Outside90’s A-League 2014-15 awards

Outside90’s A-League 2014-15 awards [VIDEO]

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With the dust of Melbourne Victory’s emphatic grand final triumph settled, we name everything and everyone that made the A-League’s 10th season a memorable one, as well as the not so good. 

Best team: Well, there cannot be any doubt, can there? Melbourne Victory was by far and away the best team of the season and deservedly claimed both the Premiers Plate and the Championship. The Victory, headed by A-League Coach of the Year Kevin Muscat, went through a significant facelift over the offseason, reshaping in terms of tactics and effectively recruiting an entire backbone. That rejig saw the Big V win 15 games for the season, losing only four. The club scored a massive 59 goals throughout the season, up 29 from last season. The double, making Victory the most successful club in A-League history, was just deserts for brilliant recruiting and Muscat’s addressing of gaping weaknesses from the season prior.

Biggest improver: Not unfamiliar to disappointment is Wellington Phoenix, but under the tutelage of Ernie Merrick, the Nix went a great way to finally asserting themselves in the A-League. For a moment, the club looked like flying to premiership success, but it was not to be. Ultimately, Wellington’s season ended prematurely with a string of disappointing defeats including a home elimination final loss at the hands of Melbourne City, but the Kiwi side’s season as a whole showed plenty of improvement. The club has, however, set up solid foundations for another go at maiden silverware next season.

Biggest disappointment: It may seem harsh given the magnitude of talent it lost, but Brisbane Roar’s title defence was rather listless. Besart Berisha and Ivan Franjic, just to name a couple, departed the club, so maintaining the A-League crown was always going to be difficult. The club’s recruiting did it no favours either. Macedonian journeyman Mensur Kurtisi was handed the unenviable task of replacing Berisha, and somewhat predictably, he could not live up to that billing. Early-season poor form saw Mike Mulvey pay with his job, but even under Frans Thijssen Brisbane never really roared, despite testing Adelaide in a final it reached after Perth Glory was disqualified for breaching the salary cap. Still, you would be forgiven to have expected more than a whimper from the reigning champs.

Player of the season: We have been blessed this A-League season with a plethora of talent, and it was incredibly difficult to decide on just one player for this award. Our player of the season, however, is Fahid Ben Khalfallah. The Tunisian was signed by Muscat only days out from the Victory’s first match of the season against Western Sydney Wanderers, but he did not take long to settle into A-League football. Khalfallah’s first three appearances were cameos off the bench, but soon secured a first team berth and never looked back. The 32-year-old scored six goals for the season and was a joint leader for assists with 11, alomgside teammate Gui Finkler. Khalfallah endeared himself to the Victory faithful as quickly as he picked up the English language, and more of the same is promised next season after the attacker signed a new one-year deal.

Honourable mentions: Aaron Mooy, Nathan Burns, Marc Janko, Marcelo Carrusca.

Signing of the season: Given that Khalfallah himself was a signing, he takes home this gong too. Not much more needs to be said about the former Bordeaux player, aside from the fact that he is a superb example of what clubs should look for in foreigners. Again, however, he was not the only standout signing, with plenty of quality additions across the 10 teams.

Honourable mentions: Nathan Burns, Aaron Mooy, Roly Bonevacia, Besart Berisha, Matthieu Delpierre, Jimmy Jeggo, Marc Janko, Mickael Tavares, Andy Keogh.

Worst signing of the season: Alongside the transfers at which we all marvelled were the ones that did not quite cut the mustard. There are a few contenders, but the failed experiment that stands out is the Western Sydney Wanderers’ acquisition of Brazilian Vitor Saba. He forms a pair of disappointing signings at Western Sydney, the other of which was Nigerian Seyi Adeleke, but Saba, as the one to fill Shinji Ono’s shoes, promised much more with an impressive CV, but delivered very little and was released before the half way point of the season. His red card for a rash challenge in the season’s first Sydney Derby was about as meaningful a contribution as he made, going a way to costing the Wanderers even a draw in that match. Saba’s signing only just edges out that of David Villa, whose spell in the A-League was as short as it was disappointing.

