Mackenzie Barry and Kosta Barbarouses have claimed the supreme honours at the Wellington Phoenix awards night in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
Barry and Barbarouses have been crowned the Spark and OPPO players of the year at the InterContinental Hotel following the women’s and men’s best ever A-League regular seasons.
Barry, who was also named the women’s players’ player of the year, was a rock at the back for the Nix in her third A-League season, missing just two of the women’s 22 matches.
She became the first women’s player to play 50 matches for Wellington in the team’s final match of the season.
“I’m stoked. I’m a bit lost for words,” Barry said when asked how it feels to be the player of the year.
“I’m super proud of everyone in the team and I’m really happy to be receiving this award.
“It’s an amazing honour. Unexpected, but I’m really happy with it.”
Barbarouses led the record-breaking men’s team with 13 goals to claim the golden boot award and was also named the men’s player of the year by media.
It has been the 34-year-old’s second most prolific goalscoring season and he’s taken his career tally to 93, which is fourth all-time in the men’s A-League and the most by a New Zealander.
“I’m very, very proud,” Barbarouses said.
“I won this [player of the year] award last time I was here after a pretty disappointing season. It feels a lot better to do it when the team’s going well.
“I’m a proud Wellingtonian as well so it means…a hell of a lot to me to win this award. I just want to keep helping the club achieve what it deserves to achieve.”
A number of other players were recognised for the roles they played in helping the women’s and men’s teams to their highest point tallies.
Academy graduates Macey Fraser and Alex Paulsen swept the members’ awards, named the under-23 and overall players of the year.
Members also voted Fraser’s stunning free-kick against Western United in round four the women’s goal of the season, while Paulsen’s peers named the young goalkeeper the men’s players’ player of the year.
Venezuela international Mariana Speckmaier received the women’s golden boot after finding the back of the net 10 times in her maiden A-League season and she was also named the women’s player of the year by media.
Attacking midfielder Ben Old collected the men’s goal of the season award for his thunderous strike against Adelaide United in round 19, and Ella McMillan and Lukas Kelly-Heald were named the academy players of the year.
Capping the night chairman Rob Morrison announced general manager David Dome as the recipient of the Lloyd Morrison Spirit of the Phoenix award in recognition of his years of hard work and dedication to the club.
Morrison and Dome were also presented with special framed shirts by Capital Football diversity and inclusion officer Jess McFadyen for their support of the award-winning Football For All programme.
Wellington Phoenix 2023-24 season award winners:
Fan of the year – Holly Eades
Volunteers of the year – Christoph Zintl & Jo Todd
Academy staff member of the year – Chris Greenacre
Members’ under-23 players of the year – Macey Fraser & Alex Paulsen
Members’ players of the year – Macey Fraser & Alex Paulsen
Women’s goal of the year – Macey Fraser (Rd 4 vs Western United)
Men’s goal of the year – Ben Old (Rd 19 vs Adelaide United)
Golden boots – Mariana Speckmaier (10) & Kosta Barbarouses (13)
Media players of the year – Mariana Speckmaier & Kosta Barbarouses
Academy players of the year – Ella McMillan & Lukas Kelly-Heald
Women’s players’ player of the year – Mackenzie Barry
Men’s players’ player of the year – Alex Paulsen
Spark & OPPO women’s player of the year – Mackenzie Barry
Spark & OPPO men’s player of the year – Kosta Barbarouses
Lloyd Morrison Spirit of the Phoenix award – David Dome
