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Collingwood star Josh Daicos will walk into the club’s biggest night of the year without his fiancée, Annalise Dalins, after she was rushed to hospital this week.
Dalins revealed on Instagram that she required emergency surgery for a ruptured cyst and appendicitis, sharing a photo from her hospital bed.
“PSA: @joshdaicos looking for a Copeland date,” she wrote to her 120,000 followers.
The model and fashion influencer, who was runner-up at Miss Universe Australia, had appeared on the Brownlow Medal red carpet just days earlier in a mint green Oglia-Loro Couture gown, showing no signs of illness.
Her absence means she will not attend the E.W. Copeland Trophy awards night on Friday, where Collingwood will crown its 2025 Best and Fairest player.
The event, held at Crown Palladium, is the club’s “night of nights” and will feature presentations across the AFL, VFL and VWFL programs.
Josh Daicos will attend Collingwood’s Copeland Trophy alone after fiancée Annalise Dalins was rushed to hospital unexpectedl
Dalins stunned at the Brownlow Medal last week but will miss Copeland Trophy following emergency surgery
Josh Daicos, a past Copeland winner, is again in contention while his brother Nick remains favourite for 2025
Among the honours on offer are the R.T. Rush Trophy for runner-up Best and Fairest, the J.J. Joyce Trophy for third place, the Bob Rose Trophy for Best Finals Player and the Harry Collier Trophy for Best Young Player.
Other awards include the Gavin Brown Defensive Pressure Award, Gordon Coventry Leading Goal-kicker, Darren Millane Best Clubman, and equivalent VFL and VWFL honours.
Nick Daicos, who finished on the Brownlow Medal podium for a third consecutive season, is the favourite to go back-to-back in the Copeland count after another outstanding year.
Josh Daicos is also expected to poll strongly following his 2025 campaign, aiming for a second Best and Fairest after claiming the honour in 2023.
Darcy Cameron, Steele Sidebottom, Ned Long, Scott Pendlebury, Isaac Quaynor and Jamie Elliott are also considered likely contenders.
Votes are awarded after each game by senior coach Craig McRae and his assistants, with players rated from 0–4 on their impact per match.
A maximum of 20 votes per player per round can be awarded, covering the entire home-and-away season as well as finals.
Dalins and Daicos became engaged in Greece last year and have since postponed their wedding plans, with reports suggesting they are now planning to marry in 2026.
While she will not be present at Crown Palladium, Dalins has reassured fans she is recovering well following surgery.
The Copeland Trophy count will be streamed live and free on collingwoodfc.com.au and covered across the club’s official social media channels.
