Magnificent Milanovic's last act in A-League Men
Alex Chidiac, meanwhile, scooped the Julie Dolan Medal for best women's player for the second time in her career.
Matildas midfielder Chidiac follows just four other players - Michelle Heyman, Sam Kerr, Clare Polkinghorne and Taryn Rockall - in winning the award twice after helping club side Melbourne Victory reach the A-League Women grand final.
Milanovic, was in influential touch for the Wanderers, banging in 12 goals that earned him a call-up to the Socceroos training camp and a move to Scottish side Aberdeen.
"It's amazing for our club and Nicolas who has had a wonderful couple of years," said Wanderers chief executive Scott Hudson.
"The club is really proud of his achievements, he grew up in Western Sydney and sat in the RBB as a young kid.
"To see him win this accolade and sit alongside some of the greatest names that have played our game, we're super proud of him."
Adelaide's Archie Goodwin claimed the young player-of-the-year award and split the ALM golden boot with Sydney playmaker Adrian Segecic.
Steve Corica was named best coach after helping Auckland claim the premiership in their maiden season in the competition.
Chidiac, though, said she wished she could swap her individual gong for the grand final trophy which eluded Victory after they lost to the Central Coast Mariners in a penalty shootout.
"It's a weird one, I don't deal well with personal awards but it is an honour," Chidiac said.
"I'm still not done yet, I'm hoping for a third."
Adrian Stenta was named coach of the year after taking Adelaide from bottom to third on the table and winning their first-ever finals match.
Melbourne City's Holly McNamara claimed the golden boot with 15 goals in 17 games, while Indiana Dos Santos of Sydney FC scooped the young player prize.
2024-25 DOLAN WARREN AWARDS ROLL OF HONOUR:
A-LEAGUE MEN
*Player of the year: Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney)
*Young player of the year: Archie Goodwin (Adelaide)
* Coach of the year: Steve Corica (Auckland)
* Golden boot: Adrian Segecic (Sydney FC) and Archie Goodwin (Adelaide) - 13 goals
A-LEAGUE WOMEN
*Player of the year: Alex Chidiac (Melbourne Victory)
*Young player of the year: Indiana Dos Santos (Sydney FC)
* Coach of the year: Adrian Stenta (Adelaide)
* Golden boot: Holly McNamara (Melbourne City) - 15 goals
Nicolas Milanovic has signed off from his time in A-League Men in style, the Western Sydney playmaker being crowned the Johnny Warren Medal winner.
Alex Chidiac, meanwhile, scooped the Julie Dolan Medal for best women's player for the second time in her career.
Matildas midfielder Chidiac follows just four other players - Michelle Heyman, Sam Kerr, Clare Polkinghorne and Taryn Rockall - in winning the award twice after helping club side Melbourne Victory reach the A-League Women grand final.
Milanovic, was in influential touch for the Wanderers, banging in 12 goals that earned him a call-up to the Socceroos training camp and a move to Scottish side Aberdeen.
"It's amazing for our club and Nicolas who has had a wonderful couple of years," said Wanderers chief executive Scott Hudson.
"The club is really proud of his achievements, he grew up in Western Sydney and sat in the RBB as a young kid.
"To see him win this accolade and sit alongside some of the greatest names that have played our game, we're super proud of him."
Adelaide's Archie Goodwin claimed the young player-of-the-year award and split the ALM golden boot with Sydney playmaker Adrian Segecic.
Steve Corica was named best coach after helping Auckland claim the premiership in their maiden season in the competition.
Chidiac, though, said she wished she could swap her individual gong for the grand final trophy which eluded Victory after they lost to the Central Coast Mariners in a penalty shootout.
"It's a weird one, I don't deal well with personal awards but it is an honour," Chidiac said.
"I'm still not done yet, I'm hoping for a third."
Adrian Stenta was named coach of the year after taking Adelaide from bottom to third on the table and winning their first-ever finals match.
Melbourne City's Holly McNamara claimed the golden boot with 15 goals in 17 games, while Indiana Dos Santos of Sydney FC scooped the young player prize.
