Ten members of Brisbane Roar’s premiership-winning team are among the 33 nominations for the PFA’s A-League Team of the Season.
The team will be announced at the PFA Alex Tobin OAM Medal gala dinner on Monday February 14, with Roar dominating those selected in the final 33 by their peers. The final team will feature a first XI in 4-3-3 formation plus five substitutes.
Goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos is joined by defenders Luke Devere, Ivan Franjic and Matt Smith midfielders Thomas Broich, Matt McKay, Mitch Nichols, Erik Paartalu and strikers Kostas Barbarouses and Jean Carlos Solozano.
Melbourne Victory, which has dominated nominations in recent years, has just two players in the squad, Carlos Hernandez and Robbie Kruse, while players from Melbourne Heart and Sydney failed to figure
Coach Ange Postecoglou is one of four nominated for A-League Coach of the Season, along with Adelaide’s Rini Coolen, Central Coast’s Graham Arnold and North Queensland’s Franz Straka.
SHORTLIST FOR THE 2010/2011 PFA A-LEAGUE TEAM OF THE SEASON
Goalkeepers (3): Glen Moss (Gold Coast United), Matthew Ryan (Central Coast Mariners), Michael Theoklitos (Brisbane Roar)
Defenders (12): Cassio (Adelaide United), Luke Devere (Brisbane Roar), Tarek Elrich (Newcastle Jets), Iain Fyfe (Adelaide United), Ivan Franjic (Brisbane Roar), Scott Neville (Perth Glory), Josh Rose (Central Coast Mariners), Matt Smith (Brisbane Roar), Michael Thwaite (Gold Coast United), Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Newcastle Jets), Adama Traore (Gold Coast United), Patrick Zwaanswijk (Central Coast Mariners)
Midfielders (9): Thomas Broich (Brisbane Roar), Jason Culina (Gold Coast United), Marcos Flores (Adelaide United), Carlos Hernandez (Melbourne Victory), Michael McGlinchey (Central Coast Mariners), Matt McKay (Brisbane Roar), Mitch Nichols (Brisbane Roar), Erik Paartalu (Brisbane Roar), Kasey Wehrman (Newcastle Jets)
Strikers (9): Kostas Barbarouses (Brisbane Roar), Robbie Fowler (Perth Glory), Paul Ifill (Wellington Phoenix), Robbie Kruse (Melbourne Victory), Matthew Leckie (Adelaide United), Matthew Simon (Central Coast Mariners), Jean Carlos Solozano (Brisbane Roar), Sergio Van Dijk (Adelaide United), David Williams (Nth Queensland Fury)
PFA A-League Coach of the Season (4): Graham Arnold (Central Coast Mariners), Rini Coolen (Adelaide United), Ange Postecoglou (Brisbane Roar), Franz Straka (Nth Queensland Fury)
PFA A-League Referee of the Season (3): Matthew Breeze, Gerard Parsons, Ben Williams
