The PFA Footballers' Champion Awards are unique in Australian football as they are open to players plying their trade at home and abroad, take into account performances for both club and country and are voted for by the judges all professional footballers most highly regard - their peers.
The shortlists are; 2009/2010 PFA Footballer of the Year - Marco Bresciano, Lazio, Italy (formerly Palermo) - Tim Cahill, Everton FC, England - Jason Culina, Gold Coast United, Australia - Scott Chipperfield, FC Basel, Switzerland - Simon Colosimo, Melbourne Heart, Australia (formerly Sydney FC) - Carlos Hernandez, Melbourne Victory, Australia - Brett Holman, Az Alkmaar, Holland - Josh Kennedy, Nagoya Grampus, Japan - Harry Kewell, Galatasaray, Turkey - Mark Schwarzer, Fulham FC, England - Shane Smeltz, Gold Coast United, Australia - Luke Wilkshire, Dynamo Moscow, Russia
2009/2010 PFA Harry Kewell Medal (U23 PFA Footballer of the Year) - Leigh Broxham, Melbourne Victory, Australia - Ben Kantarovski, Newcastle Jets, Australia - Robbie Kruse, Melbourne Victory, Australia - Mitch Langerak, Borussia Dortmund, Germany (formerly Melbourne Victory) - Matthew Leckie, Adelaide United, Australia - Shane Lowry, Aston Villa, England - Tommy Oar, FC Utrecht, Holland (formerly Brisbane Roar) - Nikita Rukavytsya, Hertha BSC, Germany (formerly FC Twente) - Dario Vidosic, Nuremberg, Germany - Rhys Williams, Middlesbrough Football Club, England.
The shortlists were voted on throughout the 2009/2010 football season at regular sittings of the highly credentialed PFA Awards Committee.
Performances by PFA members in some of the world's best club competitions, the A-League, the FIFA World Cup South Africa and the FIFA U20 World Cup Egypt were all taken into account.
The Australian Football Awards also incorporate the Football Federation Australia (FFA) awards which recognise the entire football family at a professional and non professional level.
The professional category includes FFA Footballer of the Year and FFA U20 Footballer of the Year awards for both men and women, honouring on field excellence and off field professionalism of Australian professional football players. The non professional category includes a team, volunteer, coach and referee award.