2024-25 DOLAN WARREN AWARDS ROLL OF HONOUR:
A-LEAGUE MEN
*Player of the year: Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney)
*Young player of the year: Archie Goodwin (Adelaide)
* Coach of the year: Steve Corica (Auckland)
* Golden boot: Adrian Segecic (Sydney FC) and Archie Goodwin (Adelaide) - 13 goals
A-LEAGUE WOMEN
*Player of the year: Alex Chidiac (Melbourne Victory)
*Young player of the year: Indiana Dos Santos (Sydney FC)
* Coach of the year: Adrian Stenta (Adelaide)
* Golden boot: Holly McNamara (Melbourne City) - 15 goals
Nicolas Milanovic has signed off from his time in A-League Men in style, the Western Sydney playmaker being crowned the Johnny Warren Medal winner.
Alex Chidiac, meanwhile, scooped the Julie Dolan Medal for best women's player for the second time in her career.
Matildas midfielder Chidiac follows just four other players - Michelle Heyman, Sam Kerr, Clare Polkinghorne and Taryn Rockall - in winning the award twice after helping club side Melbourne Victory reach the A-League Women grand final.
Milanovic, was in influential touch for the Wanderers, banging in 12 goals that earned him a call-up to the Socceroos training camp and a move to Scottish side Aberdeen.
"It's amazing for our club and Nicolas who has had a wonderful couple of years," said Wanderers chief executive Scott Hudson.
"The club is really proud of his achievements, he grew up in Western Sydney and sat in the RBB as a young kid.
"To see him win this accolade and sit alongside some of the greatest names that have played our game, we're super proud of him."
Adelaide's Archie Goodwin claimed the young player-of-the-year award and split the ALM golden boot with Sydney playmaker Adrian Segecic.
Steve Corica was named best coach after helping Auckland claim the premiership in their maiden season in the competition.
Chidiac, though, said she wished she could swap her individual gong for the grand final trophy which eluded Victory after they lost to the Central Coast Mariners in a penalty shootout.
"It's a weird one, I don't deal well with personal awards but it is an honour," Chidiac said.
"I'm still not done yet, I'm hoping for a third."
Adrian Stenta was named coach of the year after taking Adelaide from bottom to third on the table and winning their first-ever finals match.
Melbourne City's Holly McNamara claimed the golden boot with 15 goals in 17 games, while Indiana Dos Santos of Sydney FC scooped the young player prize.
2024-25 DOLAN WARREN AWARDS ROLL OF HONOUR:
A-LEAGUE MEN
*Player of the year: Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney)
*Young player of the year: Archie Goodwin (Adelaide)
* Coach of the year: Steve Corica (Auckland)
* Golden boot: Adrian Segecic (Sydney FC) and Archie Goodwin (Adelaide) - 13 goals
A-LEAGUE WOMEN
*Player of the year: Alex Chidiac (Melbourne Victory)
*Young player of the year: Indiana Dos Santos (Sydney FC)
* Coach of the year: Adrian Stenta (Adelaide)
* Golden boot: Holly McNamara (Melbourne City) - 15 goals
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Sydney Morning Herald
17 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
How hosting the Club World Cup can take the ‘handbrakes' off the A-League
Since assuming control in 2021, the Australian Professional Leagues have struggled to find a working formula to convert the many millions who watch the national teams and overseas leagues, or play the game, into fans of the A-Leagues. After the collapse of the bold KeepUp experiment, the APL has been gripped by financial turmoil, with distributions to clubs falling by almost $1.5 million to just $530,000, and ongoing material concerns about the ability of some clubs to stay afloat. Johnson does not believe unbundling was a mistake, and said there are plenty of examples across world football in which healthy leagues are run independently of their national federation. Asked for his opinion on how the A-League can improve, he said the key was connecting it into global football: a strategy he said was proven by the 2015 Asian Cup and the 2023 Women's World Cup, and will be again by the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. 'That's where there is no other sport that can compete with football, when we are hardwired in and connected to global football,' he said. 