Town duo Cameron Burgess and Massimo Luongo are among the nominees for the 2024 Austraffic PFA Men’s Footballer of the Year award.
The four Austraffic PFA Footballer of the Year Awards - men’s, women’s and two young player gongs - consider players’ performances in the A-Leagues and Australians playing overseas between June 2023 and June 2024.
The nominees are selected by an expert panel featuring former professional players and members of the media with the winners chosen via a PFA member vote and announced during the international break in September.
Burgess and Luongo are nominated alongside Tolgay Arslan (Melbourne City), Jackson Irvine (St Pauli), Brian Kaltak (Central Coast Mariners), Josh Nesbit (Central Coast Mariners), Mat Ryan (AZ Alkmaar) and Adam Taggart (Perth Glory).
The pair were regulars in the Town side which won promotion to the Premier League in the Blues’ first year back in the Championship, while Burgess has established himself as a regular member of the Socceroos’ squad. Luongo won a recall to Graham Arnold’s side late last year, but subsequently announced his international retirement.
"Australia’s footballers continue to inspire with their performances on the international, continental and domestic stages,” PFA co-chief executive Kathryn Gill said regarding the nominees in all categories.
"In the past year, our Matildas achieved Australia’s highest-ever FIFA World Cup finish, while a fresh and exciting generation is emerging during a new era for the Socceroos.
"In the A-Leagues, the consistent display of talent from players like Adam Taggart, Josh Nisbet, Daniela Galic, and Michelle Heyman has ensured that fans of Australian football enjoy high-quality and entertaining matches in our domestic leagues and players enjoy a crucial platform into our national teams.
"Overseas, a number of the nominees played pivotal roles in promoting their clubs into the top tiers of European leagues, won silverware and achieved personal success at the highest levels of club football.
"We congratulate all the nominees and look forward to awarding the winners in September.”
The Austraffic PFA Footballer of the Year Awards have been awarded annually since 2009, when former Socceroo Tim Cahill won the inaugural PFA Men’s Footballer of the Year. The PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year was introduced the following season, which was won by Servet Uzunlar in 2010.