MELBOURNE: Australia’s Jamie Dwyer has been crowned field hockey’s world player of the year for a third time, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) said on Sunday.

Dwyer, 30, added to his 2004 and 2007 wins with recognition again as the world’s best player in 2009.

He becomes the second player along with Netherlands striker Teun de Nooijer to win the award three times.

Dwyer is the second Australian to win field hockey’s top honour along with Jay Stacy in 1999.

Luciana Aymar of Argentina and Naomi van As of Netherlands shared the women’s award.

It was the sixth award for Aymar, who won it previously in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.

The junior women’s player of the year was Australia’s Casey Eastham while England’s Ashley Jackson took the men’s title.