'For me, it's not so much about what's holding us back - it's what propels us forward. That's the space we need to continue to play. Because I think that as soon as you bring those [tournaments] back, the handbrakes are off. 'You get the football community, the stakeholders, focused on the competition and the legacy that can be provided, and I think that's where we have seen our quickest growth. So I think implementing a strategy for more global competitions is something that allows the handbrakes to come off.' Johnson had previously flagged FA's desire to bid for the hosting rights for the new Club World Cup, and believes that should be a high priority for the game in the coming years. Despite widespread scepticism across Europe, the first edition of the rebooted tournament - currently being played in the United States - is proving a worthy addition to football's calendar, albeit with the caveat that the calendar itself is jam-packed and at risk of burning out overworked players. The next edition will be held in 2029, and potential hosts are already lining up, including Brazil, Qatar, a combined Spain-Portugal-Morocco bid, and the United States again. An Australian bid, Johnson said, would be extremely appealing to FIFA because of its ability to reach different timezones across Asia. 'It's a competition that I think will, iteration after iteration, get bigger and bigger. It would be a great competition to bring to Australia,' Johnson said. 'That's when I think football becomes interesting to government. Today you have the millions and millions that will watch the Socceroos and Matildas and the millions and millions that play. If the strategy is to ensure that they are watching the A-League, I think the best way to do that ... is to connect the A-League to global club competitions, whether that be the Premier League, Champions League, or the hosting of a major club competition. I think it just adds another element to the game here that we haven't seen. 'The beneficiaries of the Women's World Cup were the national teams and community football. The beneficiaries of a Club World Cup would be the clubs.' Johnson also said FA should not give up hope of hosting the men's World Cup, despite being railroaded out of a bid for the 2034 edition by Saudi Arabia. 'I believe Australia will one day host a men's World Cup. It's a matter of when, not if,' he said. 'I think our 2010 bid was too early, and it's easy to say that in hindsight. But if you look at what we've accomplished since then … we're steadily building a strong track record. If we continue hosting major global tournaments, even youth competitions, we'll become a country like the United States, Canada, Qatar, or Saudi Arabia - nations that are now considered 'normal' hosts for major events. I believe we're already on that trajectory. 'We need to keep doing the work, and all of us have a responsibility to maintain the pressure and continue bringing major competitions to our region.' There is another way to connect the A-Leagues to global club football: through broadcasting, another area which is unrecognisable in Australia compared to when Johnson began at FA in late 2019. Optus Sport is shutting down, having on-sold their football rights packages - headed by the Premier League - to Stan Sport, which is owned by Nine, the publishers of this masthead. That deal means that, for the first time since 2016, the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League are on the same platform again. Loading Meanwhile, the APL is currently in negotiations for a new broadcast agreement. The current contract with Network 10 and Paramount + to show the A-Leagues expires at the end of the 2025-26 season. Though Nine has shown interest, a short-term extension is expected with the incumbent rights holders - and that would lead to a situation where all of the major football rights deals in Australia, including the A-Leagues, Socceroos and Matildas, and Premier League, will all be in market at roughly the same time. 'This landscape is changing rapidly, but one thing remains constant,' Johnson said. 'When you look at where the football audience is, and if we step back from just thinking about Australian football, and instead see ourselves as part of global football here in Australia - that's how I view it - you'll notice that audiences naturally gravitate toward certain properties: World Cups, the Euros, Champions League, Premier League, national team football.
