PFA Player of the Month Archives - The PFA https://pfa.net.au/category/pfa-player-of-the-month/ Fri, 12 Dec 2025 03:03:16 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://pfa.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/pfa-logo-green-circle@1x-66x66.png PFA Player of the Month Archives - The PFA https://pfa.net.au/category/pfa-player-of-the-month/ 32 32 Austraffic POTM: Sydney FC duo crowned first peer-voted award winners of new season https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-sydney-fc-duo-crowned-first-peer-voted-award-winners-of-new-season/ Fri, 12 Dec 2025 03:03:14 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=24191 Sydney FC duo Joe Lolley and Kirsty Fenton have been voted by their peers as the October/November winners of the Austraffic PFA Players of the Month. The Sky Blues duo received the most votes from within their peer cohort, among the six players nominated for the Player of the Month in each the A-League Men [...]

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Sydney FC duo Joe Lolley and Kirsty Fenton have been voted by their peers as the October/November winners of the Austraffic PFA Players of the Month.

The Sky Blues duo received the most votes from within their peer cohort, among the six players nominated for the Player of the Month in each the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions.

They are the first players to win the peer-voted award for the 2025-26 campaign.

Lolley has kicked off the new campaign brilliantly, with a league-high six goal contributions in the opening few rounds of the season (four goals, two assists).

His standout performance came against arch-rivals Melbourne Victory, where he scored a match-winning brace at Leichhardt Oval.

Meanwhile, fellow Sydney FC compatriot, Fenton has returned to form in a big way after missing the best part of a year with a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

The full-back has since re-established herself as a mainstay in the Sydney defence and has performed at the same level that put her on the map prior to her injury en route to Sydney’s Grand Final success in 2023.

Fenton’s performances have helped the Sky Blues to three clean sheets from their four games in October/November.

Following on from last season, Lolley and Fenton will receive a specially designed ball from PFA partners at Park SCC as a result of winning the Player of the Month. Both players will be able to choose to donate 10 balls to one of three charities – Football Empowerment, KitAid Australia and Football United.

Featured images: Imago/Uk Sports Pics Ltd/ZUMA Press Wire

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Austraffic POTM: First 12 nominees locked in for 2025-26 season https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-first-12-nominees-locked-in-for-2025-26-season/ Thu, 04 Dec 2025 02:59:18 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=24133 The Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award is back for the 2025-26 season and the 12 nominations across the A-Leagues have been locked in for the October-November iteration. All 12 players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during the first month-and-a-half of [...]

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The Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award is back for the 2025-26 season and the 12 nominations across the A-Leagues have been locked in for the October-November iteration.

All 12 players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during the first month-and-a-half of the season.

Across each of the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions six players have been nominated for the award. Nominees must be PFA members to be eligible for the award.

PFA Members will receive a link from the PFA to vote on the nominees this week. Take a look at the nominees, below.

A-League Men

Andrew Redmayne (Central Coast Mariners)

Redmayne has enjoyed a brilliant return to Gosford with a string of spectacular performances in the opening few rounds of the season. The former Socceroos goalkeeper starred in Central Coast’s stirring F3 Derby victory over Newcastle Jets, saving a last-minute penalty which led to an incredible winner for his side only seconds later. He added two clean sheets in the following weeks, averages an equal league-high 4.2 saves and has prevented 2.8 goals per game (second in the league), according to FotMob.

Joe Lolley (Sydney FC)

Lolley is arguably in the best form of his Sydney FC tenure, thriving in the early rounds of the campaign. The Englishman has a league-high six goal contributions in the opening few rounds of the season (four goals, two assists), adding a goal and an assist in each game Sydney has hit the scoreboard this season. His standout performance came against arch-rivals Melbourne Victory, where he scored a match-winning brace at home.

Patrick Beach (Melbourne City)

Beach is quickly establishing himself as one of Australia’s top goalkeepers after a scintillating start to the campaign. The Melbourne City shot-stopper has been in inspired form, keeping an equal league-high four clean sheets in the opening rounds of the season, along with a string of matchwinning performances in the AFC Champions League. Beach’s performances also earned him a first-ever cap for the Socceroos against Venezuela in November as he looks to stake his claim for a place in next year’s FIFA World Cup squad.

