Custom Medals for Australian Sports Clubs: Design and Ordering Guide

Custom medals give sporting clubs a practical way to recognise participation, achievement and competition results while reinforcing the identity of the club or event. The right design can incorporate your club logo, colours and award details without becoming cluttered or difficult to read.

When ordering custom medals for Australian sports clubs, start with the purpose of the award. Decide who will receive it, what it recognises, how many medals you need and when they will be presented. These details will guide decisions about medal style, size, finish, ribbon, logo treatment and engraving.

Trophy Specialists supplies sports medals and personalised awards from its showroom and manufacturing facility in Osborne Park, Western Australia. Perth clubs can visit the showroom to compare options, while clubs elsewhere can browse the medals range online and arrange Australia-wide shipping.

What Makes a Sports Medal Truly Custom?

A medal does not necessarily require a completely original shape to feel specific to your club. Customisation can range from adding a club logo and individual engraving to developing a custom medallion or component.

Depending on the chosen medal and its available personalisation area, custom details may include:

• A club crest or association logo
• Competition or carnival branding
• Gold, silver or bronze finishes
• Recipient names
• Team or age division
• Award category
• Event name
• Season or presentation year
• Sponsor branding
• A coloured or club-branded ribbon

For many community clubs, a well-selected medal with a clear logo insert and accurate engraving provides the right balance between individuality and practicality. A more extensively customised design may suit a major tournament, milestone season or signature annual event.

Step 1: Define What the Medals Will Recognise

Before comparing medal designs, prepare a clear list of the awards you need. Sporting clubs commonly order medals for several different purposes.

Competition Placings

Gold, silver and bronze medals make placings easy to understand and work well for tournaments, athletics carnivals, swimming events and other competitive formats.

Confirm whether the medals need to show:

• First, second or third place
• The event or discipline
• An age group or division
• Individual or team achievement
• The year of the competition

Participation and Junior Recognition

Participation medals can acknowledge commitment, improvement and involvement, particularly in junior sport. These medals do not need to resemble championship awards, but they should still look coordinated and clearly represent the club or season.

Club and Individual Awards

Some clubs use medals for end-of-season categories such as:

• Best and Fairest
• Most Valuable Player
• Most Improved
• Coaches’ Award
• Players’ Player
• Club Champion
• Team contribution
• Milestone appearances

If several categories will be presented together, use a consistent club logo or medal family while changing the engraving or finish for each award.

Step 2: Choose the Right Medal Style

The best medal is not always the largest or most elaborate option. It should suit the achievement, recipient group and way the award will be presented.

When browsing sports medals and custom medal options, consider the following factors.

Medal Size and Proportion

A larger medal may provide more space for a logo or central design, but it also needs to remain comfortable to wear. Consider its proportions together with the ribbon rather than assessing the medallion alone.

For junior participants, check that the finished medal will be easy to handle and wear. For a championship or major individual award, a more substantial design may create an appropriate distinction.

Finish and Colour

Gold, silver and bronze finishes are useful when medals represent competition placings. A single finish may be more suitable when every recipient is being recognised equally.

The finish should also provide enough contrast with the club logo, insert or engraving. A detailed logo can lose impact if its colours and outlines do not stand out clearly against the medal.

Sport-Specific or General Designs

A sport-specific design can immediately communicate the activity being recognised. A more general medal can provide greater flexibility if the same style will be used across different teams, age groups or club programs.

Consider whether the medal needs to represent:

• One particular sport
• A multi-sport carnival
• General club participation
• A named competition
• A special anniversary or milestone
• An individual achievement

A general design with a strong custom club centre may be more versatile than a highly specific stock image.

Step 3: Plan the Club Logo and Artwork

The club logo is often the most important visual element on a custom sports medal. It connects the award to the organisation and makes a standard medal feel more meaningful.

Trophy Specialists confirms that club logos can be incorporated into suitable awards. Its Osborne Park facility includes laser engravers, sublimation equipment, vinyl printers and traditional engraving capabilities. You can read more about its in-house production facilities on the About Trophy Specialists page.

Supply the Best Available Logo File

Avoid copying a small image from your club’s website, social media page or email signature. These files may look clear on a screen but become blurred when printed or may lack the detail required for production.

Where possible, provide the original logo artwork. Before submitting it, check that:

• The club name is spelt correctly
• Fine lines remain visible
• Small text is legible
• The colours are accurate
• The background is suitable
• The logo has not been stretched
• You have permission to reproduce it

Ask which file format is preferred for the selected medal rather than converting the artwork unnecessarily.

Simplify Detailed Logos When Needed

A logo that works well on a sign or jersey may not reproduce clearly in a small medal centre. Fine text, narrow lines, gradients and several small design elements can become difficult to distinguish.

A simplified version might use the main emblem, initials or club symbol without the smallest surrounding text. This is usually more effective than squeezing every detail into a limited space.

Consider Sponsor Logos Carefully

If a sponsor logo must appear on the medal, determine whether both logos will remain readable. Depending on the available space, the sponsor may be better acknowledged on the ribbon, packaging or presentation material.

Always confirm that the club has permission to reproduce sponsor branding.

