Garner Wins Fourth AFLW Coaches' Award
North Melbourne captain Jasmine Garner has been named the 2026 AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Football
Jasmine Garner polled 102 votes to win the 2026 AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year Award, ahead of Charlie Rowbottom on 95 and Georgie Prespakis on 93. The win makes her the first AFLW player to claim the coaches' award four times.
Why it matters
The result cements Garner's standing as one of the competition's most consistent performers across multiple seasons. It also highlights the sustained influence of the North Melbourne captain on the AFLW landscape.
Garner averaged 31.1 disposals and 5.3 clearances in 2026 and kicked 10 goals across the home and away season. Coaches award 5-4-3-2-1 votes per round, meaning her five maximum 10-vote performances were decisive in the final tally.
The players
Jasmine Garner
Captain of the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the first AFLW player to win the AFLCA coaches' award four times.
Charlie Rowbottom
Finished second in the 2026 AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year voting with 95 votes.
Georgie Prespakis
Finished third in the 2026 AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year voting with 93 votes.
The details
Garner polled in every game of the 2026 home and away season and gathered at least 30 disposals in seven of her first 10 appearances. Her fourth win adds to earlier triumphs in 2020, 2022 season 7 and 2023.
Timeline
2020: Garner wins the coaches' award for the first time.
2022 season 7: Garner claims the award again.
2023: Garner wins the award for the third time.
2026 home and away season: Garner polls 102 votes to take the fourth award.
Season Trajectory
Garner's fourth coaches' award places her above every previous AFLW winner in the award's history across the competition's developing seasons. The 2026 result sustains North Melbourne's reliance on its captain as the AFLW season unfolds.
Garner's consistency across the season makes her a significant fantasy and tipping option for future AFLW rounds. Her output of 31.1 disposals per game is a useful benchmark for judging midfield form.
The takeaway
Consistency across an entire season is often what separates elite players from the rest, and Garner's four awards show that sustained output wins the vote. Readers tracking AFLW form should watch volume stats like disposals and clearances alongside the votes.
Further reading
Explore more Football coverage to see how the AFLW season is shaping up across Australia.
