Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) is pleased to reveal the nominees for the 2019 PFA Men’s Footballer of the Year and the PFA Harry Kewell Medal.
Proudly supported by LUCRF Super, the winners of both awards will be announced next week, ahead of the 2019/20 A-League season and the Socceroos’ FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Nepal.
The two accolades recognise, reward and celebrate Australia’s most outstanding male players each season, based on the principle of peer recognition.
The nominees for the 2019 PFA Footballer of the Year, as selected by the PFA Awards Committee comprising former Socceroos and leading figures in the football media, include three players plying their trade overseas and two who were recognised for their contributions in the A-League last season.
Brighton and Hove teammates Mat Ryan and Aaron Mooy– two former winners of the award, feature in the 2019 shortlist, while Genk’s Danny Vukovic rounds out the overseas-based nominees.
Last season’s Jonny Warren Medallist, Roy Krishna, who has since secured a move to the Indian Premier League side ATK after an outstanding campaign with Wellington Phoenix, and ever-reliable midfielder Isaias complete the nominees.
Recognising outstanding achievement by an under-23 footballer playing in the A-League or an overseas-based Australian, the PFA Harry Kewell Medal nominees are headlined by four outstanding emerging talents.
Three A-League-based players feature alongside Socceroo Awer Mabil, who enjoyed an impressive season with Midtjylland.
Brisbane Roar’s Dylan Wenzel-Halls was nominated following a breakout campaign, while Perth Glory’s Chris Ikonomidis, the 2018/19 A-League Young Player of the Year, and Wellington’s Sarpreet Singh, who recently earned a high-profile move to Bayern Munich, comprise the four nominees for the Harry Kewell Medal.
The winners will be voted by the PFA membership and regard both the domestic and international features of the career path pursued by elite Australian professionals.
PFA President Alex Wilkinson paid tribute to all the nominees for their outstanding form.
“On behalf of the PFA Executive, I would like to congratulate all the nominees of both awards for their outstanding campaigns both domestically and overseas,” Wilkinson said.
“The nominees demonstrate the calibre and quality of Australia’s established and emerging players as well as the talent regularly on show in Australia. It’s vital we pause to celebrate their individual achievements as they forge successful careers in the game.
“It will be challenging for the PFA membership to split the winners through the voting process, but ultimately peer recognition is the greatest honour within our sport, so I look forward to learning of the eventual winners next week.”
The award takes into account performances of any player plying their trade in the A-League during the 2018/19 season or any Australian playing overseas between July 2018 until 1 June 2019.
The PFA’s Female Footballer of the Year and the under-23 PFA Young Female Footballer of the Year nominees will be announced ahead of the 2019/20 W-League season.
