THE 2026 John Nicholls Medal is upon us!

The Blues’ highest individual honour will be awarded this Sunday night, with Carlton Media to preview some of the team’s leading chances over the next few days - line by line.

Starting with the forwards, read more below!

Who could poll well?

Ben Ainsworth

What an impact Carlton’s No.12 had in his first season in Navy Blue. The former Gold Coast Sun hit the ground running and didn’t look back, playing every game and kicking a career-high 30 goals over the course of 2026. Kicking multiple goals in nine games and collecting over 20 disposals in eight, Ainsworth’s finish to the season was particularly strong, having back-to-back 20-disposal and three-goal performances against minor premiers Fremantle (Round 24) and Melbourne (wildcard final).

Will Hayward

We know Will Hayward spent a fair bit of time on the wing, but he loves a goal celebration far too much to not be considered a forward. A Mark of the Year contender ultimately led to Hayward’s season ending prematurely with an ankle injury, but his form in the middle to late portions of the year was exceptional. Ticking over 200 games in 2026, Hayward had just as much impact on the field as he did off it, and is expected to poll well in games against Port Adelaide (Round 11) and both clashes with Brisbane (Round 9, Round 21).

08:57

Full interview: Hayward, Florent and a year Like No Other

Hear from Ollie Florent and Will Hayward on their first season as Blues.

Brodie Kemp

Carlton’s leading goalkicker in 2026, it was easy to forget that this season marked Brodie Kemp’s return from a long-term Achilles injury. With 14 goals from his first 49 games, the former defender-turned-forward registered 39 goals this year, in a season where he also played every game for the first time. Kemp’s ability to stand up in big games should hold him in good stead, kicking five and four goals against Grand Finalists Brisbane and Fremantle respectively, while ranking No.2 at the Blues for goal assists is likely to catch the eye.

The smokey

Francis Evans

The Blues’ No.1 assist player in 2026, it’s easy to forget that Francis Evans had a delayed start to the year with a knee injury - and even had the goggles for his first two games after an eye injury. A career-best for Evans saw him play 23 consecutive games and kick 24 goals, becoming the ultimate team player which earned respect from his teammates and likely votes from the coaches. How high Evans can go remains to be seen on Sunday night, but despite not getting a Brownlow vote, don’t be surprised to see ‘Frank the Tank’ can go on the Blues’ night of nights.