The Australian Football Awards (AFA) are now open for nominations of football’s “stars” of the grassroots game.
There are football “stars” in every suburb and town across Australia. They are the volunteers who run the clubs, the coaches who run the teams and the helpers who run everywhere in between.
There are also “star” teams, who make their mark with outstanding sporting and community spirit or generous charity efforts.
The Australian Football Awards (AFA) are now open for nominations of football-s “stars” of the grassroots game.
The annual awards are held by Football Federation Australia (FFA) to recognise the outstanding achievements and contributions of individuals, groups and teams in the football family.
The unique format of the AFAs sees these grassroots stars acknowledged on the same night as players representing Australia at the highest international level.
There are three main categories in the AFA Awards:
- The general awards category includes FFA Medal and Community Service Award. The FFA Medal is the most prestigious award available while the Community Service Award is an award for a member of the Australian football community who has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian community outside football.
- The professional category includes FFA Footballer of the Year and FFA U20 Footballer of the Year awards for both male and female players who have demonstrated excellence on the field, outstanding contribution and professionalism off the field, while the non professional category includes a volunteer, coach, referee and team award.
- Team of the Year Award is open to any team which is part of a club registered with FFA, across all age groups.
The football family may nominate online by visiting www.footballaustralia.com.au/footballawards until 5.00pm AEST on Friday 5 October.
“The Australian Football Awards are a fabulous showcase of the game, from those contributing at the grassroots to the great Australian players on the international stage,” said FFA CEO Ben Buckley.
“The nomination process and the awards night bring so many outstanding examples of sporting spirit and selfless contribution to the game.
“I encourage football people to nominate the individuals and teams in their community clubs who have made an outstanding contribution in the past year.”
The winners of the 2012 Australian Football Awards will be announced at a special gala event in late November. This is the 4th year the Awards have been held.
Note: The AFA professional awards are determined by an expert judging panel. Votes are received from National team, Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League coaching staff members. National Youth League coaches will also be involved in preparing the U20 Footballer of the Year shortlist.