It pains me to say it, but it would be of no surprise to me if we saw no genuine wingmen represented in this season’s All-Australian team. Not the best introduction to a column designed to highlight those players, I know, but I don’t like to blow smoke up peoples’ backsides.
We’ve had significant moments where one player has had an excellent game, but in terms of sustained excellence… it has not been a great year for the boys on the outside.
That said, there are some young stars coming through, and to see the top ten list populated by so many players under 25 bodes well for the coming couple of season.
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 top ten wingmen in the game after Round 13
The remainder of this article is for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
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.
