The National Soccer League Player of the Year was an annual soccer award present to the most outstanding player in Australia's National Soccer League. The award was established in the NSL's first season in 1977 and it ran until 1989. The following season it was replaced by the Johnny Warren Medal.
The inaugural winner was Jimmy Rooney of Marconi, who finished second that season. The last winner of the award was Zlatko Nastevski, who played for table-toppers Marconi when he won the award. Bobby Russell and Frank Farina are the only people to have won the award twice.
From 1977 until 1985 the vote was purely done by referees. Then, between 1986 and 1988, two winners were announced, one voted by the referees and one voted by the players. In 1989, it was only the players voting.
Winners SeasonPlayerNationalityClubRef1977Marconi1978Newcastle United1979Marconi1980Brisbane Lions1981Adelaide City1982Sydney Olympic1983Sydney City1984Adelaide City1985West Adelaide1986 South Melbourne*Sydney Croatia1987Brunswick Juventus*Marconi1988South Melbourne* Marconi1989Marconi * Player-voted award Referee-voted award
Multiple winners AwardsPlayerTeamSeasons2 Bobby RussellAdelaide City / South Melbourne1981, 19862 Frank FarinaMarconi1987, 1988
Awards won by club ClubWinsMarconiAdelaide CitySouth MelbourneBrisbane LionsBrunswick JuventusNewcastle UnitedSydney CitySydney CroatiaSydney OlympicWest Adelaide
References