Brisbane Roar have been rewarded for their championship-winning A-League season with three of their stars making the shortlist of 20 players for the prestigious Professional Football Australia (PFA) awards.
Brisbane Roar have been rewarded for their championship-winning A-League season with three of their stars making the shortlist of 20 players for the prestigious Professional Football Australia (PFA) awards.
Golden Boot winner Besart Berisha and German playmaker Thomas Broich are both in contention to win the PFA Footballer of the Year for 2011/12.
If either wins, it would make it back-to-back victories for a Roar player after Matt McKay won it last year.
Other previous winners include Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (2010) and Everton attacker Tim Cahill (2009).
Alex Brosque (Shimizu S-Pulse), Adam Federici (Reading), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar), Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus), Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow) and Patrick Zwaanswijk (Central Coast Mariners) are also in the hunt.
Star Roar attacker Mitch Nichols is one of eight players shortlisted for the PFA Harry Kewell Medal, presented to Australia’s best male player under the age of 23.
Nichols faces strong opposition from the likes of Melbourne Heart pair Aziz Behich and Mate Dugandzic, as well as Mariners goalkeeper Mat Ryan.
James Brown (formerly of Gold Coast United), Luke DeVere (Gyeongnam), Ryan McGowan (Hearts) and Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough) are also in contention.
The 16 nominees are now being voted on by more than 300 players from the A-League and around the world.
In a statement, PFA president and Melbourne Heart defender Simon Colosimo said: “Anywhere in the world, the most coveted individual honour a player can receive is the one voted on by his or her peers.
“With more and more players having the opportunity to earn their living from football, the PFA Footballer of the Year Awards are more competitive than ever.”
In the running to win the PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year Award are Caitlin Foord (Sydney FC), Elise Kellond-Knight (Brisbane Roar and Fortuna Hjorring), Sally Shipard (Canberra United and Bayer Leverkusen) and Lydia Williams (Canberra United and Pitea IF Dam).
The awards night will be held in Brisbane on June 13, with the PFA Alex Tobin OAM Medal also to be presented.
