Two giants of Australian football whose contribution to the game on and off the pitch has delivered legacies for the Matildas and Socceroos will receive the PFA’s highest individual honour in 2023. 

The duo, who are yet to be unveiled, will be presented with the Alex Tobin OAM Medal at the 2023 PFA Players’ Awards in Sydney on 17 July 2023 on the eve of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Alex Tobin OAM Medal is the PFA’s highest individual honour, awarded by the PFA Executive to current or former players who demonstrate outstanding attributes of leadership, achievements as a player, commitment to fellow professionals and service and dedication to the game. 

Previous winners include Johnny Warren (posthumously), Joe Marston, Craig Johnston, Mark Viduka, Frank Farina, Mark Schwarzer, Harry Kewell, Cheryl Sailsbury and Paul Okon. 

The 2023 PFA Players’ Awards will also acknowledge the outstanding achievements of PFA members via the following award categories: 

  • Men’s and Women’s Footballer of The Year; 
  • Men’s and Women’s Young Footballer of The Year; 
  • PFA Kimon Taliadoros Scholarship; 
  • PFA Craig Foster Scholarship; and 
  • The PFA Community Medal 

In 2022, Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Tom Rogic and Denis Genreau received the performance-based awards, while Rebekah Stott received the 2022 Community Medal after raising funds and awareness for blood cancer patients following her diagnosis and recovery from stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The event will also commemorate 30 years of Professional Footballers Australia, with the organisation celebrating three decades of supporting the players and building the game in Australia in 2023. 

A central feature of the 2023 PFA Players’ Awards will be on highlighting the impact of the Footballers’ Trust, the player driven PFA charity.  

Inspired by the leadership of generations of Australian footballers, the Footballers’ Trust provides a platform for today’s players to ‘play it forward’ and contribute directly to the causes that inspire them, with every cent pledged reinvested back into the community. 

Tickets for the 2023 PFA Players’ Awards are on sale now with all proceeds donated to the Footballers’ Trust.   

Secure your place at this prestigious event and lock in Early Bird pricing now.