Melbourne City captain Rebekah Stott has been named the inaugural winner of the Clare Polkinghorne Medal following a remarkable 2025/26 Ninja A-League season.
Paramount+ and Network 10, in partnership with Ninja, announced the new award recognising the standout player of the Ninja A-League campaign and is named in honour of Australian football legend Clare Polkinghorne, with Stott becoming the very first player to etch her name into the history books as its inaugural recipient.
Stott’s recognition comes after an outstanding season at the heart of City’s defence, where she led by example as captain throughout another dominant campaign for Michael Matricciani’s side.
The experienced defender captained City to a third consecutive Premiership, helping guide the Club through a history-making regular season campaign built on defensive strength, consistency and composure.
A commanding presence across the backline all season long, Stott was instrumental in one of the league’s strongest defensive records while also contributing at the other end of the pitch, scoring three goals across the campaign.
Her leadership, consistency and performances throughout the season saw her recognised as the competition’s standout player, becoming the first-ever recipient of the Clare Polkinghorne Medal.
“It’s a really special honour to win this award, especially being the inaugural recipient,” Rebekah Stott said. “There’s so much quality in this league, so it’s something I’m incredibly proud of.”
“Awards like this are never won alone. I’m so grateful for my teammates and the staff because they’ve all played such a big part in helping me perform at my best throughout the season.
“What makes it even more special is having the award named after Clare Polkinghorne. She was someone I looked up to growing up and then later I was lucky enough to play with and against her as well.”
“As a fellow defender, I always admired the way Clare played the game and carried herself. To be the first player to win an award named after her is something I’ll always be really proud of.”
The award was introduced ahead of the 2025/26 season to celebrate excellence in the Ninja A-League and honours one of Australian football’s most respected figures, with Polkinghorne recognised as the Matildas’ second most-capped player and one of the competition’s greatest defenders.
