The PFA Footballer of the Year award will be presented at the Australian Football Awards on October 7 in Sydney with inaugural winner Tim Cahill among the nominations.

Also included are his team-mates from the squad in South Africa, Mark Schwarzer, Mark Bresciano, Scott Chipperfield, Luke Wilkshire, Harry Kewell, Josh Kennedy, Brett Holman and Jason Culina.

The other three A-League-based players apart from Culina are Costa Rican Carlos Hernandez, who won the Johnny Warren Medal last season, Golden Boot winner Shane Smeltz and Joe Marston Medallist Simon Colosimo.

PFA chief executive Brendan Schwab said the award was extremely highly-regarded by the players as it was peer-voted.

"The most prestigious individual honour a player can achieve is to be recognised by his peers as being the greatest player in a particular season," he said.

The nominees were determined by the PFA awards committee based on performances for club and/or country over a 12-month period. The 300-plus PFA members will vote on the nominees over the next month.

Ten nominations were also announced for the PFA Harry Kewell Medal for players under the age of 23. World Cup squad members Dario Vidosic and Nikita Rukavytsya were nominated along with three players who made the last 30 for South Africa, Rhys Williams, Tommy Oar and Shane Lowry.

Melbourne Victory pair Robbie Kruse and Leigh Broxham, former Victory stopper Mitch Langerak, Newcastle's Ben Kantarovski and Adelaide's Matthew Leckie are also in the running.

The PFA also announced the establishment of a PFA Women's Footballer of the Year award with every PFA member to vote on an open ballot on a 3-2-1 basis.

Matildas star Melissa Barbieri added: “It is fantastic that our female players can now honour the peer we consider to be Australia’s best performer throughout the season.”