A-Leagues Scrap Dolan-Warren Awards Ceremony Honoring Australian Football Pioneer

The Australia Professional Leagues (APL) has confirmed that the annual Dolan-Warren awards ceremony, which honors Australian football pioneer Johnny Warren, will be scrapped this year. The decision comes as part of a financial restructure overseen by the new APL administration.

Instead of the traditional awards night held before the A-League Men grand final, the player of the season awards for both the A-League Men (ALM) and A-League Women (ALW) will be announced during the halftime break of their respective grand finals. Other awards will be announced digitally.

The move has disappointed the family of Johnny Warren, who view the awards ceremony as an important event that recognizes his significant contributions to Australian football. Johnny Warren's nephew, Jamie, expressed his disappointment, stating that the awards night was meant to be the "night of nights" and the "pinnacle of the year" to celebrate the game's achievements.

Jamie Warren fears that announcing the awards at halftime will make them an afterthought. "The Johnny Warren Medal and the Julie Dolan Medal are the two biggest awards in the game," he said. "I would hope that next year we can get them back to where they should be, which is the premier event."

Why this matters: The decision to scrap the Dolan-Warren awards ceremony reflects the financial challenges faced by the APL and the changing landscape of Australian football. The move has raised concerns about the diminished recognition for the sport's pioneers and top players.

The APL stated that the decision to announce the player of the season awards during the grand final halftimes is aimed at bringing the awards closer to the fans and giving them a platform to be celebrated during the biggest games of the year. The ALM grand final is scheduled for May 25, while the ALW grand final will take place on May 4.

Key Takeaways

• APL scraps annual Dolan-Warren awards ceremony due to financial restructuring.
• Player of the season awards to be announced during grand final halftimes.
• Johnny Warren's family disappointed, view awards as important recognition event.
• APL aims to bring awards closer to fans during biggest games of the year.
• Decision reflects financial challenges faced by APL and changing football landscape.