- Fremantle City double up in NPL Gold Medal counts for second successive year
- Charlie Chechlacz romps home in Men’s vote
- Busselton’s Lacey Heys clear winner in Women’s vote
Fremantle City have pulled off an incredible repeat double with the club producing the Men’s and Women’s Gold Medal winners for the second straight year.
Charlie Chechlacz went back-to-back as Men’s Player of the Year, adding to his success from 12 months ago.
And Lacey Heys received the Women’s Gold Medal to go with successive Young Player of the Year awards.
The pair were toasted by their peers at the 2026 New Balance NPL WA Awards, which were held at the Ritz-Carlton on Thursday.
Fremantle City captain Chechlacz became the first person to win consecutive Gold Medals since Daryl Nicol in 2018 and 2019.
The Englishman romped home after receiving a phenomenal 38 votes. That was 16 more than Bayswater City’s title-winning captain Luke Palmateer. Olympic Kingsway striker Liam Boland was third on 21 votes.
“It’s pretty unbelievable, I’m almost lost for words,” Chechlacz said.
A year ago, Chechlacz took out the Gold Medal despite his side only avoiding relegation via the play-offs. It has been a different story in 2026. Freo had a great run to the last 16 in the Hahn Australia Cup and won the State Cup with Chechlacz scoring the winning goal.
The midfielder was quick to praise the impact of summer signings Chad Nilson and Iljas Ahmedov, as well as former Socceroos World Cup player Josh Risdon, who arrived after Round Eight.
“Josh has made a massive difference. He came in the middle of the season and I’m just happy I was able to get some votes on the board early on! To have a player of his stature come in has been great, he’s taken us to a new level,” Chechlacz said.
Chechlacz admitted successive Gold Medals had brought interest from other clubs, but he confirmed he had re-signed with Freo for another year.
“With the coaches, the leadership, the crew and whatnot, everything we’ve got going on, you don’t want to jump off the ship at the minute. Everything’s really good. I love being at Freo,” he said.
Heys’ success in the Women’s Gold Medal count was also convincing. The 17-year-old, in her first season at Fremantle, collected 23 votes, five more than Perth RedStar’s Grace Monteiro. Abbey Meakins of Balcatta Etna was a further vote back.
Heys said: “I feel very, very good … I’m very happy. I just want to give credit to the Freo girls who have helped me win this award. They’ve been so welcoming. And I’ve played under head coach Sam Geddes before (at Hyundai Football West Academy) and full credit to her. She knows my game and helps me to perform.”
Heys represented the WA Women’s State Team against Perth Glory last week, while next season she will play in the Victoria NPL for Melbourne Victory.
“The State Team game was a great experience to test myself against the best in the state and see where I can end up in the future. The Matildas is the end goal, that would be a massive dream come true, but anywhere I’m getting tested and playing football I enjoy is what I want,” she said.
Heys hails from Busselton and hopes her success can help inspire other regional girls.
“Massive shout-out to Andy Longmore, my day-one coach, and a shout-out to mum and dad for doing the amount of driving that they did. I’m proud that I can put football forward for the young girls of Busselton and regional areas so they can see that there’s so much to strive for.”
Other winners on the night included Bayswater City’s Matt Sparrow, who was named Ron Tindall New Balance NPL WA Men’s Coach of the Year after leading his team to a second successive NPL league and Top Four Cup double. Sparrow missed the evening as he was preparing his team for Saturday’s opening game in the Australian Championship.
Peter Rakic of Balcatta Etna won the New Balance NPL WA Women’s Coach of the Year award. Rakic coached Etna to success in the Night Series and CTF State Cup, while reaching the final of the Top Four Cup and finishing runners-up in the league.
Samantha Geddes added to Fremantle’s night of celebration as she was named Women’s Coach of the Year after victory in the New Balance NPL WA Women’s Top Four Cup and a third-place league finish.
Freo striker Tanika Lala won Women’s Goal of the Year for her brilliant turn and shot from outside the box against Hyundai Football West Academy in Round 21.
And Fremantle City took home the $2,000 prize for winning the NPL WA Men’s Fair Play Award.
The NPL WA Women’s Fair Play Award and prize money went to Balcatta Etna.
The Men’s Goal of the Season was won by Armadale’s Luke Desmond for his thunderous half-volley on the run at Western Knights in Round Seven.