Ethan Alagich (Adelaide United)

Adelaide United’s midfield has been powered by the brilliant form of Alagich in the opening rounds of the season, who has worked superbly alongside fellow youngster Luke Duzel. The 21-year-old is enjoying a breakout season this year, taking his game to another level in the Reds engine room, scoring two goals and adding two assists to go with his superb two-way running to support his defensive unit.

Max Caputo (Melbourne City)

Caputo has translated his enormous potential into consistent goalscoring form, with a fantastic run of performances to start the reigning A-League Men’s champions’ season. After establishing himself as City’s No.1 option up-front towards the tail-end of last season, Caputo has fired home four goals in the opening rounds of the league season, showcasing tremendous goalscoring instincts in-and-around the eighteen yard box. The 20-year-old has also thrived in City’s AFC Champions League Elite campaign with an additional two goals to his name.

Anthony Pantazopoulos (Western Sydney Wanderers)

Pantazopolous has continued to make a name for himself in the opening rounds of the campaign. The no-nonsense defender has been an important part of Western Sydney’s back-four in the opening rounds of the campaign, putting in a nice stretch of performances in the back-line and found himself on the scoresheet in their 1-1 draw with Macarthur FC.

A-League Women

Kennedy White (Melbourne Victory)

White has thrived in her first few weeks at Melbourne Victory. The American attacker has been scoring goals for fun in Victory’s opening five games of the campaign, adding five goals to her name and sits top of the Golden Boot charts. White’s best game came against the Western Sydney Wanderers in Round Two, firing home a hat-trick in their 4-1 win on the road.

Holly McNamara (Melbourne City)

The ‘Mac’ has picked up right where she left off last season. McNamara fired home two goals and tallied two assists in City’s opening two games of the season and is primed for yet another huge campaign for the reigning A-League Women Premiers. The 22-year-old and her teammates have only featured in two league games so far due to City’s campaigns in the AFC Women’s Champions League, where she also added an additional three goals in the group stage. Her performances were capped off with yet another call-up to the Matildas for the November-December friendlies against New Zealand as she quickly becomes a fixture in the national team setup heading into next year’s Asian Cup.

Shelby McMahon (Melbourne City)

Holly isn’t the only ‘Mac’ firing on all cylinders in City blue to start the season. Young gun Shelby McMahon is also flying for the reigning premiers with three goals to her name already in her two league matches, along with an additional goal in City’s 3-0 win over Ho Chi Minh City in the AFC Women’s Champions League.

Michelle Heyman (Canberra United)

The leading A-League Women’s goalscorer of all-time is back doing what she does best to start the season. Heyman’s fired home two goals and tallied two assists in the opening rounds of the campaign and looks set to play yet another important role for Canberra United in their push for back-to-back finals appearances. The 37-year-old’s performances have continued to catch the eye of national team selectors with another Matildas call-up to her name for the most recent window against the Football Ferns and looks set to play a role in Australia’s push for Asian Cup success next year on home soil.

Ella Buchanan (Western Sydney Wanderers)

Buchanan is in the midst of a stellar start to Western Sydney Wanderers’ season. The versatile defender has been thriving in the opening few weeks of the campaign at both ends of the field, but it’s her work going forward that has caught the eye particularly, scoring once and adding two assists. This included the match-winning pass to Olivia Price for their solitary win of the season against Brisbane Roar.

Kirsty Fenton (Sydney FC)

Fenton’s back in a big way this season. The full-back only made one appearance at the tail-end of last season after rupturing her Anterior Cruciate Ligament in April 2024, which meant she also missed the Sky Blues’ run into winning the 2023-24 A-League Women Championship. Fenton has since re-established herself as a starter for Ante Juric’s side and has showcased the form that put her on the map prior to her injury, helping the Sky Blues to three clean sheets from their opening four games.

Featured image: Uk Sports Pic Ltd / ZUMA Press Wire

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Austraffic POTM: Milanovic claims final A-League Men Player of the Month honour of 2024-25 campaign https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-milanovic-claims-final-a-league-men-player-of-the-month-honour-of-2024-25-campaign/ Fri, 09 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=23188 Western Sydney Wanderers star Nicolas Milanovic has been voted the winner of the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award for April/May after a stunning end to the A-League Men regular season. Milanovic received the most amount of votes from his peers, beating out five other candidates to receive the final Player of the Month [...]

