Alex Tobin Receives Australia Day Honour

Former Socceroo captain, PFA President and PFA Life Member Alex Tobin was today awarded with the Order of Australia Medal for outstanding service and contribution to Australian football, particularly as an international representative player and through the PFA.

He receives the warm congratulations from the PFA and all current and former Australian professional footballers.

Alex is remembered for his courage, integrity and leadership, as well as his own field achievements, which are extraordinary.  Indeed, as a footballer, Alex’s achievements are unmatched in Australia and include:
•a record number of matches for Australia between 1988 and 1998, including 87 ‘A’ internationals and a further 26 caps;
•the third longest serving Socceroo captain (31 games);
•3 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns;
•1988 Olympic Games;
•1985 World Youth Cup;
•a record number of national league games (522 over a 19 year career);
•5 NSL Grand Finals, including 3 championships with Adelaide City (1986, 1992 and 1994); and
•2 times winner of The Marston Medal for best player in the NSL Grand Final.
Alex played most of his career as a semi-professional, resulting in him working as a development officer and with football’s grass roots communities for many years to work in the game on a full-time basis.

Alex also made an extremely important contribution to the PFA:
•the PFA’s longest serving Executive member (1995 – 2004);
•the PFA’s longest serving President (1998 – 2004);
•playing a critical role in the PFA’s collective bargaining agreements, including as Socceroos captain in securing the 1997 Confederations Cup CBA which laid the foundations for the PFA’s ongoing role as the exclusive collective bargaining agent of the Socceroos;
•overseeing the PFA’s progressive philosophy of approaching the well being of the game as a precondition to the well being of the players, resulting in the PFA becoming key agents of the game’s recent reforms; and
•PFA life membership in 2002.
Alex, his wife Caroline and family deserve to enjoy a wonderful Australia Day together.