Wellington Phoenix forward Nathan Burns has capped off a remarkable return to Australian football by winning the Johnny Warren Medal for player of the season.
Burns became the first Australian to the win the award since team-mate Joel Griffiths won it at the Newcastle Jets in 2007-08. The 27-year-old signed for Ernie Merrick’s Wellington Phoenix in June and scored 13 goals as he helped the Phoenix to a fourth placed finish.
His superb form shown in the first half of the season earned him a spot in Ange Postecoglou’s winning Asian Cup squad in January and also gained overseas interest from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenua. The former AEK Athens forward also won Wellington’s player of the season.
The ex Adelaide forward spoke of how proud he was to win the award from his peers.
“That’s one of the most important things. The players you train with or play against have voted for me so it means a lot,” Burns said.
Some will argue that Burns did not deserve the award. He failed to produce the same form that saw him return to the national team for the first time since 2012, netting just three goals in the second half of the campaign. Victory attacker Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Sydney FC duo Marc Janko and Milos Dimitrijevic were among the candidates for the award with the former considered favourite due to a consistent season in which he scored five and made a league high 10 assists.
However, he won 577 votes from his fellow A-League players, beating Adelaide duo Marcelo Carrusca (366) and Sergio Cirio (245) and Victory duo Kosta Barbarouses (277) and favourite Khalfallah who only won 307.
Melbourne Victory earned early bragging rights ahead of this week’s grand final, beating Sydney FC head coach Graham Arnold to win Manager of the Year. Jimmy Jeggo beat the likes of Brisbane Roar’s Brandon Borello and Perth Glory’s Jamie Maclaren to win Young Player of the Year and Sydney FC’s Austrian forward Janko took out the Golden Boot with 16 goals.
Tarek Elrich won the goal of the season for his Round 27 goal against Melbourne City. Elrich received the ball 65 metres out from his opponent’s goal before dribbling the ball up the field, evading a couple of challenges before tucking the ball under the legs of City goalkeeper Tando Velaphi.
The award for National Youth League player of the year was split between Sydney’s George Blackwood and Western Sydney’s Liam Youlley.
With the Matildas’ World Cup team to be named tomorrow, Newcastle Jet midfielder Emily van Egmond furthered her claims by winning the Julie Dolan Medal for the best player in the W-League while her coach Peter McGuinness won coach of the year despite his side missing out on the finals.
For the second time in his career, Jarred Gillet won the A-League’s referee of the season award.
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