PFA Footballers of the Year

In March 2009, a PFA tradition was initiated with the launch of the PFA Footballer of the Year and PFA Harry Kewell Medal awards.  The awards, which include the PFA Footballer of the Month, are a first in Australian football as they are open to players plying their trade both at home and abroad.

Presented annually, the awards provide the ultimate form of recognition for Australia’s most outstanding professional footballer by:

• being open to players plying their trade at home and abroad, including in the world’s best leagues such as the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A as well as in Australia’s own Hyundai A-League;
• taking into account performances for both club and country; and
• being exclusively voted for by the judge the professional footballer values most highly – his peer.

Australians eligible to play for the Socceroos, as well as foreign players playing in the A-League, are eligible for the awards.

Click here to view the nominees for the 2010 PFA Footballer of the Year.

Click here to view the nominess for the 2010 PFA Harry Kewell Medal - award to the U23 Footballer of the Year.

How the award is won

The PFA Awards Committee met monthly throughout the 2008/2009 season and selected a PFA Footballer of the Month in both award categories.  At the end of the season, these monthly winners formed the basis for the committee to develop a list of 12 worthy nominees in each award category.

The end result of the process saw over 250 Australian professional footballers vote on a list of nominees that included 23 players playing in eight different countries and representing 16 clubs throughout the world.

 “The awards that really count are the ones voted on by your fellow professionals because you are getting the respect of the players that you have played against and that’s the biggest thing that you can possibly achieve.” Harry Kewell