Just as people started to jump on the bandwagon of others, our leader has once again established a healthy distance between himself and those who would usurp his place as the best wigman in the game.
It’s been a bit of an in-thing to do in recent weeks – look for reasons to discount the season of Josh Daicos in favour of others. Hell, our very own Jimmy Day relegated Daicos to the bench last week in his Rolling All-Australian team. This, on the back of Daicos notching the lazy 33 touches and a goal. Bloody hell, Jimmy – haha!
Ah well… I try to tell people – they just don’t seem to want to listen.
Maybe you will?
Recognition for the specialised role of the wingmen has been scant in the AFL for the last five years. The last genuine wingman to mak the All-Australian team was Andrew Gaff and that was back in 2018. Since then, despite some very impressive seasons from players like Hugh McCluggage, Paul Seedsman, and last year’s Mongrel Punt Wingman of the Year Award, Karl Amon have failed to attract the attention of the AFL decision makers, as they have attempted to pack as many inside mids as they can into the annual team of the year.
So, a few years back, I decided to do something a little different and institute an award that tracked the wingmen each and every game throughout the season. The winner of the first three seasons are listed below.
2020 – Sam Menegola
2021 – Paul Seedsman
2022 – Karl Amon
And now, as we work our way through year four, we find last year’s runner-up, Josh Daicos, way out in front. However, there are a few capable of reeling him in as we head into the back half of the season.
So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the leaders in the 2023 Mongrel Punt Wingman of the Year Award after Round 16.
Oh, what the hell? A Mongrel paywall? Yep, I believe my work is worth twenty cents per day. If you don’t, that’s fine. Want to join us and access the members’ game reviews, as well as columns like the Wingman of the Year, Recruit of the Year, and other nonsensical stuff HB comes up with each week?
