Will a real standout wingman please stand up?
This has been a weird year for the position of wingman – it feels like the role is at a definite crossroads again.
Over the last three or four seasons, there has been a resurgence in the importance of the wing role, with Josh Daicos, Errol Gulden, Steele Sidebottom, and Karl Amon all having excellent years in the role. And now, three of those four are in new positions, whilst the fourth is on the shelf recovering from his broken angle.
In essence, it should have opened the door for some new talent to barge their way in and take the thing by the scruff of the neck. And yet, it seems more like they’re all gathering together, riding as part of a peloton, with nobody keen to make a significant break.
As it stands right now, I would back any of the top ten to take the lead with just one big week of football in the role. That’s both positive and negative, as it adds spice to this competition, but it also deducts in terms of prestige – nobody is rising to the occasion.
Not yet, anyway.
In 2025, 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. Whilst the last couple of years have seen some long overdue recognition for the outside runners, with both Josh Daicos and Errol Gulden named to the All-Australian team, it has largely been 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 sixth 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)
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.
Maybe Round Eight is where someone finally takes the bull by the horns?
But first, the Round Seven results and overall Leaderboard.
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