Fremantle City are celebrating after Charlie Chechlacz and Abbey Green were crowned Football West’s two Gold Medal winners at Thursday night’s 2025 NPLWA Awards.
Freo skipper Chechlacz topped the NPLWA – Men’s count with 24 votes, one more than Kristian Santich, who finished runner-up for the second year in a row. Santich’s Western Knights teammate Jesse Lazarro also collected 24 votes from the 22 home-and-away rounds but was ineligible for the Gold Medal after being sent off in Round Four.
In the NPLWA – Women’s count winger Green was awarded three votes from Fremantle’s final-round win over Subiaco, which meant she finished on 25 votes, four ahead of Abbey Meakins of Balcatta Etna and Renee Leota of Perth RedStar.
The pair received their Gold Medals from WA Deputy Premier and Minister for Sport & Recreation Rita Saffioti and Football West Chair Sherif Andrawes on stage at the Ritz-Carlton.
“I’m lost for words … we were down the bottom for a lot of the season, so this is unreal,” Chechlacz said.
“I wasn’t on the board early in the count. As I started to creep up, I was thinking I might get close. But when it happened, it was unreal.”
Green was equally surprised by her success.
“Absolutely stoked, I wasn’t expecting it at all,” said Green, who was a key part in Fremantle's State Cup victory at the end of August.
“I want to thank club president Tony Estrano, this is the best club in the state to play women’s football.
I did take a little bit of a break from football, probably the biggest break I’ve taken in a while, and that brought my enthusiasm back. I love playing for Freo.”
Chechlacz is Fremantle’s first NPL Men’s Gold Medal winner, while Green follows former teammate Laura Waltman, who won the NPL Women’s Gold Medal in 2023.
And there was further good news for the club, with Samantha Geddes named Women’s Coach of the Year. Geddes led Fremantle to victory in the State Cup final in her first season in charge.
Tom Glavovic was awarded the NPLWA – Women’s Coach of the Year Award for taking Perth SC to their first league title, while David Tough won the NPLWA – Men’s Coach of the Year Award after Olympic Kingsway reached two cup finals, were runners-up in the league, and reached the semi-final of the Night Series.
Another winner from Olympic Kingsway was Adrian Sinagra, who was named Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, while Dayle Schroeder of champions Perth SC won the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Schroeder’s Azzurri teammate Daisy McAllister won the Women’s Goal of the Season for her brilliant winner against Fremantle back in Round One, while there was some consolation for Gold Medal runner-up Santich, whose spectacular strike from the halfway line against Armadale in Round 14 won the Men’s Goal of the Season. Santich was unable to attend the evening to collect his award.
The NPLWA - Women's Golden Boot winner was Perth RedStar's Renee Leota, while the Men's honour was shared between four-time winner Daryl Nicol of RedStar and Armadale's Pieter Jacobsz, who topped the scoring charts in 2024.
The Dylan Tombides Male Young Player of the Year Award went to Perth Glory’s Sebastian Despotovski, with Lacey Heys of Hyundai Football West Academy taking the Female Young Player of the Year Award.
Perth SC’s Harry Surtees won the Men’s U18s Troy Bernard Player of the Year award, Scotlan Morrison of Bayswater City took the Men’s U23s Player of the Year, while the Women’s U21 Player of the Year was won by Perth SC’s Grace Warburton.
Fraser Marr of Rockingham City 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 Rafferty Bacon.
New Football West Life Member Frank Moretti received his accolade from Mr Andrawes.
- Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell announced the introduction of the Angela Murphy Medal, which will be presented to the player of the match in the NPLWA – Women’s Top Four Cup final from 2026.
Mr Harnwell made the announcement in memory of the long-time Football West administrator, who died earlier this year.
Angela worked in the sport for 27 years and her passing in July brought thousands of tributes from across the WA football community.
2025 NPLWA Awards winners
NPLWA - Men’s Gold Medal
CHARLIE CHECHLACZ (Fremantle City)
NPLWA - Women’s Gold Medal
ABBEY GREEN (Fremantle City)
Ron Tindall Award for NPLWA – Men’s Coach of the Year
DAVID TOUGH (Olympic Kingsway)
NPLWA – Women’s Coach of the Year
TOM GLAVOVIC (Perth SC)
Women’s Coach of the Year
SAMANTHA GEDDES (Fremantle City)
Dylan Tombides Male Young Player of the Year
SEBASTIAN DESPOTOVSKI (Perth Glory)
Female Young Player of the Year Award
LACEY HEYS (Hyundai Football West Academy)
NPLWA – Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year
ADRIAN SINAGRA (Olympic Kingsway)
NPLWA – Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year
DAYLE SCHROEDER (Perth SC)
NPLWA – Men’s Golden Boot
DARYL NICOL (Perth RedStar) & PIETER JACOBSZ (Armadale)
NPLWA – Women’s Golden Boot
RENEE LEOTA (Perth RedStar)
NPLWA – Men’s Goal of the Season
KRISTIAN SANTICH (Western Knights)
NPLWA – Women’s Goal of the Season
DAISY McALLISTER (Perth SC)
NPLWA – Men’s Fair Play Award
BALCATTA ETNA
NPLWA – Women’s Fair Play Award
SUBIACO AFC
NPLWA – Men’s U18 Troy Bernard Player of the Year
HARRY SURTESS (Perth SC)
NPLWA – Men’s U23 Player of the Year
SCOTLAN MORRISON (Bayswater City)
NPLWA – Women’s U21 Player of the Year
GRACE WARBURTON (Perth SC)
NPLWA – Men’s U18 Golden Boot
HARRY SURTESS (Perth SC)
NPLWA – Men’s U23 Golden Boot
CRISTIANO FARFAN (Perth Glory)
NPLWA Women’s U21 Golden Boot
ELLYSSA KLOMP (Perth SC)
David Schrandt Award for the Administrator of the Year
FRASER MARR (Rockingham City)
David Cantoni Disabilities in Football Award
RAFFERTY BACON
NPLWA Female Referee of the Year – Golden Whistle Award
MEAGAN SCOTT
NPLWA Male Referee of the Year – Golden Whistle Award
SHANE SKINNER
Football West Life Member
FRANK MORETTI
Youth Club Championship - Boys
PERTH REDSTAR
Youth Club Championship - Girls
FREMANTLE CITY