, the Leigh Matthews Trophy.

Heppell, Hooker and Goddard join a list of the top names in the game nominated for the highest peer voted honour joining the likes of Gary Ablett Jr, Nat Fyfe, Buddy Franklin and Joel Selwood.

The Leigh Matthews Trophy will be announced next Tuesday 9 September at Peninsular, Docklands.

The MVP voting is a two-stage process beginning with each player voting for which teammate he considers to have been the most valuable in 2014.

Each club votes are then tallied to form a nomination list comprising of 54 players across the 18 teams.

The Essendon trio received the most votes from their Bombers teammates and will now be placed among the best in the competition for the prestigious award.

The AFL players then vote for their MVP on a 3,2,1 basis from amongst the nominees from the 17 other clubs with the highest score being awarded the honour of MVP.

Other awards presented on the night include the Robert Rose Most Courageous Award, Best First Year Player and Best Captain Award.

First year forward Patrick Ambrose is Essendon’s nomination for the Most Courageous award after a season in which he showcased his bravery in most games.

Zach Merrett’s stellar first year at AFL level has been acknowledged with a nomination for best first year player.

Captain Jobe Watson has once again been nominated for Best Captain, an honour he received from his peers in the 2012 season.

AFL Players’ Association President Luke Ball said while the award continues to grow in stature publicly, it has always been considered one of the highest honours in the game amongst the playing group.

“In any industry, you want the respect of your peers. AFL footballers are no different, and as a player you strive for the respect of those you play against each week,” Ball said.

“The Leigh Matthews Trophy is a great way for players to recognise the efforts of those outside their own club.”

“The names that feature on the Leigh Matthews’ Trophy represent the very elite of the past 31 years, so to have your name etched alongside players you have grown up idolising, such as Wayne Carey, Robert Harvey, Shane Crawford, Gary Ablett Snr, Tony Lockett and Paul Roos would be an incredible honour for any player.”