In 2000, New Zealand Soccer, the game's governing body, cocked a snook at the New Zealand Soccer Media Association by opting to hold their own awards evening, primarily to recognise the achievers in the National League.
To add insult to injury, the national body opted to hold the dinner on the eve of the Chatham and SWANZ Cup Finals, traditionally the night when the NZSMA held the event they had introduced to the New Zealand footballing calendar in 1970 ...
While the NZSMA was forced to switch their event to the eve of the National League Grand Final, another ludicrous situation developed - yours truly found myself in contention for six awards!!
Of the Soccer Media honours, I was among the hopefuls for Soccer Writer of the Year, Club Programme of the Year, Club Magazine of the Year and the Jim McMullan Trophy, while I was a final nominee in both the NZ Soccer Media Personality of the Year and NZ Soccer Service to the Game awards.
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It's an honour in itself to even be nominated for the last-mentioned honour or the Jim McMullan Trophy, as both are highly prestigious awards which recognise an individual's contribution to the game. To be among the final nominees for both ... wow!!
In the end, I was more than happy to return home with the Club Magazine of the Year trophy, as Editor of the best club publication for the third time in five years. But what a crazy situation to find oneself in - in contention for an unprecedented six awards in one season ...
Perhaps it was an omen for what happened between February 25 and August 24, 2001 ... perhaps this will remind you!
Meanwhile, common sense prevailed in 2001, with NZS and the NZSMA getting together again to hold what proved a highly successful combined awards dinner. Following are the NZS awards details - where the awards were replicated, details of the winner can be found on the NZSMA Honours List.
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Year
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Player
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Players' Player
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Women's Player
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Young Player
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National League Club
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Fair Play Award
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2000
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Commins Menapi
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Commins Menapi
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Ben Sigmund
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Napier City Rovers
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Dunedin Technical & Metro
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2001
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Jeremy Seales
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Napier City Rovers
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Central United
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2002
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Tauranga City United
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Manawatu
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2003
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Canterbury United
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Miramar Rangers
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2004-15
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2016
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Chris Wood
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Annalie Longo
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Sam Brotherton
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2017
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Chris Wood
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Rebekah Stott
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Clayton Lewis
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2018
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Chris Wood
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Betsy Hassett
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Liberato Cacace
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2019
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Chris Wood
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Rebekah Stott
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Sarpreet Singh
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2021
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Chris Wood
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Ria Percival
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Liberato Cacace
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2022
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not presented
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not presented
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not presented
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2023
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Chris Wood
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Katie Bowen
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Marko Stamenic
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Year
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Coach
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Referee
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Media Person
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NZF Merit Award
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NZF Service to the Game
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NZF Team
of the Year
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2000
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Clive Campbell
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Bruce Grimshaw
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Andrew Dewhurst
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Charlie Dempsey
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Eileen Langridge
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first presented 2006
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2001
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2002
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Jeremy Ruane
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2003
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Jason Pine
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2004
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Glen Price
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2005
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2006
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Vaughan Coveny
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All Whites
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2007
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Waitakere United
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2008
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Junior Ferns
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2009
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Auckland City FC;
Brent Best;
Mike Hester;
Jan-Hendrik Hintz;
Peter O'Leary
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All Whites
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2010
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Jacqui Stephenson
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All Whites
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2011
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Jan-Hendrik Hintz & Peter O'Leary
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Junior All Whites (U17s)
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2012-15
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||||||
2016
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Jose Figueira
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Matt Conger
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Team Wellington
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2017
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Hiroshi Miyazawa
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Matt Conger
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Youth All Whites (U20s)
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2018
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Leon Birnie
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Matt Conger
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Young Ferns
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2019
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Des Buckingham
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Matt Conger and Anne-Marie Keighley
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Youth All Whites (U20s)
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2021
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Danny Hay
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Matt Conger and Anne-Marie Keighley
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OlyWhites (U23s)
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2022
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not presented
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not presented
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not presented
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2023
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Darren Bazeley
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Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh and Anne-Marie Keighley
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Football Ferns
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Year
