National Soccer League Player of the Year

Last updated
National Soccer League Player of the Year
Awarded forThe best player in each given NSL season
CountryAustralia
First award1977
Final award1989
Most awards Frank Farina and Bobby Russell (2)

The National Soccer League Player of the Year was an annual soccer award present to the most outstanding player in Australia's National Soccer League. The award was established in the NSL's first season in 1977 and it ran until 1989. The following season it was replaced by the Johnny Warren Medal.

Contents

The inaugural winner was Jimmy Rooney of Marconi, who finished second that season. [1] The last winner of the award was Zlatko Nastevski, who played for table-toppers Marconi when he won the award. [2] Bobby Russell and Frank Farina are the only people to have won the award twice.

From 1977 until 1985 the vote was purely done by referees. Then, between 1986 and 1988, two winners were announced, one voted by the referees and one voted by the players. In 1989, it was only the players voting. [3]

Winners

SeasonPlayerNationalityClubRef
1977 Jimmy Rooney Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Marconi [3]
1978 Ken Boden Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Newcastle United
1979 Ivo Prskalo Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Marconi
1980 Jim Hermiston Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Brisbane Lions
1981 Bobby Russell Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Adelaide City
1982 Peter Katholos Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney Olympic
1983 Joe Watson Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney City
1984 Sergio Melta Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Adelaide City
1985 Graham Honeyman Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia West Adelaide
1986 Bobby Russell †(2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia South Melbourne
Graham Arnold *Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney Croatia
1987 Andrew Zinni †Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Brunswick Juventus
Frank Farina *Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Marconi
1988 Paul Wade †Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia South Melbourne
Frank Farina * (2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Marconi
1989 Zlatko Nastevski Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Marconi

* Player-voted award † Referee-voted award

Multiple winners

AwardsPlayerTeamSeasons
2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bobby Russell Adelaide City / South Melbourne 1981, 1986
2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Farina Marconi 1987, 1988

Awards won by club

ClubWins
Marconi 5
Adelaide City 2
South Melbourne 2
Brisbane Lions 1
Brunswick Juventus 1
Newcastle United 1
Sydney City 1
Sydney Croatia 1
Sydney Olympic 1
West Adelaide 1

References

  1. ↑ "Football's national competition forced other sports to 'wake up' and develop - ABC News". www.abc.net.au. 2017-03-31. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  2. ↑ Les Murray's Football Cafe - with Zlatko Nastevski , retrieved 2020-05-07
  3. 1 2 "The Australian National Soccer League". www.ozfootball.net. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
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