The Isuzu UTE A-League’s highest individual award will be handed out on Tuesday night with one of the competition’s stars to be crowned the 2025 Johnny Warren Medallist.
Ahead of this year’s Dolan Warren awards, aleagues.com.au takes a look at some of the potential contenders to take out the game’s top individual mens honour.
Will it be an Australian player who takes out the top award for FOURTH season running following the successes of Josh Nisbet, Craig Goodwin and Jake Brimmer?
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Or will one of the Isuzu UTE A-League’s great foreign contingent take out the top prize to join the likes of Milos Ninkovic, Alessandro Diamanti, Diego Castro and Thomas Broich?
Read on below to find out who just who some of the main contenders for the award might be following another blistering Isuzu UTE A-League regular season.
Hiroki Sakai – Auckland FC
Despite suffering a heartbreaking loss in the Isuzu UTE A-League semi-finals, it’s been some season for Auckland FC captain Hiroki Sakai.
Without doubt the club’s biggest signing ahead of their inaugural season, the 34-year-old has proven to be an inspirational player both on and off the pitch for Steve Corica’s side as they sealed the Premiers Plate in their first season in existence.
Making 25 appearances for the club during the regular season, Sakai proved to be a key member of a Black Knights backline which finished the campaign with the second-best defensive record and also kept a whopping 13 clean sheets.
Initially joining on a one-year deal, the 74-time Japan international penned a contract extension after just 12 games at the club such was his impact for the Isuzu UTE A-League’s newest club.
Nicolas Milanovic – Western Sydney Wanderers
Arguably the standout player in a Western Sydney side that returned to the Finals Series this season, Wanderers attacker Nicolas Milanovic is a player who many believe will be amongst the names vying for this year’s Johnny Warren Medal.
After posting a career-best tally of 12 goals and six assists from 26 games this campaign, Milanovic cemented his status as one of the most dangerous players in the Isuzu UTE A-League this season and was key in helping the Wanderers finish in fourth place.
The 23-year-old was the subject of intense transfer speculation throughout the regular season and following the Wanderers’ exit from the Finals Series at the hands of Melbourne Victory, Milanovic has now put pen-to-paper on a lucrative deal to join Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen.
Milanovic’s excellent form this season also saw him earn a call-up to the Socceroos squad for a pre-world cup qualifier training camp in Abu Dhabi.
Archie Goodwin – Adelaide United
Having finished the season as joint-Golden Boot winner with 13 goals for the season, Adelaide United striker Archie Goodwin is another player who has enjoyed a stellar season in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Joining the Reds from boyhood club Newcastle Jets during the off-season, Goodwin recovered from an early injury setback to not only establish himself as first-choice striker at the club but also as one of the most dangerous marksmen in the competition.
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In what was a nail-biting finish to the regular season, Adelaide United clung on to the final spot in this year’s Final Series at the expense of Sydney FC and whilst they were knocked out in the Elimination Finals by Western United, the Reds will feel as though the result could have been very different had Goodwin not been missing due to a hamstring issue.
Furthermore, Adelaide fans can look forward to seeing Goodwin lead the line at the club for many years to come after he initially sign a four-year contract at the beginning of the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Angus Thurgate – Western United
A player who wasn’t necessarily amongst the goals but had a hand in everything else good that Western United did this season was midfielder Angus Thurgate.
An ever-present in the side, Thurgate played the most minutes of any outfield player in the competition this season and was a key component in the engine room of a Western side which surprised plenty.
Thurgate finished the season ranked third when it came to winning back possession of the ball and fourth for duels won (172) meaning the 25-year-old was an integral part of John Aloisi’s young side which ultimately fell to Melbourne City in the semi-finals.
Often seen charging from box-to-box, Thurgate not only did the defensive dirty work for his side but he also contributed higher up the pitch as he finished the campaign with two goals and five assists.
Marin Jakolis – Macarthur Bulls
Macarthur Bulls may have missed out on playing finals football this season, but there’s no doubt their attacker Marin Jakolis did his very best to fire his side into the top six.
After scoring the goal which sealed Macarthur FC their second Australia Cup title at the start of the season, Jakolis then carried that form into the Isuzu UTE A-League campaign as he scored four goals in the first six matches of the campaign.
Forming part of a prolific attacking line-up alongside the likes of Valere Germain and Jed Drew, Jakolis finished the season with a whopping 10 goals and 12 assists meaning the 28-year-old became just the fourth player in the history of the Isuzu UTE A-League to reach double digits for both goals and assists in a single season.
With Drew and Germain departing the Bulls during the mid-season transfer window the attacking burden then fell squarely on the shoulders of Jakolis but the former Melbourne City man still proved he’s one of the competitions most creative stars despite Macarthur missing out on playing finals football.
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Adrian Segecic – Sydney FC
One player who certainly exploded into life this season was Sydney FC attacker Adrian Segecic, who finish the campaign as the joint-winner of the Golden Boot with 13 goals alongside Adelaide’s Archie Goodwin.
Despite scoring against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the early stages of the ACL Two competition, Segecic found regular game time in the league harder to come by. However when he did get the chance to impact games, he certainly took it.
Scoring twice against Western United on the 14th December 2024, Segecic would go on to score a whopping 13 goals in the next 13 games in all competitions as he rocketed up the standings in the race for the Golden Boot.
Finishing the season with an incredible 20 goals in all competitions, 23-year-old Segecic enjoyed a stellar breakout season with Sydney FC having spent last year away in the Netherlands on loan at Dordrecht.
Now out of contract, the Sky Blues are doing all they can to try and persuade Segecic to remain in the Harbour City however there’s no shortage of overseas interest in the attacking talent.
Ryan Teague – Melbourne Victory
Currently preparing for this weekend’s Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final, Melbourne Victory midfielder Ryan Teague has been the oil in his side’s engine this season.
An ever-present having played in 27 of Victory’s 29 matches this campaign, Teague’s ability both on the ball and his awareness off it has seen his stock rise significantly since he returned to the Isuzu UTE A-League at the beginning of last season.
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Forming a key partnership with midfield teammate Jordi Valadon, Teague has shone for Victory this season and as such earned his maiden Socceroos cap during the World Cup qualifier against China in March, 2025.
Another player linked with a move overseas, Teague registered four goals and three assists during the regular season and will now be hoping to cap off a fine individual campaign with a Grand Final win over Melbourne City this weekend.
Noah Botic – Western United
Another player who enjoyed a fine season in the Isuzu UTE A-League was Western United striker Noah Botic.
Having scored five goals during the 2023-24 season, Botic then more than doubled his tally this campaign as he bagged 12 goals during the regular season to finish runner-up alongside the Wanderers’ Nicolas Milanovic in the race for the Golden Boot.
Despite going on a four-game goal drought late in the season, Botic proved to be a regular source of goals for Western throughout the season and, alongside veteran strike partner Hiroshi Ibusuki, formed the second deadliest attack in the competition.
Incredibly, Botic then added another four goals in two games in the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series to help propel Western to the semi-finals and take his tally for the year to 16 goals.
A player surely on the radar of Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic, Botic is another player now destined to move overseas given his contract is set to expire.
