Same Names Mentioned
The haul for the season was one Singapore Emerald Challenger Cup and a H.I. Division Five title, and there would be a good helping of déjà vu besides, as the same three Players of the Season from two seasons back, would reprise their honours.
"I thought we could just skip those parts, and use the video from back then." guest emcee and former Grilled Birds star Gleb Dorogan joked, to much laughter from the attendees. "But then I decided that I didn't like you lot that much at all!"
With that, forwards
Chan Ze Han,
Mushtag Al-Nameeri and
Ragib Banović took their positions on the stage, as their respective coaches made their remarks.
Hovaness Noubaryan began. "Personally, I would have preferred to award it to another guy; it's getting boring with Chan here picking up three of the last four. But he was just that good - eighteen goals in twelve starts, appeared in all our matches, almost always one of our best... no choice there."
"Moey and Kalki had outstanding seasons too, I felt, but my own second-choice vote was for
Bilal Mohammad Harun, who has been rather underappreciated in midfield, also helping out in defence when called upon.
Gilbert Webb has been an ironman too, he's started twenty-two games, more than anyone else. Good job all."
Dalibor Kostadinović likewise acknowledged captain
Tham Leng Teck as a lesser-sung hero, and also reserved special plaudits for
Lau Chang Wan and
Nurlan Ablaev. "It's been a hard year for our strikers and midfielders, as we have had to go for heavy defensive tactics out of circumstances, more often than I'd have liked. But we're still in the S-League, we will need everybody on board."
Roar Olaisen was of a similar sentiment. "If Banović hadn't been so outstanding,
Safari bin Hj Jali would have been an easy pick - heck, he did enough to be Player of the Season, most other years. And then there's
Wang Hanxuan, but then again, it was probably only an average campaign by his own high standards."
Two of the Young Player awardees - goalkeeper Husam Abdul Syukur and midfielder Alex Duffy - had since left to further their career overseas, with some concern over Husam's deployment amongst observers. The bulk of the attention then naturally fell on Grilled International prodigy
Chua Jun Long, but Olaisen again cautioned against excessive expectations.
"Chua will be first to say that he hasn't really accomplished anything yet." the International gaffer relayed. "Let us all just allow him to develop."
A retirement was announced too, as 42 year-old Grilled veteran centreback
Yuki Irie had Grilled's opening Singapore Cup match declared as his testimonial. There was also a stirring moment as Yuki was inducted into the Birds' Hall of Fame as just its eleventh member, by former teammate Rashid bin Ahmad.
