After 30 rounds of football, Football Queensland is pleased to announce the 2019 NPL Queensland Team of the Season (TOTS), featuring many of the standout players who entertained throughout the year.
How are players selected?
Throughout the season, Football Queensland (FQ) collected coaches’ votes to determine Team of the Week (TOTW) each round. Coaches selected three opposition players each game in the style of a 3-2-1.
At the conclusion of the 2019 regular NPL Queensland season, head coaches also submitted their Team of the Season selections, featuring the best 11 players of the season in their opinion.
In addition to coaches, NPL Queensland commentators Simon Smale and Rafe Griffin also submitted their Team of the Season selections, featuring the best 11 players of the season in their opinion.
For the following TOTS, player selection was based on a combination of appearances in both the weekly Team of the Week and coach/commentator Team of the Season submissions.
Read more below to find out how each player earned their spot in the 2019 NPL Queensland Team of the Season.
STARTING XI:
Bon Scott (Brisbane Strikers): Brisbane Strikers shot stopper Bon Scott had an outstanding season, keeping six clean sheets and earning two nominations in the Saves of the Month competition. The 22-year-old made an appearance in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week on three (3) occasions.
Tommy Jarrard (Lions FC): The Lions centre-back was instrumental in his side’s Premiership winning season, featuring in every game and helping them keep 13 clean sheets during the season. The 20-year-old defender earned a position in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week five (5) times in 2019.
Oskar Dillon (Gold Coast Knights): The Knights defender had a brilliant season, contributing to 12 clean sheets for his side and scoring two goals in the regular season, including 97th minute equaliser against Olympic FC in Round 15. Dillon also scored a free kick goal in the Grand Final against Olympic in a moment he will be sure to remember. The 20-year-old defender featured in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week three (3) times this year.
Matthew Schmidt (Gold Coast Knights): The Knights left-back played in every match this year, scoring three goals and helping his side keep 14 clean sheets. The 23-year-old attacking fullback featured in the NPL Team of the Week on four (4) occasions.
Danny Kim (Lions FC): The Lions holding midfielder played an integral role in the heart of the midfield for his Premiership-winning side, contributing to all of their 13 clean sheets. Kim was also a key player in Lions’ style of playing the ball out from the backs, and featured in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week six (6) times.
Max Brown (Gold Coast Knights): The Knights attacking midfielder was another key member of the Grand Final winning side, scoring 13 goals throughout the season and featuring in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week on five (5) occasions.
Mitch Hore (Lions FC): After missing the first eight games of the season, Hore still managed to have a significant impact for his side, scoring seven goals and providing a number of assists for his teammates. The Lions playmaker featured in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week five (5) times.
Tom Strickland (Peninsula Power): The 2018 FQPL Team of the Season member carried his sensational form into the 2019 NPL Queensland season, scoring 10 goals and playing a part in a number of his team’s goals. The attacking midfielder made seven (7) Team of the Week appearances.
Alex Smith (Olympic FC): Featuring an equal-best eight (8) times in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week, the Olympic playmaker was key to his side’s attack, scoring 18 goals and pushing through injuries to help his side qualify for the 2019 NPL Grand Final.
Chris Lucas (Olympic FC): Returning to Queensland this year after spending four years in Victoria, the 2019 Golden Boot runner-up had an incredible season, scoring 27 goals in 27 appearances. Lucas made the NPL Queensland Team of the Week six (6) times in 2019.
Andy Pengelly (Brisbane Strikers): The 22-year-old striker had a record-breaking season, scoring 41 goals in 26 matches to claim the 2019 Golden Boot award. It’s no surprise that Pengelly was one of the leading NPL Queensland Team of the Week members, featuring eight (8) times throughout the season.
SUBS:
Mitchell Wright (Magpies Crusaders United): The Magpies Crusaders keeper was a standout for his side this season and was a key factor in their NPL Queensland survival. Wright featured in the Team of the Week on six (6) occasions and won the June edition of Saves of the Month with his incredible triple save effort against SWQ Thunder.
Michael McGowan (Brisbane Strikers): The fearless centre-back appeared in the Team of the Week on five (5) occasions as his solid defensive efforts didn’t go unnoticed by opposition coaches throughout the season
Dean Briggs (Peninsula Power): Despite missing the first 13 games of the season through injury, Briggs came out firing, scoring 17 goals in 16 matches to become his side’s top goalscorer and earning himself a spot in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week five (5) times in 2019.
Jez Lofthouse (Olympic FC): The 2018 Young Player of the Year continued his standout form in 2019, scoring eight goals and featuring in the Team of the Week on five (5) occasions. The dynamic forward also played a vital role in his side making back-to-back Grand Final appearances, scoring the winning goal in this year’s Semi Final against Lions FC.
Marek Madle (Lions FC): The Lions FC front man continued his scoring spree in 2019, netting 20 goals in 28 matches to earn himself a spot in the NPL Queensland Team of the Week seven (7) times.
