The Top 20 players from Darwin’s Men’s Premier League season
From an Australia Cup record breaker to multiple teenage stars, these are the Top 20 Men’s Premier League players from season 2022.
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It’s been another big season of Men’s Premier League football with Mindil Aces to play Hellenic in the grand final next weekend.
Aces edged out Darwin Hearts 2-1 while Hellenic got the better of Casuarina in a penalty shootout in the semi finals on Friday night.
However, after 21 rounds of NT Football, who have been the best players of 2022?
The NT News have spoken to the coaches and independent observers to gauge who have been the regular season’s best.
In no particular order we bring you the best from each club.
TOP 20 PLAYERS FROM SEASON 2022
Josh Lagudah
Club: Mindil Aces
A new recruit for the 2022 season, Lagudah was a goalkeeper in the US before landing in the Territory.
Coach Daniel McCormick described Lagudah as a “monster in the midfield” with the Aces not registering a single loss this year while he was in the team.
Barnaby Wood
Club: Mindil Aces
Described by McCormick as a “superstar coming through the ranks” the just-turned 15-year-old made headlines when he became the youngest player to take part in an Australia Cup fixture — which the Aces lost to Avonadale 6-0 in July.
McCormick said Wood had played the most amount of matches in the Premier team this season with 17 games, and is reportedly on the radar of several Melbourne-based clubs.
Tayvian Ludvigsen
Club: Mindil Aces
The “main man up front”, Ludvigsen is known as an unselfish striker at the Aces, kicking four goals from his 16 games while providing nine assists in 2022 for his teammates.
A big bodied player, Ludvigsen is a key physical element of the Aces set up.
Raoel Yakub
Club: Casuarina
Coach Lee Addison said the midfielder, who had slotted 12 goals this season, had been “pretty much outstanding” in 2022.
“He’s energetic, forward thinking, forward minded, constantly wanting to better the club and drive others to get the better,” Addison said.
Gordon Pereira
Club: Casuarina
The Premier League club captain has been a fantastic leader on and off the pitch, who has stepped up as a leader after the tragic death of senior assistant Marvin Wilding.
“He was a massive loss to the club at the start of the season,” Addison said.
He remarked that Pereira had been very influential at Casuarina in 2022, especially with the new batch of teenagers coming through.
“He just wants the best for the club in the future,” he said.
Charles Aidoo
Club: Casuarina
The teenager, who arrived in the Territory with his brother to study, has complemented the club’s wealth of goal scoring options in 2022.
With six for the season, he is among the Men’s Premier League’s Top 11 for the year, while also serving the team in the midfield.
Coach Addison said Aidoo was a constantly energetic and vocal presence who wanted the ball at his feet and had produced some “unbelievable” goals.
“When he gets the ball he’s magical,” he said.
“I found him in positions where I’d think: ‘What are you doing there?’ And then it’s in the back of the net.”
“He’s the future of the club.”
Imam Mukhlis
Club: Casuarina
Mukhlis has been a tremendous contributor for Casuarina in 2022, either as a midfielder or striker with four goals for the season, or simply guiding the club’s reserves.
In fact, some days he would run from a reserves game to a Men’s Premier League fixture to take the field.
Deeply religious, a quintessential family with a strong sense of egalitarianism, Mukhlis has been an invaluable asset.
“He’s done everything, above and beyond what a player should do,” Addison said.
Nick Stefanidakis
Club: Hellenic
Stefanidakis, who won the league’s best player award, was a logical inclusion.
The 17-year-old midfielder became a key player in the Hellenic set up, with his work in the middle catching the attention of keen league observers across his 17 games.
He also produced three goals and seven assists.
Matthew McNab
Club: Hellenic
McNab was a clear shot at making the list after his contribution of 16 goals netted him the Golden Boot award as the season’s highest goal scorer.
Among his best moments was a hat-trick against University Azzurri in a match where his side had to claw back from 0-3 down to win 5-3.
Even more impressive was that his 20-game stint came in his first season back after two surgeries.
Alex Turner
Club: Hellenic
For the third year in a row, Hellenic have enjoyed the best defence in the league conceding only 21 goals.
The club captain has been a large part of that statistic, forming important partnerships with goal keeper and Golden Glove winner Kane McAdam and fellow defender Tega Adjeke.
He has also managed to score two goals from his 19 appearances.
Sulav Maskey
Club: Darwin Hearts
Maskey is Hearts’ most influential figure who makes his teammates more confident just by his mere presence.
Has also scored the most goals for his club this season with seven from 16 games.
Humbleman Mbukana
Club: Darwin Hearts
The club’s second most prolific scorer in 2022 with six majors, Mbukana often brings out the best in others in the forward half.
Also the club’s paciest player, Mbukana was within the top 15 goal scorers this season
Nelson Nheu
Club: Darwin Hearts
A commanding and experienced goal keeper, Nheu has been a supportive, motivating and guiding influence for Hearts this season.
Mitchell Amidy
Club: Darwin Olympic
Amidy, known as “Mr. Olympic”, and the club captain, amassed 14 goals and five assists for the season, ranking in the league’s top five for both benchmarks, and only a single goal behind the league’s top scorer.
The striker leads from the front, bringing his teammates into the contest.
And having crossed the 400-goal milestone this season, the one-club man continues to go from strength to strength.
Louis Da Costa
Club: Darwin Olympic
Da Costa is a livewire winger for the Reds who had a more than commendable return to the side in 2022.
With seven goals and three assists to his name, he contributes week-in, week-out with his darting runs down the edge and a lethal left foot.
His trickery often leaves defenders in awe and those who get close are often left behind for skill, quickly making him a fan favourite.
Christiano Da Costa
Club: Darwin Olympic
An outstanding servant to the club who has worked his way up the ranks from reserves grade to cementing his place as a mainstay in the Men’s Premier League team.
The sweeping centre half may not possess the tallest stature, but his tactical reading of the game and blistering pace makes him a tough defender to beat.
Being able to play the ball long, dribble through traffic and provide a killer pass are all characteristics he has shown each and every week.
Adil Saeed
Club: University Azzurri
Playing in the Men’s Premier League for the first time, the 16-year-old had been incredibly durable, taking to the pitch in almost every Azzurri game in 2022.
Coach John Kassaras said the centre was “mixing it with the best of them all season” and had been a key addition this season.
Xavier Meehan-Lee
Club: University Azzurri
Another 16-year-old who has dominated in the midfield for University, Kassaras said his young charge had been an intense, energetic player, with elite ball skills who had managed to score a few goals.
Meehan-Lee also won the Under 16 Golden Boot award last season.
Alejandro Diaz
Club: Port Darwin
Athletic, strong and skilful, the attacking midfielder made the step up from the Division 1 Men’s competition to finish as Port Darwin’s top scorer with four goals in the top flight.
Adding to his season’s offensive credentials, he also scored twice in the FFA Cup.
The Venezuelan is at his best when running down the wing, targeting the opposition’s defenders.
Jacob Gittens
Club: Port Darwin
A dynamic leftback has become a mainstay at the top level of NT football.
Consistently one of the side’s best performers, Gittens defends wholeheartedly and is also a great attacking threat with the ball.
He showed his versatility playing in multiple positions when needed and scored two goals across the season.
Gittens epitomises Port Darwin, captaining the side on multiple occasions while coaching the Under 16s side.
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