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Western Sydney Wanderers star Nicolas Milanovic has been voted the winner of the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award for April/May after a stunning end to the A-League Men regular season.

Milanovic received the most amount of votes from his peers, beating out five other candidates to receive the final Player of the Month award of the A-League Men’s campaign.

The Wanderers attacker becomes the first A-League Men’s player to win the award this season, having bookended his season by winning both the October/November and April/May gongs, capping off a sensational season.

He also joins Melbourne City’s Holly McNamara and Central Coast Mariners’ Isabel Gomez as the three A-Leagues players to have won the award twice this campaign, after the duo secured the honour on two occasions throughout the A-League Women’s season.

Milanovic’s form helped the Wanderers secure a top four finish and head into their Elimination Final against Melbourne Victory with a 12 game unbeaten run in tow, firing goals against top two sides Auckland FC and Melbourne City, which took his tally to a career-best 12 goals in a single season.

Ultimately, Milanovic fell short of winning the A-League Men Golden Boot by a single strike behind Sydney FC’s Adrian Segecic and Adelaide United’s Archie Goodwin.

As a result of winning, Milanovic will receive a specially designed ball from PFA partners at Park SCC. She will be able to choose to donate 10 balls to one of three charities – Football Empowerment, KitAid Australia and Football United.

Featured image: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

2024-25 POTM winners

A-League Men
October/November: Nicolas Milanovic (WSW)
December: Kosta Barbarouses (WEL)
January: Joe Lolley (SYD)
February: Noah Botic (WUN)
March: Eli Adams (NEW)
April/May: Nicolas Milanovic (WSW)

A-League Women
November: Isabel Gomez (CCM)
December: Laini Freier (BRI)
January: Claudia Jenkins (ADL)
February: Holly McNamara (MCY)
March: Isabel Gomez (CCM)
April: Holly McNamara (MCY)

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Austraffic POTM: Nominees locked in for final peer-voted A-League Men award of the season https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-nominees-locked-in-for-final-peer-voted-a-league-men-award-of-the-season/ Tue, 06 May 2025 03:00:00 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=23146 Six A-League Men players are in the running to be voted by their peers for the April/May iteration of the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month. Each of the players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during April and the final round of [...]

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Six A-League Men players are in the running to be voted by their peers for the April/May iteration of the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month.

Each of the players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during April and the final round of the regular season in May.

Nominees must be PFA members to be eligible for the award.

PFA Members will receive a link from the PFA to vote on the nominees this week along with a voting link for the upcoming A-League Men PFA Team of the Season.

Take a look at the nominees, below.

Featured image: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Francis De Vries (Auckland FC)

De Vries has been one of the top performing full-backs during the 2024-25 A-League Men season, playing a central role in Auckland FC securing their maiden Premiership in April. The left-back has been a key cog in helping Auckland forge one of the league’s strongest defences, marshalling the left side brilliantly against some of the league’s top wingers. His work in attack has also been just as eye-catching, providing seven assists and scoring twice, including a goal against Sydney FC and assist in their 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory last month. De Vries capped it off with a sensational performance in their Premiership clinching victory over Perth Glory.

Adrian Segecic (Sydney FC)

It’s been some season for Segecic. The Sydney FC attacker secured the A-League Men Golden Boot after a fantastic run of form in April, bagging four goals to take his tally to 13 goals for the season, meaning he finished equal-first for the top gong alongside fellow young gun Archie Goodwin. Segecic’s standout performance last month came against Auckland FC, where he scored a brace against the premiers, along with firing home important goals in their wins over Adelaide United and Newcastle Jets to keep the Sky Blues in the finals hunt.

Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney Wanderers)

Milanovic is once again in the running for the PFA Player of the Month after a brilliant end to the regular season. The attacker’s rich vein of form helped the Western Sydney Wanderers secure a home final and head into the post-season with a 12 game unbeaten run. Milanovic fired goals in clashes against top two sides Auckland FC and Melbourne City, taking his tally to 12 goals for the season; ultimately missing out on the Golden Boot by a single strike behind fellow nominee Adrian Segecic and Archie Goodwin. Should Milanovic win the PFA Player of the Month for April/May, he will be the first A-League Men player this season to win the award twice after being voted by his peers for the award in October-November.

Anthony Pantazopoulos (Western Sydney Wanderers)

Pantazopoulos’ rise to prominence has been one of the great stories of the 2024-25 A-League Men season. The versatile defender – who only made two senior appearances last season – has cemented himself as not only a key member of the Western Sydney Wanderers’ backline this campaign but one of the league’s most promising young players. Pantazopoulos has forged a solid partnership alongside Alex Bonetig in the heart of Western Sydney’s defence and the numbers back it up, with the 22-year-old sitting first in the league for average clearances per 90 (8.2). He also added his second goal of the season in their final round win over Macarthur FC to ensure the Wanderers would host an Elimination Final against Melbourne Victory.

Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)

After an injury-interrupted year, Tilio has bounced back with a fantastic end to the regular season, helping Melbourne City secure a top two berth. The attacker – who is on loan from Scottish giants Celtic – bagged important goals against Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC, along with tallying an assist in the same clash with the Sky Blues and against Western Sydney Wanderers. Since starting to string together multiple matches in a row in the starting lineup, Tilio has been a headache for defences across the league and this sort of form will be integral to City’s hopes of securing the A-League Men Championship come finals time.

Marin Jakolis (Macarthur FC)

It’s been a history making year for Jakolis, who has taken his game to another level at Macarthur FC. The winger became only the fourth player in A-League Men history to reach double digits for goals and assists in a single season, scoring 10 goals and registering a season-high 12 assists. Jakolis joined the illustrious club – which includes Aaron Mooy, Marco Rojas and Craig Goodwin – after scoring the opener in their 3-1 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers in the final game of the season. This continued his brilliant run of form at the end of the season, which saw him register four assists and an additional three goals which came as a result of a hat-trick in a 5-1 win against Brisbane Roar.

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Austraffic POTM: McNamara claims her second peer-voted award of the season https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-mcnamara-claims-her-second-peer-voted-award-of-the-season/ Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=23105 Melbourne City attacker Holly McNamara has received her second Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award of the season, after being voted by her peers as the winner for April. In the final Player of the Month award of the A-League Women's campaign of the season, McNamara received the most votes by her peers, beating [...]

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Melbourne City attacker Holly McNamara has received her second Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award of the season, after being voted by her peers as the winner for April.

In the final Player of the Month award of the A-League Women’s campaign of the season, McNamara received the most votes by her peers, beating out five other players for the award.

McNamara joins Central Coast Mariners’ Isabel Gomez (November and March) as the second player to win the award twice this season, after being crowned the Player of the Month for February.

The City star bagged three goals in two matches to take her tally to 15 goals in 17 appearances this season and help Melbourne City secure back-to-back A-League Women Premierships.

She is averaging an incredible 1.56 goals a game this campaign, taking her game to another level since returning from a season ending injury last season.

McNamara heads into the A-League Women finals campaign with goals in her last six appearances in all competitions, which also includes their Asian Women’s Champions League victory over Taichung Blue Whale in March.

As a result of winning, McNamara will receive a specially designed ball from PFA partners at Park SCC. She will be able to choose to donate 10 balls to one of three charities – Football Empowerment, KitAid Australia and Football United.

2024-25 A-League Women Player of the Month winners

A-League Women
November: Isabel Gomez (CCM)
December: Laini Freier (BRI)
January: Claudia Jenkins (ADL)
February: Holly McNamara (MCY)
March: Isabel Gomez (CCM)
April: Holly McNamara (MCY)

Featured image: IMAGO / SOPA Images

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Austraffic POTM: A-League Women nominees locked in for April after conclusion of regular season https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-april-nominees-locked-in-for-final-a-league-women-peer-voted-award-of-season/ Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=23089 The A-League Women nominees for the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award for April have been locked in, with six players up for the sixth and final peer-voted award of the campaign. All six players were nominated based off their performances during the final weeks of regular season action in April and must be [...]

