Victoria’s football community converged on Crown Palladium on Friday, September 19, as more than 900 passionate players, coaches, referees, administrators and volunteers united for the Victorian Football Gala, proudly presented by Senol.
It was a night of celebration and recognition, where the very best of our game were showcased across all levels; from off-field grassroots community heroes to the stars of NPL Victoria.
With participation records set to be smashed again in 2025, the prestige of the awards continues to soar, embracing more of our community each year.
Hosting the evening were A-Leagues broadcaster Michael Zappone and media personality Kat Sasso, who kept the energy high as the football community reflected on a truly unforgettable 2025 season.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said that the gala dinner will celebrate an incredible year of football in Victoria.
“The increases in participation at a grassroots level show Victorians love their football and are passionate about taking part on and off the field,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
“We know how important football is to our state and community, which is why we invested $8.1 million in upgrades to Olympic Park in Heidelberg, home to the recent winners of the National Premier League Men’s final, and it’s why we’ll continue to make Victoria the home of the world game.”
A highlight of the evening was the recognition of the many hardworking volunteers who form football’s backbone, taking on the thankless jobs that keep clubs thriving. Nominated by their peers, a dedicated group of community award winners were honoured on the night, including the celebrated Volunteer of the Year award, shared in 2025 by Megan Roussel (Maribyrnong Swifts) and Phillip Berry (Colts United FC).
Building on the incredible success of the Senol NPL Victoria Grand Final weekend; which drew over 13,700 passionate fans in the stands and more than 72,000 viewers online; the NPL Victoria awards were electric.
Oakleigh’s Joe Guest was crowned the 2025 NPLM Gold Medallist with an outstanding season, earning top honours with 33 votes, and impressive nine votes clear of second placed Bul Juach.
Guest’s stellar year also saw him claim the prestigious Bill Fleming Medal for the best NPLM player as voted by the commentary team, along with Dandenong Thunder’s Yuki Uchida.
In the NPLW, the Gold Medal was shared between Bulleen’s Danella Butrus and Spring Hill’s Aleksandra Sinclair, with both players finishing the night with 27 votes.
The NPLW Gold Medal count was a thrilling affair, with five players all in contention for the competition’s major award heading into the final round of the season.
Butrus had a standout evening, adding the NPLW Media Player of the Year and the Goal of the Year awards to her accolades.
Dan Birrell, FV Interim CEO, was thrilled to celebrate the 2025 season with representatives from across Victorian football.
“Congratulations to everyone who was recognised at this year’s awards,” Mr Birrell said.
“Your achievements inspire others across the football community and are a powerful reminder that hard work and dedication can open the door to success.
“While we are thrilled to recognise these individual accomplishments, this event also provides the platform to celebrate what we have achieved together for the good of our game.
“2025 has been yet another record-breaking year and we thank everyone in our community for being part of it.”
NPLM Award Winners
- Gold Medal: Joe Guest (Oakleigh Cannons FC)
- Players’ Player: Bul Juach (Heidelberg United FC)
- Golden Boot: Bul Juach (Heidelberg United FC)
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Yaren Sozer (Heidelberg United FC)
- Coach of the Year: John Anastadiadis (Heidelberg United FC)
- Goal of the Year: Luka Kolic (Melbourne Victory FC)
NPLW Award Winners
- Gold Medal: Aleksandra Sinclair (Spring Hills FC) & Danella Butrus (FC Bulleen Lions)
- Players’ Player: Keely Lockhart (Heidelberg United FC)
- Golden Boot: Sawa Matsuda (Heidelberg United FC)
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Peyton Woodward (Brunswick Juventus FC)
- Coach of the Year: Dennis Georgakopoulos (Heidelberg United FC)
- Goal of the Year: Danella Butrus (FC Bulleen Lions)
VPLM1 Award Winners
- Best and Fairest: Dylan Allshorn (Brunswick City SC)
- Players’ Player: Luke Lofts (Caroline Springs George Cross FC)
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Lachlan Charles (Melbourne City FC)
- Coach of the Year: George Katsakis (Bentleigh Greens SC)
- Golden Boot: Luke Lofts (Caroline Springs George Cross FC)
VPLM2 Award Winners
- Best and Fairest: Anthony Banovac (North Geelong Warriors SC)
- Players’ Player: Josh Dennett (Eltham Redbacks FC)
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Abdulkerim Koc (Eltham Redbacks FC)
- Coach of the Year: Stuart Begg (North Geelong Warriors SC)
- Golden Boot: Sonny Brimmer (North Geelong Warriors SC)
VPLW
- Best & Fairest: Jada Colbert (Keilor Park SC)
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Lilianna Berg (Geelong Galaxy United FC)
- Coach of the Year: Del Donnelly (Avondale FC)
- Golden Boot: Addison Steiner (Avondale FC)
Community Awards
- Community Inclusion Award: Robin Walker (Armstrong United)
- Female Coach of the Year: Madelaine Breakspear (Sale United FC)
- Male Coach of the Year: Ramnish Mankotia (Bundoora United FC)
- Volunteer of the Year: Megan Roussel and Phillip Berry (Maribyrnong Swifts and Colts United FC)
- Futsal Club of the Year: East City Wolves Futsal Club
- Regional Club of the Year: Surf Coast FC
- Metropolitan Club of the Year: Glen Eira FC
- Female Football Champion of the Year: Ella Healy (Dynamo Melbourne FC)
Referee Awards (awarded Thursday 18 September)
- Referee’s Referee: Lucas Mattia
- NPLM Referee: Jack Morgan
- NPLM Assistant Referee: Benjamin Lepileo
- NPLW Referee: Shab Saban
- NPLW Assistant Referee: Daphne Gounaris
- Rising Star: Dimitri Gounaris
- Rising Star: Helena Panagiotidis
- State League High Performance: Aleksandar Nikoloski
- State League High Performance: Daniel Papadakis
- State League High Performance: Francis Osei-Ntim
- Local Hero: Gabriel McCoy
- Local Hero: Will Quartermain
- Local Hero: Lazaros Pantelidis
- Whistle Of Hope: Stewart Howell
- Men’s Futsal Referee: Sebastiaan Sterel
- Women’s Futsal Referee: Maria Patrikis
- Community Female Referee: Audrey Azzopardi
- Community Male Referee: Ian Hewett
Media Awards
- Club Media Award: Heidelberg United FC
- Bill Fleming Media Award: Joe Guest (Oakleigh Cannons FC) & Yuki Uchida (Dandenong Thunder FC)
- NPLW Media Player of the Year: Dani Butrus (FC Bulleen Lions)
- Les Shorrock Best Football Image Award: Stephanie Surbevski
