by Tim McGlone

Wellington Phoenix star Nathan Burns last night claimed the Johnny Warren mMedal as the best player for the 2014/15 Hyundai A-League season.

The 27-year old became the second Phoenix player, after Shane Smeltz, to claim Australian football's highest individual honour.

Burns finished on 577 votes ahead of Adelaide's Marcelo Carrusca (366 votes), and pre-count favourite Fahid Ben-Khalfallah of Melbourne Victory (307 votes).

The Johnny Warren Medal is decided by each rostered player from all 11 Hyundai A-League clubs casting 3-2-1 votes at three different periods of the season, with players not permitted to vote for their teammates.

The award caps a remarkable first season in Wellington for Burns, who has scored 13 goals in 25 games for the Phoenix after joining from Korean club Incheon United in June.

Burns received the award at the Hyundai A-League & Westfield W-League 2014/15 Awards night, held in Sydney.

In other awards, Adelaide United's James Jeggo took out the NAB Young Footballer of the Year Award, while Sydney FC's marquee forward Marc Janko was presented with the Nike Golden Boot award after scoring 16 goals for the Sky Blues in 2014/15.

Janko's Sydney lay Melbourne Victory in this weekend's Hyundai A-League Grand Final, which takes place at AAMI Park on Sunday from 4.00pm.