Respected commentator Simon Hill slams Australian pro leagues for canceling annual awards night because they’re broke

Football commentator Simon Hill has slammed the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) after the governing body of the men’s and women’s A-League canceled their annual awards night – because they are broke.

Speaking on ABC’s Offsiders, Hill was stunned that the Dolan Warren Gala Evening – named after Matildas pioneer Julie Dolan and Socceroos great Johnny Warren – would not take place this year due to financial constraints.

“It’s the football version of the (NRL) Dally M’s Medal or the (AFL) Brownlow Medal,” he said.

“Clearly this is not happening because of lack of money…seeing the PLA in financial difficulty is a crying shame.”

Hill – who famously described the Socceroos’ penalty shootout victory over Uruguay in Sydney, which secured Australia’s place at the 2006 World Cup – wasn’t done yet.

Hill was stunned that the Dolan Warren gala evening – named after former Matildas star Julie Dolan and Socceroos great Johnny Warren (pictured) – would not go ahead this year due to financial constraints.

He said national football “feels like a game that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

“They (APL) need to stop this trend… they are not playing smoke and mirrors on us as fans,” Hill added.

“Why don’t we (just) say publicly that we can’t afford it?”

“It’s an event that’s really important in the national football calendar…and one that’s not happening due to lack of money…call it for what it is.”

Meanwhile, the Socceroos legend’s nephew Johnny Warren was “beyond disappointed” by the decision to cancel the Dolan-Warren awards night.

His family has yet to hear from the APL about why the event was canceled.

“That’s one of the most disappointing things, the lack of communication. Uncle John has done so much for football in the country, to make this decision without explaining why is like a slap in the face,” Jamie Warren told the Illawarra Mercury.

Sydney FC cult hero Andrew Redmayne is a past winner of the Goalkeeper of the Year award.

“The awards were supposed to be a marquee event. “It gives our professional players the recognition they deserve… so it’s really disappointing to see this fail because of funding.

“It’s a night for the elite players in our sport to be recognized. Other sports do it the right way, so it’s sad to see.

Previous winners include Matildas captain Sam Kerr (2016-17), teammate Emily van Egmond (2014) and Socceroos skipper Mark Viduka (1993-94) and (1994-95) in the NSL with the Melbourne Knights.

Daily Mail Australia contacted the APL for comment, who highlighted a slight change for fans in this season’s grand final at the end of May.

“This year’s key Dolan Warren Awards will be presented on our grand final days to give them a platform to be celebrated with fans and at the biggest matches of the year,” a spokesperson said. the PL.