Hawthorn premiership captain Joanna Argaet has announced her retirement from Wheelchair AFL.

Argaet is a Hawthorn person through and through, transitioning from being a supporter to a player in the team’s Wheelchair AFL side.

She was part of the Hawks' inaugural Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) team and became the club’s captain in 2020.

She has led the side diligently since, which included leading the team from a bottom-placed finish in 2022 to a premiership victory in 2023.

Argaet was also the last remaining player from Hawthorn’s inaugural VWFL team and the league’s first female captain and best and fairest winner.

While battling injury, Argaet was also known to take on coaching roles within the VWFL and Community Wheelchair Football League (CWFL) teams, highlighting her commitment to the development and success of her teammates.

Her achievements in brown and gold also saw her being selected to represent her state, which also yielded fantastic results. 

In 2022, Argaet became the first female to be named in the All Australian side while captaining Victoria White while in 2023, she was named co-captain of Vic Metro. 

Despite all these achievements, perhaps the one that will leave the biggest legacy is her trailblazing efforts to get more women involved in Wheelchair AFL. 

Argaet was not only a role model herself while representing the Hawks but she also played a pivotal part in setting up a range of initiatives, such as last year’s women’s exhibition match.

Hawthorn VWFL coach Andrew Harrison wished Argaet all the best in her next chapter.

“Jo has left an incredible legacy at the Hawks,” Harrison said.

“She is someone that everyone is drawn to, she’s always got a smile on her face and she’s always willing to have a conversation with anyone.

“She is so passionate about the club and has always wanted it to succeed so for her to experience premiership success was really special.

“Not only was she a massive help for me as someone new to the sport, but she was an amazing role model for her teammates and was always happy to share her knowledge.

“It’s sad to see this one-of-a-kind person retire, we’ll definitely miss her and we wish her all the best for the future.”