Max Gawn
Max Gawn

Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn claimed a record-breaking ninth All Australian blazer and was named captain of the 2026 team, while Collingwood's Nick Daicos swept the league's top individual awards, but it was Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson's emotional speech about mental health that dominated the evening at the AFL Awards.

Dawson won both Best Captain and the Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award before being named vice captain of the All Australian team, using his acceptance speech to speak candidly about his struggles following the death of his brother, who died at age 35 earlier this year.

"It's been a struggle. It's not easy. It's a range of emotions and they come at different times," Dawson said. "For me it's about creating safe spaces in the footy club and at home, and understanding there will be times when it's hard to go to work and that it is OK to feel a certain type of way." He acknowledged the ongoing difficulty of discussing the loss publicly. "It's still raw, it's always going to be hard to talk about. I'm so lucky I have such supportive people around me." Dawson went on to describe his evolving relationship with mental health awareness more broadly, and offered a direct message to others facing similar struggles. "The mental health space is something new to me, but something I want to learn more about. I want everyone to know who is struggling with their mental health that you are definitely loved and that the world is a better place with you in it. You are enough. We all love you, you have friends and family around you."

Gawn was named captain of the 2026 All Australian team despite Dawson having beaten him for the Best Captain award earlier in the night, a selection commentators suggested reflected the honorary weight of Gawn's record ninth blazer selection. Gawn himself reportedly said he felt the honor should have gone to Dawson instead, given the power of his mental health speech earlier in the evening.

Daicos, selected to the All Australian team for the fourth time in the first five years of his career, swept both the Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award and the Leigh Matthews Trophy for Most Valuable Player, edging out finalists Marcus Bontempelli and Dawson for the MVP honor. Bontempelli earned his own milestone selection, claiming his eighth career All Australian blazer.

Carlton's Charlie Curnow claimed his third Coleman Medal as the league's leading goalkicker, finishing the season with 69 goals, six clear of Brisbane's Logan Morris. Curnow was not present in the building to accept the award, instead appearing via a pre-recorded video message from Sydney.

Carlton's Jagga Smith was named the AFL's Rising Star for 2026, capping a breakout season after the club's number three pick in the 2024 draft had missed the previous year's award race entirely due to a torn ACL suffered in preseason. Smith finished ahead of runner-up Harry Dean, with Willem Duursma, Cooper Trembath and Jobe Shanahan rounding out the top five in voting.

Harry Dean, also of Carlton, was separately named the AFLPA's Best First Year Player, recognized for stepping into a challenging key defensive role as a debut-season player. St Kilda's Callum Wilkie won the inaugural Coaches Association Defensive Player of the Year award, offering a self-deprecating explanation for his success following the win. "I've set a good precedent. I don't actually do any defending, I just drop off and intercept," Wilkie said.

The Coaches Association's Best Emerging Player award, given to the player in his first two seasons who accrued the most weekly coach's votes, ended in a tie between St Kilda's Max Hall and Fremantle's Murphy Reid.

The full 2026 All Australian team named Willem Milera, Callum Wilkie and Jeremy Impey across the back pocket and full-back positions, with Luke Ash, Harris Andrews and Jack Clark rounding out the defensive six. The midfield featured Bailey Smith, Bontempelli and Ollie Dempsey on the wings and center, with Gawn, Dawson and Daicos filling the ruck and rover positions. The forward line included Shai Bolton, Jaeger Treacy and Kysaiah Pickett across the half-forward line, with Nick Watson, Curnow and Logan Morris completing the full-forward positions. The interchange bench featured Luke Jackson, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Matt Reid, Zac Bailey and Zak Butters.

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon addressed attendees earlier in the evening, using his remarks to reinforce a message about safety and inclusion within the sport. "Keeping footy strong from the grassroots up depends on everyone feeling welcome, safe and respected. We are the biggest game in the country, and we must never lose sight of the responsibility that carries. Starting with the example we set for the millions of girls and boys who dream of playing at the highest level," Dillon said.

The awards night capped the end of the AFL's regular home-and-away season, with attention now turning to the league's Wildcard Round, featuring games scheduled for Friday and Saturday, as the competition moves into its finals series. Dawson's speech, delivered with what those in attendance described as visible emotion, is expected to remain one of the most widely discussed moments of the awards season, resonating well beyond the football community given its candid focus on grief and mental health.

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