A-League bosses have praised Melbourne Victory defender Daniel Georgievski for becoming the first A-League player to be nominated for the prestigious Frownlow Medal.
Georgievski earned his nomination following an altercation with a Brisbane Roar fan after his side’s 2-1 loss in the elimination final at Suncorp Stadium.
The nomination marks a milestone for the A-League which has always faced very strong opposition from NRL and AFL players who continue to be nominated for the award on a regular basis.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. The first medal was awarded to Sydney Roosters and New Zealand representative Shaun Kenny-Dowall in 2015.
“Daniel put his hand up – actually he put two hands up during the altercation and, in doing so, he has brought attention and publicity to our code” said an A-League spokesperson.
“We don’t at any stage claim that Daniel is a favourite to win the Frownlow, after all, there were no live animals involved. However, we are now ‘on the board’ as they say in sporting parlance.”
Georgievski will now have an entire off season to see whether he has done enough to secure the 2016 Frownlow Medal.
First published in April 2016.
Image: Nuna
The Frownlow Medal 