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Futsal Player
of the Year
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Futsal Coach
of the Year
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Futsal Referee
of the Year
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Futsal Women's Player of the Year
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Futsal Team
of the Year
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2017
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Kareem Osman
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Nic Downes
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Chris Sinclair
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Jess Verdon
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U-18 Futsal Ferns
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2018
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Jodi Ditfort
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Marvin Eakins
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Antony Riley
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Shivi Anthony
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Auckland men
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2019
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Dylan Manickum
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Sam Masterson
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Antony Riley and Anna-Marie Keighley
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Maxine Cooper
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Waikato men
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2021
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Mike Antamanov
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Nic Downes
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Chris Sinclair
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Serena Patel
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Auckland City men
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2022
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not presented
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not presented
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not presented
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not presented
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not presented
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2023
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Dylan Manickum
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Marvin Eakins
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Chris Sinclair
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Jordana Bremner
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Futsal Whites
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Year
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Players' Player of the Year
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International Player
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International Young Player
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Women's Players' Player of the Year
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Women's International Player
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Women's International Young Player
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2000
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Simon Elliott
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Chris Killen
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Melissa Ruscoe
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Nicky Smith
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2001
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Ryan Nelsen
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Peter Howe
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Amanda Crawford
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Zoe Thompson
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2002
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Ivan Vicelich
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David Mulligan
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Rachel Oliver
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Priscilla Duncan
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2003
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Ryan Nelsen
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Steven Old
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Nicky Smith
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Priscilla Duncan
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2004
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Vaughan Coveny
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Tony Lochhead
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Amber Hearn
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Hayley Moorwood
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2005
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Ryan Nelsen
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Steven Old
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Simone Ferrara
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Kirsty Yallop
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2006
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Ryan Nelsen
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Chris James
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Ali Riley
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Ali Riley
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2007
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Shane Smeltz
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Jacob Spoonley
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Rebecca Smith
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Abby Erceg
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2008
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Shane Smeltz
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Christopher Wood
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Ali Riley
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Rosie White
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2009
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Ryan Nelsen
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Christopher Wood
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Ali Riley
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Rosie White
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2010
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Ryan Nelsen
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Tommy Smith
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Ali Riley
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Olivia Chance
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2011
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Winston Reid
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Winston Reid
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Christopher Wood
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Abby Erceg
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Ali Riley
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Hannah Wilkinson
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2000
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Martin Akers, Jeremy Brown, Paul Bunbury, Aaron Burgess, Jeff Campbell, Perry Cotton, Jimmy Cudd, Simon Eaddy, Chris McIvor, Commins Menapi, Ross Nicholson, Graham Pearce, Gareth Rowe, Blair Scoullar, Ben Sigmund, Jonathan Taylor
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2001
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Daniel Aliaga, Campbell Banks, James Bannatyne, Paul Bunbury, Tim Butterfield, Jimmy Cudd, Simon Eaddy, Thomas Edge, Graham Little, Nick Longley, Miro Major, Graham Pearce, Michael Ridenton, Jeremy Seales, Ben Sigmund, Jonathan Taylor
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2002
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Mark Beldham, Tim Butterfield, Jamie Duncan, Simon Eaddy, Jeremy Field, Andy Hedge, Graham Little, Nick Longley, Chris McIvor, James Pamment, Scott Pilcher, Ben Sigmund, Sanjay Singh, Shane Smeltz, Jonathan Taylor
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2003
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Andy Boyens, Tim Butterfield, Sean Douglas, Sean Dowling, Andy Essler, Davis Haule, Graham Little, Chris McIvor, Miro Major, Mark Paston, Rupert Ryan, Ben Sigmund, Sanjay Singh, Craig Smith, Kara Waetford
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2010
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James Bannatyne, George Barbarouses, Jake Butler, Andy Coburn, Chad Coombes, Adam Cowan, Greg Draper, Brent Fisher, Jason Hayne, Ian Hogg, Russell Kamo, Tom Lancaster, Adam McGeorge, Tim Myers, Allan Pearce, Jason Rowley, Jacob Spoonley, Seule Soromon
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Danny Robinson (Waitakere United & Waikato FC); James Pritchett (Auckland City), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), Danny Hay (Waitakere United), Ian Hogg (Auckland City, Waitakere United & Hawkes Bay United); Chris Bale (Waitakere United, Team Wellington & Auckland City), Albert Riera (Auckland City), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United); Roy Krishna (Waitakere United & Auckland City), Keryn Jordan (Waitakere United & Auckland City), Benjamin Totori (Youngheart Manawatu & Waitakere United)
Substitutes: Ross Nicholson (Auckland City & Youngheart Manawatu); Ben Sigmund (Auckland City & Canterbury United); Jake Butler (Waitakere United); Allan Pearce (Waitakere United); Grant Young (Auckland City)
Coach: Allan Jones
Player of the Decade: Keryn Jordan
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