30 Apr 2009

Strikers big winners in football awards

7:24 am on 30 April 2009

The All Whites striker Shane Smeltz and 15-year-old Football Ferns forward Rosie White were the big winners at the Football Awards luncheon in Auckland while New Zealand's newest Premiership player Chris Wood was also honoured.

Smeltz is Player of the Year for the second year running, while White won the Young Women's Player of the Year title with hat-tricks at both the Under-17 and Under -20 Women's World Cups.

She and Smeltz also won Oceania Confederation Player of the Year awards while the Junior Football Ferns were Team of the Year with their coach John Herdman getting the coaching award.

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Ali Riley won the women's award and the West Bromwich Albion striker Chris Wood won the Young Men's Player of the Year award.