Central Coast striker Matt Simon has taken out the 2008/09 Mariners’ Medal as the club’s best player for the Hyundai A-League season.
Simon had an impressive campaign that saw him net a club-record 11-goal haul, a feat which also earned him Central Coast’s Golden Boot award.
“We congratulate Matt Simon for his exceptional season and deserved recognition as our best player of the Hyundai A-League 2008/09 season,” said Mariners executive chairman Lyall Gorman.
“Matt came to our club in 2006 as an unknown and unproven talent and after a tough introduction to professional football has quickly become one of Australia’s finest young players and one truly deserving of such an award.”
John Hutchinson’s Round 18 long-range strike against Perth Glory was voted as the Marinators Goal of the Year.
Meanwhile, the New South Wales State Government, Gosford City Council and Wyong Shire Council have all chipped in to give Central Coast a cumulative financial boost of $600,000 ahead of its first foray into the AFC Champions League.
“The AFC Champions League represents a chance for regions and clubs to be showcased to Asia and the world that simply does not exist in any other competition of any other code in this country,” said Gorman.
“To that end, we are simply delighted that the NSW State Government, Gosford City Council and Wyong Shire Council have identified with the possibilities that exist through avenues such as business and tourism that the Mariners and the AFC Champions League can offer.”
“A commitment to showcasing the Central Coast region to Asia and to the world has been a core belief of our club since our inception and on Wednesday we’ll first have the opportunity to witness the spectacle of an elite Asian sporting event in our own backyard.”