Step 4: Decide What to Engrave

Engraving turns a club medal into a record of a specific achievement. However, a small medal has limited space, so the wording must be concise.

Useful engraving details may include:

1. Recipient’s name
2. Award category or placing
3. Team, grade or division
4. Club or event name
5. Season or year

Not every medal needs all five details. If the logo or front design already identifies the club, the reverse can be reserved for the recipient and award category.

For example:

Jordan Lee

Most Improved

Under 14 – 2026

This will usually be clearer than a long congratulatory message in small lettering.

For more information about personalisation methods, read the Trophy Specialists guide to trophy engraving.

Step 5: Prepare an Accurate Medal Order

A clear order list helps prevent mistakes and keeps awards consistent across teams and divisions.

For a larger club order, prepare a spreadsheet with one medal per row and separate columns for:

• Recipient name
• Award category
• Team or age group
• Competition placing
• Medal style or finish
• Ribbon requirement
• Engraving wording
• Quantity
• Special instructions

Use consistent spelling, capitalisation and date formats. For example, avoid using “U14”, “Under 14” and “Under-14s” interchangeably unless the differences are intentional.

If names are not yet available, separate medals requiring individual names from general participation or placing medals. This makes it easier to identify which information is still outstanding.

Step 6: Check Quantities and Presentation Details

Count medals by category rather than relying only on one overall total. A simple breakdown might cover:

• Gold, silver and bronze placings
• Participation medals
• Individual club awards
• Team awards
• Coach or volunteer recognition
• Spare or contingency medals

Whether spares are appropriate will depend on the event and how final the participant numbers are. Do not order extras automatically; first consider whether unnamed medals could be used at a future event or whether the design is specific to one year.

You should also decide how medals will be presented. Consider:

• Whether recipients will wear the medals immediately
• Whether the ribbon colours suit the club
• How medals will be arranged before the ceremony
• Whether names must be checked against a running order
• Whether presentation boxes or other packaging are required
• How medals will be divided between teams or presenters

A clearly labelled presentation layout can help volunteers distribute the correct awards and keep the ceremony moving.

When Should You Order Custom Sports Medals?

Begin planning as soon as the presentation date and likely quantities are known. Final recipient names may arrive later, but you can often make early decisions about medal style, logo artwork, finishes and ribbons.

Custom artwork, engraving and production requirements vary between orders. Trophy Specialists highlights quick-turnaround capabilities and can manufacture trophies in-house or source stock overnight when customers have tight deadlines. However, availability depends on the selected product, quantity and personalisation requirements.

If your event date is close, contact Trophy Specialists promptly to discuss what options are practical rather than assuming a particular medal will be available.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Choosing a Medal Before Checking the Logo Area

A medal may suit your sport but provide insufficient space for a detailed club crest. Confirm how the logo will be applied and how large it can appear before settling on the design.

Supplying Low-Quality Artwork

A pixelated logo limits the clarity of the finished result. Locate the original artwork early, particularly if it is held by a former committee member, uniform supplier or graphic designer.

Adding Too Much Text

Medals have less engraving space than plaques or trophies. Prioritise the recipient, category and year rather than reducing a long message to an unreadable size.

Mixing Naming Formats

Inconsistent capitalisation, abbreviations and age-group formats can make a coordinated order look disjointed. Apply one style across the entire list.

Forgetting the Ribbon

The ribbon affects how the complete medal looks and how it will be presented. Include ribbon colours and quantities in your planning rather than treating them as a final detail.

Leaving Approval to One Person at the Last Minute

Where possible, nominate one person to compile the order and another to proof names, categories and quantities. Too many people editing separate lists can introduce duplicate or conflicting information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can our club logo be added to the medals?

Yes. Trophy Specialists can incorporate club logos into suitable medals and awards. The appropriate method will depend on the medal, available space and supplied artwork.

Can we personalise every medal with a different name?

Individual names may be added to suitable medals. Prepare the details in a structured spreadsheet and check spelling carefully before submitting the order.

Do all medals need individual engraving?

No. Some clubs use a shared design for participation medals and individual engraving only for major awards. The right approach depends on the purpose of each category and the available personalisation area.

Can we order medals if our club is outside Perth?

Yes. Trophy Specialists supplies customers throughout Australia. Perth customers can visit the Osborne Park showroom, while clubs elsewhere can order remotely and arrange shipping.

What if we need medals at short notice?

Available options will depend on stock, quantity, artwork and personalisation. Trophy Specialists can manufacture in-house or source some stock overnight, but clubs with a tight deadline should enquire promptly. Its frequently asked questions provide further information about turnaround, delivery, collection and logo requirements.

Create Medals That Represent Your Club

The most effective custom sports medals combine a suitable design with clear club branding, concise engraving and accurate order information. Begin with the purpose of the award, then choose a medal that gives your logo and wording enough space to be presented clearly.

Planning the artwork, categories, quantities and recipient details early also reduces pressure as presentation day approaches.

Explore the Trophy Specialists medal collection or visit the large showroom at 19 Colray Avenue, Osborne Park. For assistance with club logos, engraving, custom medallions or an upcoming presentation, contact the Trophy Specialists team to discuss your requirements.