Lujic player of the year, Taylor coach of the year at Gold Medal night

Last night Milos Lujic picked up the FFV Gold Medal for the NPL's player of the year award. The most recent South player before him to win that award was of course Fernando De Moraes back in 2010. Lujic also collected the golden boot trophy for the second year in a row, as well as the player's player of the year. Chris Taylor rounded out what was a good night for South, by winning the NPL coach of the year award. This is the first time that a South coach has won a coach of the year award since Ange Postecoglou took out the prize for the 1997/98 NSL season.

While Oscar Crino was inducted into the Hall of Fame, sadly, my nomination of Cindy Nitsos' photo from the game away to Ballarat didn't win photo of the year, losing out to a photo of South Springvale. Neither did any of the half dozen submissions I made for article of the year - all of them blog posts from here - managed to get up, with David Manuca winning that prize.

De Moraes, Zois pick up awards at Gold Medal night

Congratulations to Peter Zois and Fernando De Moraes for picking up the goalkeeper of the year and the player of the year awards respectivly last night. Peter Zois got better and and better as the season went on, and Fernando clearly had his best season since 2006, a remarkable return to both form and consistency. The last South player to win the goalkeeper of the year award at this level was of course Dean Anastasiadis, who back to back awards in 2005 and 2006. Fernando is perhaps suprisingly the first South player to win the Gold Medal since its inception in 1971 - Jimmy Armstrong and Jim Pyrgolios had both won the Bill Fleming Medal in the 1970s for the media's player of the year, but not the Gold Medal. It takes a little of the edge off the season that's gone past.

Gold Medal Night Results for South

Laura Spiranovic finished runner up to the eventual winner in the Women's Premier League. Ross Thomson of Hume won the men's award with 25 votes. The best placed South players was... Fernando De Moraes, If I had a malfunctioning air-conditioner and a hat, we would be able to recreate the classic skit form the Fallout Boy episode of The Simpsons.