Subiaco’s Briana O’Dell was named Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, while Ben Ratajczak of Sorrento FC won the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
The two Golden Boot winners collected their awards – Women’s winner Caitlin Doeglas of Balcatta Etna and Pieter Jacobsz of Perth Azzurri for the Men. This is the third straight year Jacobsz has topped the scoring charts, a feat that has helped earn him a move to A-League Perth Glory.
The Dylan Tombides Male Young Player of the Year Award went to Perth Glory’s Louis Sollitt, with Heys taking the Female Young Player of the Year Award.
Olympic Kingsway’s Enzo Rancatore won the Men’s U18s Troy Bernard Player of the Year award. Thomas Sallis, also of Olympic, took the Men’s U23s Player of the Year, while the Women’s U21 Player of the Year was won by Hyundai Football West Academy’s Olive Wood-Smith.
Martyn Allen of Forrestfield United received the David Schrandt Award for the Administrator of the Year, while the David Cantoni Disabilities in Football Award went to WA Paras and Pararoos player Jenna Reynolds.
Four new Football West Life Members received their accolades from Mr Andrawes – Paul Afkos, Oriano Colli, Carl Duxbury and Conor O’Brien.
– Sherif Andrawes presented the two Gold medals in what was his last NPL Awards as Football West Chair. Mr Andrawes will step down after eight years as Chair and 14 years on the Football West Board.
– Football West would like to thank Deputy Premier and Minister for Sport & recreation Rita Saffioti for attending the 2026 New Balance NPL Awards
2026 New Balance NPL WA Award winners
Men’s Gold Medal
CHARLIE CHECHLACZ (Fremantle City)
Women’s Gold Medal
LACEY HEYS (Fremantle City)
Ron Tindall Award for New Balance NPL WA Men’s Coach of the Year
MATT SPARROW (Bayswater City)
New Balance NPL WA Women’s Coach of the Year
PETER RAKIC (Balcatta Etna)
Women’s Coach of the Year
SAMANTHA GEDDES (Fremantle City)
Dylan Tombides Male Young Player of the Year
LOUIS SOLLITT (Perth Glory)
Female Young Player of the Year Award
LACEY HEYS (Fremantle City)
New Balance NPL WA Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year
BEN RATAJCZAK (Sorrento FC)
New Balance NPL WA Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year
BRIANA O’DELL (Subiaco)
New Balance NPL WA Men’s Golden Boot
PIETER JACOBSZ (Perth Azzurri)
New Balance NPL WA Women’s Golden Boot
CAITLIN DOEGLAS (Balcatta Etna)
New Balance NPL WA Men’s Goal of the Season
LUKE DESMOND (Armadale)
New Balance NPL WA Women’s Goal of the Season
TANIKA LALA (Fremantle City)
New Balance NPL WA Men’s Fair Play Award
FREMANTLE CITY
New Balance NPL WA Women’s Fair Play Award
BALCATTA ETNA
New Balance NPL WA Men’s U18 Troy Bernard Player of the Year
ENZO RANCATORE (Olympic Kingsway)
New Balance NPL WA Men’s U23 Player of the Year
THOMAS SALLIS (Olympic Kingsway)
New Balance NPL WA Women’s U21 Player of the Year
OLIVE WOOD-SMITH (Hyundai FW Academy)
New Balance NPL WA U18 Golden Boot
ENZO RANCATORE (Olympic Kingsway)
New Balance NPL WA Men’s U23 Golden Boot
JACK CONNOLLY (Perth RedStar)
New Balance NPL WA Women’s U21 Golden Boot
AILSA ZINDELL (Perth Azzurri) and LILLIA POLLARD (Perth RedStar)
David Schrandt Award for the Administrator of the Year
MARTYN ALLEN (Forrestfield United)
David Cantoni Disabilities in Football Award
JENNA REYNOLDS
New Balance NPL WA Female Referee of the Year – Golden Whistle Award
JESS BYRD
New Balance NPL WA Male Referee of the Year – Golden Whistle Award
JOSH MANNELLA
Football West Life Members
PAUL AFKOS, ORIANO COLLI, CARL DUXBURY, CONOR O’BRIEN
Youth Club Championship – Boys
PERTH AZZURRI
Youth Club Championship – Girls
FREMANTLE CITY
