Johnny Warren Medal | A-League MVP Winners, History & Betting

May 26, 2026

The Johnny Warren Medal is the A-League Men's most prestigious individual award, presented each season to the league's best and fairest player.

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Named after the late Socceroos captain and football pioneer Johnny Warren, the medal has been awarded since the National Soccer League days and has continued as the A-League’s headline player-of-the-year honour since 2005.

At BettingPro we cover Johnny Warren Medal betting odds, voting updates and predictions across every A-League Men’s season.

2025-26 Johnny Warren Medal Winner

Melbourne Victory playmaker Juan Mata claimed the 2025-26 Johnny Warren Medal at the Dolan Warren Awards, topping the vote count with 36 votes. The former Manchester United and Chelsea star registered 13 assists in his debut A-League season as Victory finished fourth on the regular-season ladder.

Position	Player	Club
1st (Winner)	Juan Mata	Melbourne Victory
2nd	Aziz Behich	Melbourne City
3rd	Lachie Brook	Auckland FC
4th	Louis Verstraete	Auckland FC
5th	Jesse Randall	Auckland FC

How the Johnny Warren Medal Works

Since 2015 the medal has been decided by a four-body independent voting panel after every A-League Men’s regular-season match. Each panel awards points on a 3-2-1 basis for the three best performers in each game. The four voting bodies are:

A technical football expert
A football media representative
A former professional player
The match officials (combined vote)

Votes accumulate throughout the regular season and the player with the most votes at the end of Round 26 wins the medal. Players are ineligible if they are suspended for a direct red card, convicted of an anti-doping or serious misconduct offence, registered as a Guest Player, or in breach of FA statutes.

Johnny Warren Medal Betting Markets

Winner: Outright Johnny Warren Medal winner. The headline market, with odds open from preseason and updating round by round.

Top 3 / Top 5: Back a player to finish inside the top three or top five of the final vote count.

Club Top Vote-Getter: Pick which player will poll the most votes from a given A-League club.

Head-to-Head: Two nominated players — pick which one finishes higher in the final tally.

Best Bookmakers for Johnny Warren Medal Betting

All major Australian bookmakers price up the Johnny Warren Medal from preseason. Our top picks for A-League player markets:

OnlyBets — Brand-new AU-licensed bookie with PayID withdrawals and a modern mobile-first design
Dabble — Social betting, share and copy A-League bets
Picklebet — Strong A-League SGM builder and player markets
Ladbrokes — Deep A-League markets and live streaming
BetNow — Modern app, MADMAX referral code at signup and competitive A-League odds
Neds — Competitive A-League odds and user-friendly app
bet365 — Widest A-League market range

For a full comparison, see our best soccer betting sites in Australia guide.

A-League Johnny Warren Medal Winners (2005-2026)

The full list of A-League era winners since the competition launched in 2005-06:

Season	Player	Club
2025-26	Juan Mata	Melbourne Victory
2024-25	Nicolas Milanovic	Western Sydney Wanderers
2023-24	Josh Nisbet	Central Coast Mariners
2022-23	Craig Goodwin	Adelaide United
2021-22	Jake Brimmer	Melbourne Victory
2020-21	Ulises Dávila & Miloš Ninković	Wellington Phoenix & Sydney FC
2019-20	Alessandro Diamanti	Western United
2018-19	Roy Krishna	Wellington Phoenix
2017-18	Adrian Mierzejewski	Sydney FC
2016-17	Miloš Ninković	Sydney FC
2015-16	Diego Castro	Perth Glory
2014-15	Nathan Burns	Wellington Phoenix
2013-14	Thomas Broich	Brisbane Roar
2012-13	Marco Rojas	Melbourne Victory
2011-12	Thomas Broich	Brisbane Roar
2010-11	Marcos Flores	Adelaide United
2009-10	Carlos Hernández	Melbourne Victory
2008-09	Shane Smeltz	Wellington Phoenix
2007-08	Joel Griffiths	Newcastle Jets
2006-07	Nick Carle	Newcastle Jets
2005-06	Bobby Despotovski	Perth Glory

Multiple Johnny Warren Medal Winners

Only one player has won the A-League era Johnny Warren Medal twice outright: Thomas Broich with Brisbane Roar (2011-12, 2013-14). Miloš Ninković also has two medals, though one of his came in 2020-21 in a shared vote with Wellington Phoenix’s Ulises Dávila — the only tie in the medal’s A-League history.

Including National Soccer League winners, the all-time multiple-medallist list extends to six players: Broich, Scott Chipperfield, Damian Mori, Ninković, Paul Trimboli and Mark Viduka.

Johnny Warren Medal vs A-League Golden Boot

The Johnny Warren Medal and the A-League Golden Boot are often confused but reward very different things:

Johnny Warren Medal — Best player overall, decided by panel votes across the regular season. Any position can win; creative midfielders and playmakers have dominated recent years.
Golden Boot — Pure top scorer, decided by goals only. Strikers and goal-scoring wingers win this one almost exclusively.

A player can win both in the same season — Roy Krishna did exactly that in 2018-19 with Wellington Phoenix — but it is rare. The medal favours all-round impact while the Golden Boot rewards raw goal output.

Separate to the season MVP, the Liberty Medal is awarded to the Grand Final’s best player. The 2026 Liberty Medal went to Cam Howieson after Auckland FC’s 1-0 win over Sydney FC — Howieson scored the only goal in the 59th minute. See the full 2026 Grand Final Recap.

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Johnny Warren Medal FAQs

Who won the 2025-26 Johnny Warren Medal?

Melbourne Victory’s Juan Mata won the 2025-26 Johnny Warren Medal with 36 votes, ahead of Melbourne City’s Aziz Behich and Auckland FC’s Lachie Brook.

Who is the Johnny Warren Medal named after?

The medal is named after Johnny Warren, the former Socceroos captain, World Cup 1974 player, broadcaster and tireless campaigner for the growth of football in Australia. Warren passed away in 2004 and the medal carries his name in recognition of his contribution to the sport.

How are Johnny Warren Medal votes counted?

Four independent panels (technical expert, media, former pro and match officials) vote 3-2-1 after every regular-season match. Whoever has the most votes after Round 26 wins the medal.

Can suspended players win the Johnny Warren Medal?

No. Players suspended for direct red cards, anti-doping offences or serious misconduct are ineligible, as are registered Guest Players. This is a key difference to the NRL’s Dally M Medal, where suspended players remain eligible.

Has any player won the medal more than once in the A-League era?

Yes — Thomas Broich won outright in 2011-12 and 2013-14. Miloš Ninković won outright in 2016-17 and shared the 2020-21 medal with Wellington Phoenix’s Ulises Dávila.

What’s the difference between the Johnny Warren Medal and the Golden Boot?

The Johnny Warren Medal rewards the league’s best overall player based on panel votes across all positions. The Golden Boot is awarded to the top goalscorer based on goals alone.