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The A-League Women nominees for the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award for April have been locked in, with six players up for the sixth and final peer-voted award of the campaign.

All six players were nominated based off their performances during the final weeks of regular season action in April and must be PFA members to be eligible for the award.

PFA Members will receive a link from the PFA to vote on the nominees this week, along with voting for the 2024-25 PFA A-League Women Team of the Season.

Take a look at the nominees, below.

Featured image: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo

Holly McNamara (Melbourne City)

For the third consecutive month, McNamara is in the mix for the peer-voted award after sealing the league’s Golden Boot. The 22-year-old bagged three goals in two games to take her tally to 15 goals in 17 appearances this season and help Melbourne City secure back-to-back A-League Women Premierships. McNamara – who won the PFA Player of the Month in February – has incredibly scored in each of her last six appearances in all competitions, which also includes their Asian Women’s Champions League victory over Taichung Blue Whale.

Alex Chidiac (Melbourne Victory)

Chidiac’s brilliant end to the regular campaign sees her among the nominees for the final peer-voted award for the season, helping Melbourne Victory to an all-important top two finish. The Victory midfielder was a consistent presence in the heart of Jeff Hopkins’ side, putting together three brilliant performances in April to keep her side in the mix for the Premiership right until the final round. Chidiac added an assist against the Central Coast Mariners and a goal at home in their final regular season contest against Brisbane Roar, which ultimately led to Victory securing a club record undefeated streak of 13 consecutive games heading into finals.

Sarah Morgan (Adelaide United)

Morgan caps off her breakout campaign with a Player of the Month nomination, after helping the Reds return to the finals for the first time since 2022. The 24-year-old fired home for the Reds in their 3-1 away win over their upcoming Elimination Final opponent, Western United, before adding an assist against reigning champions Sydney FC in their final home game of the regular season.

Tameka Yallop (Brisbane Roar)

Yallop’s fantastic second season back with Brisbane Roar ends with a nomination for the Player of the Month. The PFA Co-President took her tally to 12 goals for the season after bagging a hat-trick in their 4-4 draw with Western Sydney Wanderers, which ultimately ended Brisbane’s hopes of playing finals football. The Matildas midfielder ended the the season finishing equal-second in the Golden Boot tally after one of the best goalscoring seasons of her esteemed career.

Taylor Otto (Melbourne City)

Otto has been a star from start to finish this season, and ultimately, ends the campaign with a Player of the Month nomination after two key performances. The American defender played a key role in their 4-1 victory against Newcastle Jets in the penultimate round of the season, before a match-winning performance in the final game of the campaign against Perth Glory. While it was her defensive efforts have earned plaudits this campaign, Otto’s work in attack shone on the road at Perth, bagging a brace to help her side secure back-to-back Premierships.

Emma Robers (Canberra United)

Canberra United are on their way back to the finals and Robers’ performances were critical in securing a place inside the top six. Robers – who made the move from Western United in the off-season – has slot in brilliantly inside Canberra’s best XI and helped the side from the capital secure finals football with a run of solid performances. To cap it off, Robers tallied an assist on the road against Western Sydney Wanderers in their final game of the regular season.

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Austraffic POTM: Gomez secures second award of the season, Adams’ breakout campaign rewarded https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-gomez-secures-second-award-of-the-season-adams-breakout-campaign-rewarded/ Wed, 09 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=23035 Central Coast Mariners' Isabel Gomez and Newcastle Jets' Eli Adams have been voted by their peers as the March winners of the Austraffic PFA Players of the Month. The duo received the most votes from within their peer cohort, among the six players nominated for the Player of the Month in each the A-League Men [...]

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Central Coast Mariners’ Isabel Gomez and Newcastle Jets’ Eli Adams have been voted by their peers as the March winners of the Austraffic PFA Players of the Month.

The duo received the most votes from within their peer cohort, among the six players nominated for the Player of the Month in each the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions.

Gomez becomes the first player this season to win the award twice, after taking home the first PFA A-League Women Player of the Month award in November following a blistering start to the season.

