BARBAROUSES, BARRY SWEEP PHOENIX SEASON AWARDS
Defender Mackenzie Barry and forward Kosta Barbarouses have claimed the supreme honours at the Wellington Phoenix awards.
Barry was also named the players' player of the year for the Phoenix women who - like the men - enjoyed their best-ever regular season finish, placing eighth, five points outside the playoffs.
The 23-year-old was a consistent performer at the back in her third A-League season, missing just two of their 22 matches.
She became the first women's player to play 50 matches for Wellington in the team's final match of the season.
"I'm stoked. I'm a bit lost for words," Barry said.
"I'm super proud of everyone in the team and I'm really happy to be receiving this award.
"It's an amazing honour. Unexpected, but I'm really happy with it."
Barbarouses led the record-breaking men's team with 13 goals to claim the golden boot award.
It had been the 34-year-old's second most prolific goalscoring season, taking his career tally to 93, which was fourth all-time in the men's A-League and the most by a New Zealander.
"I'm very, very proud," Barbarouses said.
"I won this award last time I was here after a pretty disappointing season. It feels a lot better to do it when the team's going well.
"I'm a proud Wellingtonian as well so it means … a hell of a lot to me to win this award. I just want to keep helping the club achieve what it deserves to achieve."
Members voted Macey Fraser's stunning free-kick against Western United in round four the women's goal of the season, while Alex Paulsen's peers named the young goalkeeper the men's players' player of the year.
Venezuela international Mariana Speckmaier received the women's golden boot after finding the back of the net 10 times in her maiden A-League season.
Attacking midfielder Ben Old collected the men's goal of the season award for his thunderous strike against Adelaide United in round 19.
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2024-04-30T19:05:43Z dg43tfdfdgfd