(Dis)honourable mentions: Seyi Adeleke, Mensur Kurtisi, Malick Mane, David Villa.

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Best young player (U-23): He won the A-League’s young player of the year award, and it is difficult to overlook this player for our gong of the league’s best youngster. Jimmy Jeggo was a regular in Adelaide United’s midfield after joining the club from Melbourne Victory and has improved massively since the move, honing both his defensive and attacking skill sets. Jeggo passed at an average completion of 87%, created 27 chances with three assists and made 46 interceptions. The 23-year-old had always promised to burst onto the scene in the A-League, and his first season as a Red finally saw that breakout.

Honourable mentions: Brandon Borello, Nick Ansell, Andrew Hoole, Josh Risdon, Bernie Ibini.

Goal of the season: This award picks itself. Tarek Elrich’s goal in Adelaide’s 4-1 drubbing of Melbourne City was this season’s best goal by some distance – some might say the distance Elrich ran to eventually slot past Tando Velaphi. The intricacies of the goal that went viral need no description; just sit back and enjoy it.

https://youtu.be/f2WN0YlvtR4

Match of the season: In the end, this match was a prelude to the grand final, and formed a trio of incredible results between bitter rivals Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory. The 3-3 draw at Allianz Stadium on 14 February had just about everything you could hope to see in a Big Blue. Well, at least as a neutral. Twists, turns, quality football and goals, as well as controversy. The thrilling contest, in the end, was somewhat overshadowed by the disputed awarding of a penalty to Sebastian Ryall after he went down under what seemed like minimal contact from Gui FInkler. Nevertheless, the match will go down as one of the A-League’s most memorable contests.

Honourable mentions: Sydney Derby (October 2014, 3-2 Sydney), Sydney Derby (February 2014, 3-4 Sydney).

Upset of the season: At the time, this result threatened to turn the premiership race on its head, seriously calling into question the credentials of eventual champions Melbourne Victory. Bottom-placed Newcastle Jets had endured the season from hell, but completed the campaign’s biggest boilover with a 1-0 win at AAMI Park. A player who truly was a barometer of Newcastle’s season, Ecuadorian striker Edson Montaño, scored the winning goal.

Most romantic story: This season really was business as usual in the league, and there were not a great deal of feel-good stories. One of a small selection that does stand out, however, is John Hutchinson’s Gosford swan song. The Mariners hosted Western Sydney at Central Coast Stadium and won the contest 1-0 thanks to an early Josh Rose strike. Thirty-five-year-old Hutchinson retired at the end of the season after 228 appearances for the Mariners and bowed out as one of the A-League’s greatest ever.

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John Hutchinson hung up his boots this season after ten years at the Central Coast Mariners.

Honourable mentions: Leigh Broxham’s grand final goal, the rebirth of Tarek Elrich.

Worst hard luck story: It is a sad but inescapable part of life and football – the odd tragic story. Perhaps the most disappointing of these was Corey Gameiro’s season-ending ACL injury, after the young attacker started the season like a house on fire. No matter which club you follow, it is never good to see any player struck down by such an injury.

The Benny Hill award: This honour goes straight to the probably burgeoning poolroom of Nathan Tinkler. The Newcastle Jets endured one of the most torrid seasons in the A-League’s short history, marred by dressing room disharmony and the unprecedented sackings of a host of senior players, including club great Joel Griffthis and former Socceroo David Carney. Newcastle reached its lowest ebb after being dealt a 7-0 thrashing by Adelaide United in January as calls for coach Phil Stubbins’ head grew louder. A mammoth task awaits both Tinkler and Stubbins in the offseason: reinvigorating an incredibly fractured, once-great football club.

(Dis)honourable mentions: Tony Sage and Jason Brewer.

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