Her fantastic start to the campaign – which saw Gomez receive her first Matildas call-up – was curtailed following a knee injury in November, but has since picked up right where she left off prior to being sidelined.

The midfielder returned strongly in February, scoring against Western Sydney Wanderers in her first start in over three months and continued her solid run of form in March, scoring twice and adding two assists to help the Mariners continue to surge towards finals football.

Featured photos: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo & IMAGO / Action Plus

Meanwhile, Adams’ breakout campaign has been rewarded with his first-ever Player of the Month victory.

Adams – who joined Newcastle from Melbourne Victory in the off-season – has taken his game to another level this season and solidified himself as part of the Jets’ best XI.

The 23-year-old bagged three goals in March, including two contenders for Goal of the Season, taking his tally to seven goals for the campaign.

Adams began the month with a bang, firing home a brilliant solo goal against league leaders Auckland FC at home, before backing it up with a fantastic brace on the road against Macarthur FC, which included an expertly placed strike in the top corner from long range.

Gomez and Adams will receive a specially designed ball from PFA partners at Park SCC as a result of winning the Player of the Month. Both players will be able to choose to donate 10 balls to one of three charities – Football Empowerment, KitAid Australia and Football United.

2024-25 POTM winners

A-League Men
October/November: Nicolas Milanovic (WSW)
December: Kosta Barbarouses (WEL)
January: Joe Lolley (SYD)
February: Noah Botic (WUN)
March: Eli Adams (NEW)

A-League Women
November: Isabel Gomez (CCM)
December: Laini Freier (BRI)
January: Claudia Jenkins (ADL)
February: Holly McNamara (MCY)
March: Isabel Gomez (CCM)

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Austraffic POTM: 12 March nominees locked in https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-12-march-nominees-locked-in/ Fri, 04 Apr 2025 02:00:00 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=23009 The nominees for the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award for March have been locked in, with 12 players across the A-Leagues up for the fifth peer-voted award of the season. Each of the 12 players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances [...]

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The nominees for the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award for March have been locked in, with 12 players across the A-Leagues up for the fifth peer-voted award of the season.

Each of the 12 players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during March.

Across each of the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions six players have been nominated for the award.

Nominees must be PFA members to be eligible for the award.

PFA Members will receive a link from the PFA to vote on the nominees this week. Take a look at the nominees, below.

A-League Men

Nishan Velupillay (Melbourne Victory)

It was a March to remember for Velupillay. The Melbourne Victory forward roared back into form with goals in three consecutive matches, along with two assists against Adelaide United to round out the month. Not only was his league form impressive, but also his form wearing the Green and Gold, bagging crucial goals or the Socceroos in FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and China.

Kai Trewin (Melbourne City)

Trewin’s brilliant first season for Melbourne City continued in March, with the defender playing a starring role. The centre-back marshalled things sensationally in the back-half all month, helping City solidify their place inside the top six heading into the final run of the season. His performances were also rewarded with a maiden Socceroos call-up for the March FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney Wanderers)

Key to Western Sydney Wanderers’ final push has been the form of the October-November nominee for PFA Player of the Month Milanovic, who became the second player to reach double digits in the goals column this season in March.

The Wanderers’ attacking midfielder bagged back-to-back goals and assists against Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix, taking his tally to ten goals for season, and extending his run of finding the back of the net to four straight matches. His 16 goal contributions is the equal most in the entire competition alongside fellow Player of the Month winners Noah Botic and Joe Lolley.

Eli Adams (Newcastle Jets)

Adams’ breakout campaign continued in March, with the youngster bagging three goals for the Newcastle Jets, including two contenders for Goal of the Season. The former Melbourne Victory attacker fired home a brilliant solo goal against league leaders Auckland FC, before backing it up with a tremendous brace against Macarthur FC, which included an expertly placed strike in the top corner from long range.

Hiroki Sakai (Auckland FC)

Sakai is once again in the mix for a PFA Player of the Month award after a tremendous month. The Auckland FC captain has been shining primarily in the defensive end this season, but it was his work in attack which caught the eye over the last few weeks, bagging a goal contribution in each of the four matches this month – scoring two goals and tallying two assists.

