The PFA Tobin Medal has been established by the Australian Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) in honour of former Socceroos captain and long serving PFA President, Alex Tobin OAM. Tobin is also the most capped Socceroo (113 appearances, including 87 'A' internationals) and has played more national league games than any other player (522).

The PFA Tobin Medal will be awarded annually by the PFA Executive to a current or former player based on 4 attributes demonstrated by Tobin throughout his career and which encapsulate the philosophy of the PFA: (1) leadership; (2) achievement as a player; (3) commitment to one’s fellow professionals; and (4) service and dedication to the game.

“It is only right that the PFA today recognises Johnny and Joe, who achieved so much in very trying times to create the opportunities for current and future generations of professional footballers,” PFA Chief Executive Brendan Schwab said today.

“Johnny Warren was without question one of Australia’s greatest ever players. But more than that, he was a warrior for football on all fronts. His public fight for football and its people was instrumental in bringing the off field revolution of 2003, the springboard to today’s professionalism.”

“Joe Marston of course pioneered the international career path for Australians, becoming one of the English First Division’s best players in the 1950’s with Preston North End, then a goliath of the game. Hundreds of Australians have since followed his footsteps, but very few with the same success.”

Johnny Warren was represented at today’s ceremony by his daughter Shannon, son in law Sean, brother Geoff and nephew Jamie, who also sits as a Director of the Johnny Warren Football Foundation.

“Uncle John received many accolades throughout his life for his contribution to football”, Jamie said today. “But being a football man, he was a players’ man, and the family is deeply honoured for his life and work to be honoured by today’s professional footballers. He would consider this his most important award.”

Joe Marston attended today’s ceremony with his wife Edith, who joined Joe on his English adventure over 50 years ago.

“It is a great honour to be recognised by today’s players. The development of the game is something we all spoke about when I played, and it is so important that Australians can become the best players they can be both at home and abroad. The work of many including Alex and the PFA has helped make all this possible,” Joe said.

At the same event, outstanding footballing students, Central Coast Mariners’ Andrew Clark and Newcastle Jets’ Adam D’Apuzzo, were awarded the inaugural PFA Kimon Taliadoros Scholarships at the PFA Alex Tobin Medal presentation.

The PFA Taliadoros Scholarships have been established by the Australian Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) in honour of former Socceroo and PFA co-founder Kimon Taliadoros.

The Scholarships will be awarded annually to 2 players who demonstrate excellence in their off-field development, especially through education. One recognises achievement by an experienced player in preparing for life after football. The second is awarded to a player under 23 still forging and building his playing career. Each scholarship is worth $5,000.

“I am delighted the PFA has launched this initiative,” Taliadoros said today. “I am even more pleased that, in conjunction with Football Federation Australia, the PFA is implementing programs throughout the A-League and all Australian national teams that aim to develop players both as footballers and citizens.”

Andrew Clark not only helps marshal the Central Coast defence; he also acts as the Mariners’ Head of Sport Science (Strength & Conditioning Coach). Having obtained a Bachelor of Sport Science in 1996, Andrew has committed to a Master of Philosophy in Sport Science at the University of Newcastle since joining the Mariners. The focus of his thesis is the time and motion analysis of elite professional footballers through the use of GPS technology. His work has been presented to the 2008 European College of Sport Science Conference in Lisbon, and is on the agenda for the Football Australasia Conference to be held in Melbourne in October. He aims to have the Mariners, the A-League and the University of Newcastle at the forefront of world research and testing techniques in football.

Whilst winning the 2008 A-League Championship with the Newcastle Jets, Adam D’Apuzzo successfully continued his Bachelor studies in Law and Commerce at the University of New South Wales. Adam graduated from Trinity Grammar in 2004 with a UAI score of 95.3%, and has not let the demands of life as a full-time professional footballer override his academic ambitions.