To close the curtain on the 2026 Victorian Wheelchair Football Season (VWFL), the Wheelchair Magpies gathered to celebrate at their presentation night.
THE 2026 COLLINGWOOD WHEELCHAIR AWARD WINNERS:
- Community Coaches Award – Aaron Cutajar
- Community Player’s Player Award – Andrew Paddle
- Community Top Goal Scorer – Jack Elliott (39 goals)
- Community Best & Fairest Runners Up – Matthew Blunt, Jack Elliott
- Community Best & Fairest – Tim O’Connor
- Championship Coaches Award – Adam Georgelin
- Championship Player’s Player Award – Michael Telban
- Championship Top Goal Scorer – Sam Maraldo (40 goals)
- Championship Best & Fairest Runner Up – Michael Telban
- 2026 Robert Rose Best & Fairest – Ben Jankovski
Championship Best & Fairest
Ben Jankovski claimed the 2026 Robert Rose Best & Fairest Award after serving four seasons as captain, polling votes in every match of the season.
"I try and always have a great mentality and never put a ceiling on things," Jankovski said during his acceptance speech.
The captain highlighted the team’s incredible support across the program.
"Everyone just really had a crack," Jankovski said.
"We welcomed some new people into our program from both a supporting capacity and from a player capacity as well."
The Collingwood Football Club’s Community Foundation program integrated new players and support staff, including team manager Frankie Morgan and Magpies Sport & Business student Holly, who contributed through work-integrated learning.
Senior AFL players Joel Cochran, Oscar Steene and Tyan Prindable also supported the squad during the 2026 campaign.
Jankovski’s standout performance for the Championship side came in Round 7, where he scored five goals and polled six votes in Collingwood’s 65-point win against the Hawks.
He completed the season as the team's second-leading goal scorer (33).
Community Best & Fairest
In the Community Division, Tim O’Connor took out the top prize receiving their Best & Fairest Award.
O'Connor returned to the squad in 2026 and was a consistent performer through the season. He polled six votes in Rounds 1, 5, and 6.
In Round 6, O’Connor recorded an incredible 12-goal performance against Essendon, accounting for half of his season total.
Matthew Blunt and Jack Elliott finished as dual runners-up for the Community Best & Fairest.
Elliott also earned the Community Top Goal Scorer award with 39 goals, which included an 11-goal haul against Hawthorn and nine goals in his homecoming game in Shepparton.
WHEELCHAIR FOOTBALL Find out more on the team here.
The Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) provides Victorians with a physical disability the opportunity to play in a competitive and adaptive version of Australian Rules football.