The Japanese defender was still brilliant defensively, particularly as part of the much-vaunted Black Knights back-line – including Alex Paulsen, Nando Pijnaker, Dan Hall and Francis De Vries – which is back to full strength since Hall’s return from injury last month – and has gone nine hours without conceding a goal when they have been on the pitch together.

Rhys Bozinovski (Western United)

Bozinovski has been a shining light in Western United’s impressive season, putting together a breakout campaign for John Aloisi’s side. The midfielder has been a consistent presence in the Western lineup and in recent weeks, has started to add more strings to his bow beyond his brilliant work-rate, passing and tenacious tackling, scoring three goals which included a brace in Western’s 6-2 win over Newcastle.

A-League Women

Holly McNamara (Melbourne City)

The ‘Mac’ can’t stop firing. McNamara – fresh off being awarded the February winner for PFA Player of the Month – backed up her sensational run of form with another string of breathtaking performances for Melbourne City. The Matildas attacker bagged a hat-trick in City’s 4-3 win over Adelaide United, before adding goals against Brisbane Roar and Wellington Phoenix, taking her tally to 12 goals for the season and equal-top of the A-League Women Golden Boot charts with Emily Gielnik. Incredibly, McNamara is averaging a whopping 1.46 goals per 90 minutes this season, which is the most in the league. If that wasn’t enough, the 22-year-old also fired home from the spot to help her side secure a place in the semi-finals of their 3-0 Women’s Asian Champions League quarter-final victory over Taichung Blue Whale.

Isabel Gomez (Central Coast Mariners)

Gomez has picked up right where she left off before her untimely injury earlier this season. After almost two months on the sidelines, the November winner of the PFA Player of the Month returned with a bang for the Central Coast Mariners in February and continued her solid run of form in March, scoring twice and adding two assists to help Emily Husband’s side continue to surge towards finals football.

Mackenzie Hawkesby (Sydney FC)

Hawkesby has finished the season strongly, helping the reigning champions to a late run for finals football. The Sydney FC midfielder bagged three goals and tallied two assists to help the Sky Blues win three of four matches in March and keep their faint hopes of their Championship defence alive beyond the regular season.

Dylan Holmes (Adelaide United)

After an injury-interrupted season, Holmes has found her groove in recent weeks, helping Adelaide United secure a return to the finals for the first time in three years with a run of solid performances. The Reds midfielder provided four assists in March alone – including two against Melbourne City – before scoring her first goal of the season in Adelaide’s 2-1 defeat to Melbourne Victory.

Sophie Hoban (Newcastle Jets)

Hoban has been one of the breakout stars throughout a difficult season for the Newcastle Jets. The attacking midfielder scored a match-winning brace against Perth Glory to begin the month, before backing it up with a solid patch of form, including a goal and assist in the Jets’ heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Melbourne Victory.

Kayla Morrison (Melbourne Victory)

Morrison is once again among the nominees following a brilliant month for Melbourne Victory. The centre-back was steadfast in the back-half, helping Victory retain their status as one of the league’s most resilient defences, while adding two match-winning goals against Western United and Newcastle Jets to help keep their Premiership hopes alive.

The post Austraffic POTM: 12 March nominees locked in appeared first on The PFA.

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Austraffic POTM: Young guns McNamara and Botic take out February award https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-young-guns-mcnamara-and-botic-take-out-february-award/ Fri, 07 Mar 2025 03:30:00 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=22860 Melbourne City's Holly McNamara and Western United's Noah Botic have been crowned by their peers Austraffic PFA Players of the Month. McNamara and Botic received the most votes from their peer cohort out of the six players nominated for the Player of the Month in each the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions. The City [...]

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Melbourne City’s Holly McNamara and Western United’s Noah Botic have been crowned by their peers Austraffic PFA Players of the Month.

McNamara and Botic received the most votes from their peer cohort out of the six players nominated for the Player of the Month in each the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions.

The City star – who received two PFA Player of the Month gongs in the 2023-24 season before succumbing to a season-ending knee injury – has returned to fitness this season with a bang, putting together a fantastic run of performances for the league leaders.

McNamara bagged a hat-trick in City’s 5-1 win over Western United, before adding her fourth goal of the month against Newcastle only three days later.  McNamara’s season tally sits at a career-best seven goals for the season, with five games remaining.