The Age
17 hours ago
- The Age
How hosting the Club World Cup can take the ‘handbrakes' off the A-League
Since assuming control in 2021, the Australian Professional Leagues have struggled to find a working formula to convert the many millions who watch the national teams and overseas leagues, or play the game, into fans of the A-Leagues. After the collapse of the bold KeepUp experiment, the APL has been gripped by financial turmoil, with distributions to clubs falling by almost $1.5 million to just $530,000, and ongoing material concerns about the ability of some clubs to stay afloat. Johnson does not believe unbundling was a mistake, and said there are plenty of examples across world football in which healthy leagues are run independently of their national federation. Asked for his opinion on how the A-League can improve, he said the key was connecting it into global football: a strategy he said was proven by the 2015 Asian Cup and the 2023 Women's World Cup, and will be again by the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. 'That's where there is no other sport that can compete with football, when we are hardwired in and connected to global football,' he said. 'For me, it's not so much about what's holding us back - it's what propels us forward. That's the space we need to continue to play. Because I think that as soon as you bring those [tournaments] back, the handbrakes are off. 'You get the football community, the stakeholders, focused on the competition and the legacy that can be provided, and I think that's where we have seen our quickest growth. So I think implementing a strategy for more global competitions is something that allows the handbrakes to come off.' Johnson had previously flagged FA's desire to bid for the hosting rights for the new Club World Cup, and believes that should be a high priority for the game in the coming years. Despite widespread scepticism across Europe, the first edition of the rebooted tournament - currently being played in the United States - is proving a worthy addition to football's calendar, albeit with the caveat that the calendar itself is jam-packed and at risk of burning out overworked players. The next edition will be held in 2029, and potential hosts are already lining up, including Brazil, Qatar, a combined Spain-Portugal-Morocco bid, and the United States again. An Australian bid, Johnson said, would be extremely appealing to FIFA because of its ability to reach different timezones across Asia. 'It's a competition that I think will, iteration after iteration, get bigger and bigger. It would be a great competition to bring to Australia,' Johnson said. 'That's when I think football becomes interesting to government. Today you have the millions and millions that will watch the Socceroos and Matildas and the millions and millions that play. If the strategy is to ensure that they are watching the A-League, I think the best way to do that ... is to connect the A-League to global club competitions, whether that be the Premier League, Champions League, or the hosting of a major club competition. I think it just adds another element to the game here that we haven't seen. 'The beneficiaries of the Women's World Cup were the national teams and community football. The beneficiaries of a Club World Cup would be the clubs.' Johnson also said FA should not give up hope of hosting the men's World Cup, despite being railroaded out of a bid for the 2034 edition by Saudi Arabia. 'I believe Australia will one day host a men's World Cup. It's a matter of when, not if,' he said. 'I think our 2010 bid was too early, and it's easy to say that in hindsight. But if you look at what we've accomplished since then … we're steadily building a strong track record. If we continue hosting major global tournaments, even youth competitions, we'll become a country like the United States, Canada, Qatar, or Saudi Arabia - nations that are now considered 'normal' hosts for major events. I believe we're already on that trajectory. 'We need to keep doing the work, and all of us have a responsibility to maintain the pressure and continue bringing major competitions to our region.' There is another way to connect the A-Leagues to global club football: through broadcasting, another area which is unrecognisable in Australia compared to when Johnson began at FA in late 2019. Optus Sport is shutting down, having on-sold their football rights packages - headed by the Premier League - to Stan Sport, which is owned by Nine, the publishers of this masthead. That deal means that, for the first time since 2016, the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League are on the same platform again. Loading Meanwhile, the APL is currently in negotiations for a new broadcast agreement. The current contract with Network 10 and Paramount + to show the A-Leagues expires at the end of the 2025-26 season. Though Nine has shown interest, a short-term extension is expected with the incumbent rights holders - and that would lead to a situation where all of the major football rights deals in Australia, including the A-Leagues, Socceroos and Matildas, and Premier League, will all be in market at roughly the same time. 'This landscape is changing rapidly, but one thing remains constant,' Johnson said. 'When you look at where the football audience is, and if we step back from just thinking about Australian football, and instead see ourselves as part of global football here in Australia - that's how I view it - you'll notice that audiences naturally gravitate toward certain properties: World Cups, the Euros, Champions League, Premier League, national team football.
