It’s over to you, the fans, to choose the Liberty A-League and Isuzu UTE A-League Young Player of the Year awards.
Over the course of the 2021-22 season, a panel of experts put together a monthly list of nominees from the A-League Women and A-League Men.
WHO WINS THE ALW YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR? VOTE HERE
WHO WINS THE ALM YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR? VOTE HERE
Melbourne City star Holly McNamara, Wellington Phoenix’s Alyssa Whinham and Canberra United goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln are the three players vying for YPOTY honours in the Liberty A-League.
Central Coast Mariners dominate the nominees for the Isuzu UTE A-League Young Player of the Year Award.
Of the five candidates, three are from the Mariners – Jacob Farrell, Joshua Nisbet and Garang Kuol, whose emergence further headlined the production line in Gosford.
Sydney FC’s Patrick Yazbek and Newcastle Jets midfielder Angus Thurgate are the other two candidates.
Liberty A-League nominees
Holly McNamara, Melbourne City (December)
A bonafide star, Melbourne City and Matildas forward McNamara enjoyed a dazzling debut season before her campaign was heartbreakingly cut short by a knee injury. She started the season with a bang, curling home the winning goal against Canberra United in round one. The 19-year-old finished with four goals in eight appearances for Rado Vidosic’s side. McNamara provided three assists, 2.4 more than her Expected Assists value suggested – the second-best positive differential of any City player.
Alyssa Whinham, Wellington Phoenix (January)
The 18-year-old caught the eye with her performances in the A-League Women this season. Whinham was originally overlooked for Wellington’s inaugural ALW squad before she was thrown a last-minute lifeline. The teenager seized the opportunity with both hands, making her starting debut in December as she established herself in the Phoenix’s first-choice XI. Whinham scored once and set up another in 14 appearances, while she attempted (68) and completed (33) the second-most dribbles of any player in the ALW.
Chloe Lincoln, Canberra United (February-March)
The 2021-22 campaign didn’t go according to plan for Canberra United after missing the finals, but their teenage goalkeeper was a shining light. A glimmer of hope in the darkness, Lincoln was not even in the squad, just a scholarship player. But the 17-year-old third-choice goalkeeper was thrust into her debut in February. An injury to backup Beth Mason-Jones before the New Year paved the way for Lincoln to sit on the bench and once the former departed the club and first-choice keeper Keeley Richards suffered an injury in February, she never looked back with seven appearances. Lincoln was one of five goalkeepers to have saved a penalty in 2021-22 and one of two with a 100% penalty save record.
Isuzu UTE A-League nominees
Jacob Farrell, Central Coast Mariners (November/December)
One of the many success stories at the Mariners, the 19-year-old defender was the season’s first nominee, having just signed a senior contract in November after six years as a member of Central Coast’s Academy. Farrell made his ALM debut in the opening round and scored in the F3 Derby win over the Jets. He was an ever present in his rookie campaign, making 25 appearances – all starts – and supplying an assist. A formidable defensive presence and an attacking threat, the youngster made the seamless transition into professional football. Farrell tallied 46 interceptions in 2021-22, the second most by any player in the competition.
Patrick Yazbek, Sydney FC (January)
In a forgettable season that saw Sydney FC miss the finals for the first time in six years, Yazbek was a shining light. In his first senior season with the Sky Blues, the 20-year-old midfield sensation amassed 14 ALM matches, 12 starts, and scored once. Yazbek never looked overawed in the centre of Sydney’s midfield, which boasted the likes of Milos Ninkovic, Anthony Caceres and Mustafa Amini. He had a passing accuracy of 88%, the third-best rate of any Sydney player to attempt at least 80 passes in the campaign.
Angus Thurgate, Newcastle Jets (February)
Daniel Penha and Beka Mikeltadze were the headline acts in the Hunter Valley, but Thurgate formed part of Newcastle’s exciting trio under Arthur Papas. Often “Mr Fix-it” after debuting in 2018 – deployed as a midfielder, makeshift striker and even defender, the 22-year-old came into his own in 2021-22. Thurgate impressed in a more attacking role with the Jets, enjoying a personal-best campaign with five goals in 23 games. He also supplied an assist, while winning possession 133 times – the most by any Jets player.
Joshua Nisbet, Central Coast Mariners (March)
Don’t be fooled by his physical statue. While Nisbet is Australia’s shortest footballer, the diminutive midfielder has not let the significant height disadvantage hamper him on the field. The 21-year-old is another example of Central Coast’s rise. This season was his best return in terms of minutes (1,896) and starts (22 of 25 appearances). He also scored a goal – his first in the ALM and created 26 scoring chances, the third most by any Mariners player and only behind Marco Urena and Jason Cummings.
Garang Kuol, Central Coast Mariners (April-May)
First there was Alou Kuol, and now there’s brother Garang. The 17-year-old has burst onto the scene in Gosford, just like his older sibling, who is on the books of Bundesliga giants Stuttgart. “Garangski has landed” – Alou wrote after Garang bagged his first professional goal in April. The definition of super sub, Garang scored four goals in nine appearances or just 189 minutes of action off the Mariners bench, including in three straight matches to scoop the final nomination. It was 4.3 times as many as his xG (0.9) suggests he should have, which is the most of any player to score at least four goals this term. He finished the season with a 71% shooting accuracy, the best rate of any Central Coast player to log at least seven total shots.
