FNQ FC Heat’s debut season was acknowledged with one of the highest honours in Australian football on Wednesday night when the Cairns-based club was honoured as Team of the Year at the Australian Football Awards.

Some of the game’s biggest stars, including Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou and marquee A-League players Alessandro Del Piero and Emile Heskey, applauded as representatives from the NPL Queensland club took to the stage to receive the honour in Sydney.

FNQ FC Heat Chairman Adam Garnett said receiving national acclaim for the club’s efforts both on and off the pitch was “simply fantastic.”

"This award is a fantastic endorsement of the work the club's players, coaches and volunteers have put in throughout the year, developing the game in the Far North," Garnett said.

"Since the Heat's creation, we've been focused on fostering football and developing community minded young men and women."

"We've already seen many success stories, with 16 of our players representing the state, five trialled for A-League clubs, two selected for the Queensland Academy of Sport and two former players captaining the Australian U17 Joeys."

"We're just as proud of our efforts off the field. Our Community Engagement initiatives raised thousands of dollars for various charities, promoted positive health messages and generally got local youngsters more involved in 'the world game'."

"We'll certainly celebrate this success for a while yet but we won't rest of our laurels. We have many new programs in the works to continue to grow the game in the region, support local charitable organisations and create talented, community minded men and women."

The Australian Football Awards are run by Football Federation Australia, and Heat were one of five teams from around the country nominated in their category.

The award seeks to acknowledge clubs that have a passion and flair for the game, foster equal opportunity for all, show on and off field excellence and uphold and display fair play values.

In addition to meeting the award criteria, Heat overcame a myriad of diffculties in their first year, including the sad passing of team manager Paul Cronin in April from cancer.

Football Federation Australia praised the Heat’s community engagement ethos in congratulating the various award winners on the awards website.

“In the newly formed club's inaugural season of Football Queensland’s National Premier League competition, it wasn't just the Senior Men's teams on field performance that got them this award, but their outstanding off-field exploits and Community Engagement Initiatives,” the website said.

“The Heat's community engagement included various fundraisers and support for Guide Dogs Queensland, FNQ Cerebral Palsy Support Group and the Mayor's Christmas Cheer Appeal as well as local community football clinics.”

Photographs from the Heat's special night can be found on the club's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/FNQHeat

 

Words: Michael Flynn (Football Queensland) & FNQ FC Heat
Image: FNQ FC Heat