Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Rhianna Pollicina have respectively, been crowned the Newcastle Jets A-League and W-League Player of the Year.
The Jets farewelled the 2020/21 season on Friday at their annual awards night, held at McDonald Jones Stadium.
W-League coach Ash Wilson said; “Mini consistently brought passion and competitiveness to training and games.
“She is a highly technical player with great awareness which saw her trouble defences and create opportunities for teammates, as well as score a couple of times herself.
“Coming back into the W-League after a few seasons out, Mini worked hard to take her opportunities and showed great pride in representing the Newcastle Jets which contributed to a number of impressive performances for the Club.”
A-League coach Craig Deans said; “He is a wonderful leader and consistent player. In a difficult year, he is someone who is reliable in every training session and game. He has a wonderful attitude.
“He sets a wonderful example for every player. It’s invaluable for the team and me as a coach. His football ability speaks for itself but the stuff off the field and behind the scenes has been enormous for the Club.”
With Simon Hill hosting the event which saw the Men and Women of Football launch the Craig Johnston medal for the men’s player of the year, the Club also acknowledged its rising stars.
Archie Goodwin and Tessa Tamplin claimed those honours.
It was also announced that as of next season, the men’s player of the year award will be named after retiring captain Nigel Boogaard.
The full list of award winners can be found below:
AWARD WINNERS
A-League Player of the Year – Nikolai Topor-Stanley
W-League Player of the Year – Rhianna Pollicina
Craig Johnston medal presented by the Men and Women of Football – Angus Thurgate
Cheryl Salisbury Dedication award presented by the Men and Women of Football – Hannah Brewer
A-League Golden Boot – Roy O’Donovan
W-League Golden Boot – Tara Andrews
A-League Rising Star – Archie Goodwin
W-League Rising Star – Tessa Tamplin
Members A-League Player of the Year – Nikolai Topor-Stanley
Members W-League Player of the Year – Tara Andrews
A-League Player of the Year Nominees: Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Angus Thurgate and John Koutroumbis
W-League Player of the Year Nominees: Rhianna Pollicina, Sunny Franco and Tara Andrews
In addition to the awards for this season, the Jets confirmed the winners from the previous season with COVID denying the Club an awards night.
The winners for the 2019/20 season were:
2019/20 A-League Player of the Year – Steve Ugarkovic
2019/20 W-League Player of the Year – Cassidy Davis
