Aamir Abdullah and Maja Markovski and Rebecca Saber win NPL Victoria Gold Medals

At a gala Gold Medal awards night, Aamir Abdullah claimed three honours, while Maja Markovski and Rebecca Saber shared the women’s top gong.

NPL Victoria Gold Medal winners.

There were a swag of awards for two of NPL Victoria’s biggest stars.

Hume City forward Aamir Abdullah and Bulleen Lions ace Maja Markovski cleaned up at Friday night’s gala ceremony at Crown Casino.

After a stunning first season at Broadmeadows, Abdullah blitzed a star-studded field to win the NPL Gold Medal with 32 votes.

He pipped City teammate Lloyd Isgrove to the top gong and took home the Players’ Player award and Bill Fleming Medal as the media player of the year as well.

Meanwhile, in a remarkable comeback story, Markovski won the NPL Women’s Gold Medal in a tie with Alamein’s Rebecca Saber on 24 votes.

Aamir Abdullah celebrates a goal for Hume City.

She also claimed the Golden Boot with 20 goals and was awarded the Media Player of the Year too.

Injury threatened Markovski’s career but the support of Lions coach – and NPLW Coach of the Year – Caitlin Friend helped bring her back.

“My coach, Caitie, she’s always been in my corner and believed in me,” Markovski said.

“She’s been the only one to have my back through it all and if not for her I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.

“Honestly, I’m super stoked and excited to receive such an honour.

“Obviously, for me, it was a season of redemption – I had a year off coming off a bad injury run.

“I had the year to reinvent myself as a player and a person and I’m super stoked it’s happened the way it has.”

Markovski helped Bulleen win the Nike Cup and NPLW premiership but fell to eventual champions Heidelberg United in the semi-finals.

A big second half of the season saw Saber storm home to grab a share of the Gold Medal, finishing the year with 18 goals.

“Alamein was mid-table so it was nice to reflect on my personal performance,” Saber said.

“I thought I scored enough goals but this is a huge shock, I didn’t expect to come here and walk away with everything.”

Both Markovski and Saber are first-time winners for their clubs.

In the men’s Hume City’s resurgence under first Cam Watson and then David Chick saw it’s two forwards finish atop the voting.

However, Isgrove’s stunning bicycle kick goal was surprisingly overlooked for Goal of the Year.

Hume captain Josh Bingham has been able to witness Abdullah’s brilliance first-hand this season and said

“He’s had an incredible season, he’s showcased to everyone what a great player he is,” Bingham said.

“What see around the club as well is what a great person he is and I think he’s well deserving of all these awards.

(Abdullah and Isgrove) are match-winners, it’s been incredible to have them as part of our team.

“They’ve shown numerous times this year that they can turn a game on its head with their ability and Aamir has a wonderful left foot.”

Abdullah is Hume City’s third Gold Medallist, following Ross Thompson (2009) and Nick Hegarty (2012, 2016).

After missing finals last year, Hume City reached the NPL semi-final, Dockerty Cup semi-final and Australia Cup quarter-final, losing all three to South Melbourne.

Bingham is hopeful it’s just the start of something special.

“It has been, we’ll count this year as a success,” he said.

“Obviously winning silverware is the main goal and we’re getting closer to that and what we’ve created in the changeroom this year was something special and we’ll look to continue that.”

NPLW Gold Medallists Rebecca Saber and Maja Markovski.

AWARD WINNERS

NPL Gold Medal: Aamir Abdallah (Hume City)

Players’ Player: Aamir Abdallah (Hume City)

Golden Boot: Alex Salmon (Oakleigh Cannons), Harrison Sawyer (South Melbourne)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Javier Lopez (South Melbourne)

Coach of the Year: Esteban Quintas (South Melbourne)

NPLW Gold Medal: Maja Markovski (Bulleen Lions), Rebecca Saber (Alamein)

Players’ Player: Isabel Dehakiz (Bulleen Lions)

Golden Boot: Maja Markovski (Bulleen Lions)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Bethany Mason-Jones (Essendon Royals)  

Coach of the Year: Caitlin Friend (Bulleen Lions)

VPL

VPL1 Best and Fairest: Connor Bell (Preston Lions)

Players’ Player: Dylan Allshorn (Brunswick City)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Bon Scott (Preston Lions)

Coach of the Year: Joe Palatsides (Melbourne Victory)

Golden Boot: Michael Domfeh (Northcote City), Archie MacPhee (Langwarrin)

VPL2 Best and Fairest: Callum Schorah (Goulburn Valley Suns)

Players’ Player: Graham Kelly (Essendon Royals)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Patrick Cristea (Altona City)

Coach of the Year: Zeljko Popovic (Melbourne Srbija)

Golden Boot: Callum Schorah (Goulburn Valley Suns), Prince Jordan Adeyemi (Essendon Royals)

VPLW Best and Fairest: Addison Steiner (Casey Comets)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Brooke Bennett (Ringwood City FC)

Coach of the Year: Liam Drury (Keilor Park SC)

Golden Boot: Addison Steiner (Casey Comets)

Community Awards

Inclusion Award: Footscray Rangers

Female Coach of the Year: Rebecca Berry (Strathfieldsaye Colts United)

Male Coach of the Year: John Topic (Surf Coast)

Volunteer of the Year: Laurel Irvine (Sale United) and Enrico Marrone (Whitehouse United)

Futsal Club of the Year: Fitzroy Tigers Futsal Club

Regional Club of the Year: Wangaratta City

Metropolitan Club of the Year: Collingwood City FC

Female Football Champion of the Year: Michelle Williamson (Melton Phoenix)

Referee Awards

NPLM Referee of the Year: Michael Mammis

NPLW Referee of the Year: Courtney Van Diesen

Female Referee of the Year: Liana Georgiev

Male Referee of the Year: Hengsheng Li

Media Awards

Club Media Award: Hume City 

Bill Fleming Media Award: Aamir Abdallah (Hume City)  

NPLW Media Player of the Year: Maja Markovski (Bulleen Lions)  

Les Shorrock Best Football Image Award: Matthew Johnson