Waterford's Pádraig Amond, Derry City's Michael Duffy and Dylan Watts of Shamrock Rovers have been nominated for the PFA Ireland Men's Player of the Year award for 2024.After over a decade in the UK, Amond returned to the League of Ireland with the Blues at the start of the season and the Carlow native's 14 league goals have gone a long way to ensuring that Keith Long's newly-promoted team will be playing top flight football once again in 2025.Duffy has been a key attacking outlet for Derry City, scoring five goals as their bid for the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division title went to the penultimate weekend of the season.The 30-year-old also found the net four times on Derry's run to the FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium, where they will face Drogheda United on 10 November.Watts is another man who has been in goal-scoring form of late, with his winner in Sunday's 1-0 victory over Dundalk ensuring that Shamrock Rovers are still in the title hunt heading into the final night on Friday.The Dubliner also scored big goals against Drogheda United and Derry City in recent weeks, as well as heading in late equaliser to secure a point at home to APOEL in the UEFA Conference League.Watts' Hoops team-mate Johnny Kenny has been nominated for the PFAI Men's Young Player of the Year award, along with Mason Melia of St Patrick's Athletic and Cathal O'Sullivan of SSE Airtricity Men's First Division champions Cork City.Fresh from her international goal-scoring heroics in recent times, Galway United's Julie-Ann Russell is up for the Women's Player of the Year award, alongside Athlone Town's Madie Gibson and Shelbourne's Alex Kavanagh.Ellen Dolan of Peamount United, Joy Ralph of Shamrock Rovers and Wexford goalkeeper Jayne Merren are