Matt Giteau may no longer be the Wallabies' vice-captain, but he is Australia's best player.

Giteau won the John Eales medal on Thursday, the highest accolade an Aussie player can get,.

The 27-year-old flyhalf joined former test fullback Chris Latham (2006) as the only backs to win the annual award, decided by players involved in Test matches over the past 12 months.

"I didn't expect it. I was actually a little bit surprised to be nominated in the top five," Giteau said at the presentation.

"Huge honour, very happy with it.

"As a player you are always your harshest critic. To be fair I thought I didn't have one of my strongest Tri-Nations but lucky the boys gave me some points.

"To be fair I thought I didn't have one of my strongest Tri-Nations but lucky the boys gave me some points."

Lock Nathan Sharpe, who won the award two years ago, finished second, while openside flank George Smith was third after winning in 2002 and again last year.

Prop Benn Robinson was named as best Wallaby of the year, while teenage fullback James O'Connor was selected as rookie of the year.

Giteau received 190 votes, well ahead of the injured lock, Sharpe who accumulated 162, while last year's winner George Smith got 161, Robinson 132 and utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper 106.

The medal was voted on by Wallaby players on a 3-2-1 basis after each Test from the start of the 2008 Spring Tour to Europe through to the end of the 2009 Tri-Nations series last month.

The 1991 World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones was recognised for his services to the game with the Joe French Award.

Under-20 Player of the Year went to prop James Slipper and Stuart Dickinson was recognised as Referee of the Year.

Australia women's team star Debby Hodgkinson was a dual winner, taking out the Sevens Player of the Year and the Women's Player of the Year awards.

The Sevens Player of the Year award was introduced this year and named in honour of Shawn Mackay, the former Australia Sevens captain who was tragically killed after being struck by a car while on tour with the Brumbies in South Africa during the 2009 Super Rugby season.