Round Zero can tell us a lot, or it can all amount to very little in the end.
Interestingly, in 2025, the top three wingmen in the opening two rounds of the season saw three players feature in the top five who would go on to be ranked first, second, and third in this award by the end of the season. As such, experience tells us that it is important, at least individually, to get off to a good start.
In 2026, we are again honoured and privileged at The Mongrel Punt to be granted permission from the Flower family to name our Wingman of the Year Award after one of the greatest players the Melbourne Football Club has ever produced.
The Robbie Flower Wingman of the Year Award covers one of the more neglected positions in the league over the last decade. On two occasions in the last three seasons, we’ve seen some long overdue recognition for the outside runners, with both Josh Daicos and Errol Gulden named to the All-Australian team in consecutive seasons. However, it has largely remained a role that has been overlooked by all except those with a keen eye for what wingmen mean to a team – the defensive running, the link-up play, the creativity, and the potent metres-gained aspect of their play.
Now in its seventh season, The Robert Flower Wingman of the Year Award is the only award of its kind, ranking the wingmen of the league on a weekly basis, combining statistical data with a voting structure to assess those playing the role.
Previous winners are as follows.
2020 – Sam Menegola (Geelong)
2021 – Paul Seedsman (Adelaide)
2022 – Karl Amon (Port Adelaide)
2023 – Josh Daicos (Collingwood)
2024 – Errol Gulden (Sydney)
2025 – Jarrod Berry (Brisbane)
Amazing that Paul Seedsman just had the best season of his career in 2021 and was forced to retire. Hope you’re now doing well, Seed.
Let’s jump into the story of Round Zero, as pertains to the most underrated role on the ground.
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Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. We’re all in on the 2026 AFL season. Player articles, stats, awards, game coverage. Dump the mainstream lip service and dive into articles like this – you will never look back. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I consider it your loss as we get into the grind of the season, and you’re stuck with the stuff that’s frustrated you for years.