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Phil Walsh's death a decade ago shocked and united footy fans divided by their Showdown
If further proof were needed of the pride South Australians take in their Showdown, one place to search would be the everyday speech of the state's football faithful. Among Adelaide and Port Adelaide fans, certain phrases have passed into popular usage, and attest to the intensity of the passion for the AFL's most celebrated cross-town rivalry. The mere mention, for example, of the words "Dawson goal" and "Monfries bounce" is enough to evoke episodes of high drama — the first, a swerving after-the-siren free kick that secured an astounding victory for the Crows; the second, a wicked deviation in the ball's trajectory that turned a match in favour of the Power. But perhaps the high watermark of Showdown mischief occurred off the field in October 2014 when, on early morning television, then-Sunrise presenter and Power powerbroker David Koch broke the news about the man the Crows had selected as their next senior coach. As Port Adelaide chair, Koch was ideally placed to know that the Power's then-assistant coach Phil Walsh, whose two stints at Alberton amounted to more than 10 years of service, had been wooed by the Crows to fill the vacant role. "We feel very flattered that the Crows come to us for their senior coach," Koch told his Channel Seven audience, several hours before the Crows made their official announcement. Walsh's death — which occurred 10 years ago today — remains a rare event in the history of the AFL. When Crows supporters woke on the morning of July 3, 2015 to the news that their club's coach had been fatally stabbed in his own home at Somerton Park, the shock and anguish were both immediate and palpable. The sombre mood was starkly at odds with the excitement and buoyancy that had accompanied the media conference that followed Walsh's appointment to the Crows' top job nine months earlier. "First of all I'd like to thank my family for the support they've given — I hope one day to be able to repay them," said the then-54-year-old, who was candid about the challenge ahead of him. In a tragic turn of events, Phil Walsh, 55, died from multiple stab wounds after a domestic dispute at his Somerton Park home in the early hours of July 3. His son, 26-year-old Cy Walsh, was charged with murder. Cy Walsh was later found not guilty of murder by reason of mental incompetence, with a judge determining that he had been suffering a psychotic episode as a result of undiagnosed schizophrenia. But in the immediate aftermath of Phil Walsh's death, legal proceedings seemed almost an afterthought. Instead, one of the most noticeable and spontaneous effects of the shock was the solidarity it induced between the Crows and Power supporter bases. Usually the most bitter of rivals, both felt the blow directly and personally. South Australia is a place where football matters, and Adelaide is the archetypal two-team town. Melbourne has nine clubs (or 10, including Geelong), and the media's gaze is divided between all of them accordingly. But in Adelaide, where both local sides are subjected to almost perpetual attention, the smaller size of the population has at times seemed to intensify fans' feelings of connection to the teams and their players. The death of Test cricketer and South Australian state team player Phil Hughes during a Sheffield Shield match the previous spring had triggered national as well as international mourning, and the #PutOutYourBats social media trend in honour of the fallen prodigy had spread around the world. But Walsh's tragedy was, in a sense, Adelaide's own. "I got a phone call at 3:30am from the police to say that a tragedy had unfolded and that it involved Phil Walsh, our coach," said Crows chairman Rob Chapman at the time. "That's a phone call no-one ever wants to get." Inspired by #PutOutYourBats, local football fans embraced a #ScarvesOutForWalshy campaign. When the state's then-premier Jay Weatherill paid his respects, he very deliberately acknowledged the impact of the grief on both Adelaide teams. He singled out supporters of the Crows but made a point of extending that sympathy to "everyone who has associated with Phil throughout his career, including his time at the Port Adelaide Football Club". Further indications of the shared sense of loss were the floral and other tributes that were piled outside the Crows' West Lakes headquarters. Among the flowers, sympathy cards and memorabilia, the team's red, yellow and blue could clearly be seen mingling with the Port's black, white and teal. Nine months earlier, when he had cheekily revealed Walsh's move to the Crows, David Koch had done so in his capacity as a TV personality. Now, amid the flowing tributes, he spoke with statesmanlike dignity. "Phil was a much-loved friend of the Port Adelaide Football Club, having played an instrumental role in our 2004 Premiership campaign," Koch said solemnly. "Equally, our thoughts and prayers are with the players, coaches and staff of the Adelaide Football Club." A decade on, Power coach Ken Hinkley retains fond and vivid memories of Walsh both on and off the field, and this week spoke of his "knowledge and the brilliance of his mind, which was amazing in a football sense". "The players who played under Phil would say there was no stone unturned when it came to being ready to play football, and I'm sure the blokes who had him at the Crows as well, in a short period of time, would all say exactly the same," Hinkley said on Wednesday. "It's a sad moment that he's not with us, clearly." Distinctions are often made between sport and the so-called serious things in life. Football is indeed a game, but it isn't only a game, and the reaction to the loss of Phil Walsh remains proof of that fact. But it is proof of a kind that South Australian football fans hope never to encounter again.
