Brisbane Roar players Nick D’Agostino and Gabe Marzano and have earned awards for their efforts in the PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland competition this year.
D’Agostino, who represented Australia at Under 17 and Under-21 levels this year, was awarded Young Player of the Year for his efforts with the Brisbane Roar Youth team in the Senior Men’s competition.
Marzano, who joined the Roar’s Westfield W-League squad this season, was named Most Valuable Player in the Open Women’s for her efforts while playing for The Gap FC.
D’Agostino and Marzano will be joined with other PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland award winners to be congratulated on the field prior to tomorrow night’s Hyundai A-League match between the Roar and Adelaide United.
The other award winners are: Senior Men’s – Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player – Graham Fyfe (Redlands United); Safe Hands – Brendan White (Redlands United). Open Women’s – Golden Boot – Deeanna Thompson (Palm Beach SC); Safe Hands – Bianca Warrener (Palm Beach SC); Young Player of the Year – Kiri Dale (Palm Beach SC).
Although D’Agostino (below) made only nine appearances for Brisbane Roar Youth this season, the 17-year-old striker proved a constant threat to opposition defences and delivered seven goals.
He said he hopes the recognition will help him replicate the progression of previous Young Player of the Year recipients – 2013 recipient Kenneth Dougall (Brisbane City) currently plays professionally in the Netherlands and last year’s winner Braedyn Crowley (Northern Fury) earned a Hyundai A-League debut with Newcastle Jets last season.
“I feel privileged and honoured to win the award and seeing those names that have won it before me – you know that it really means a lot,” D’Agostino said.
He also acknowledged previous standouts for Young Roar in PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland who advanced to the Hyundai A-League – including Brandon Borrello, Devante Clut, Shannon Brady and Jai Ingham.
“I hope I can do the same as they have and emulate them and achieve the best I can do like they have.”
“It’s always good to win awards but really you just do what you can to help the team – work hard every day in training and hopefully that pays off both on the field and off the field.”
Marzano (below, right) says her honour is as much a team award as an individual accolade.
The 23 year-old attacking midfielder won the award as a key member of a The Gap Women team that won the Premiership-Championship double in the competition’s inaugural season.
She scored 18 goals in 20 appearances across the regular season and Final Series.
“No matter who gets the individual MVP award, most of the credit has to go to the team at the end of the day,” Marzano said.
“I’m just one of the players on the field in that team and I work very hard to complement the team and do my job.”
Marzano scored her first Westfield W-League goal for the Roar in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
She said the standard of PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Women’s football was very high and that was reflected in the number of players who progressed to the Westfield W-League this season.
“The amount of talent we have in this state is phenomenal and the competition has serious potential to be up there with the standard of the W-League,” she said.
“There’s eleven players who were in the NPL now at the Roar, at Canberra United and at Adelaide United.”
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