Ultimately, her recent A-League Women performances led to a Matildas recall for the SheBelieves Cup in the USA.

Meanwhile, Botic has taken his game to another level for John Aloisi’s side this season.

The attacker – who was also in contention for the January award – scored three goals during February and took the lead in the Golden Boot race with his tenth goal of the campaign campaign. He now has one more goal than Sydney FC’s English forward Joe Lolley.

Botic and McNamara will receive a specially designed ball from PFA partners at Park SCC as a result of winning the Player of the Month. Both players will be able to choose to donate 10 balls to one of three charities – Football Empowerment, KitAid Australia and Football United.

2024-25 POTM winners

A-League Men
October/November: Nicolas Milanovic (WSW)
December: Kosta Barbarouses (WEL)
January: Joe Lolley (SYD)
February: Noah Botic (WUN)

A-League Women
November: Isabel Gomez (CCM)
December: Laini Freier (BRI)
January: Claudia Jenkins (ADL)
February: Holly McNamara (MCY)

The post Austraffic POTM: Young guns McNamara and Botic take out February award appeared first on The PFA.

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Austraffic POTM: 12 February nominees locked in https://pfa.net.au/news/austraffic-potm-12-february-nominees-locked-in/ Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:43:27 +0000 https://pfa.net.au/?p=22827 The nominees for the February Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award have been revealed, with 12 players across the A-Leagues up for the fourth peer-voted award of the season. The players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during February. Six players have [...]

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The nominees for the February Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award have been revealed, with 12 players across the A-Leagues up for the fourth peer-voted award of the season.

The players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during February.

Six players have been nominated across the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions for the award and must be PFA members to be eligible for the award.

PFA Members will receive a link from the PFA to vote on the nominees this week. Take a look at the nominees, below.

A-League Men

Zac Sapsford (Western Sydney Wanderers)

Sapsford has been one of the league’s breakout players this season, staking his claim in the Western Sydney Wanderers attack with a string of top performances. The 22-year-old continued his incredible knack of scoring in Sydney Derbies, firing home a brace in the Wanderers’ 3-3 draw with Sydney FC this month, taking his tally to five goals in Derbies.  The Wanderers attacker added another goal in Western Sydney’s resounding 4-0 victory over Central Coast Mariners, along with an assist for Jack Clisby.

Dylan Leonard (Western United)

It’s been nothing short of a meteoric rise to stardom for Leonard, who has quickly emerged as one of the competition’s brightest young players. Leonard – who is still only 17-years-old – has staked his claim in the Western United starting lineup as one of the team’s most important players, showcasing in only 17 games the enormous potential he possesses. Leonard continued to shine throughout February for Western and according to Opta, ranks first for successful launches (18) and is second for possessional passes (1,259) and total carries (353), showcasing his ability as a ball-playing centre-back.

Lachlan Rose (Newcastle Jets)

Rose has been a key contributor to Newcastle’s recent uptick in form. The 25-year-old – who missed most of the start of the season due to injury – has hit his straps in the last few weeks, scoring three goals in February, including in their wins against Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory, along with a goal in their 2-2 draw with Central Coast Mariners.

Noah Botic (Western United)

The in-form striker notches up his second consecutive nomination of the season, after being in the running last month for the peer-voted award. Botic continued his brilliant season in February, bagging three goals during the month and taking the lead in the Golden Boot race with ten goals to his name for the campaign, becoming the first player to reach double figures.

Hiroki Sakai (Auckland FC)

Sakai clinches his second nomination of the season after a string of brilliant performances in February. The Auckland FC defender played a key role in helping the A-League Men’s newest team win each of its three matches this month, along with only conceding two goals in those contests. He capped it off by signing a brand new contract with the club, extending the Japanese international’s stay for another season.

Clayton Taylor (Newcastle Jets)

Another of Newcastle’s key players throughout the last month, Taylor has shot into form with goals in each of his last three matches. The winger’s form up and down the left-flank has been key to the Jets’ five-game unbeaten run, working brilliantly in tandem with the likes of fellow nominee Lachie Rose and new signing Kota Mizunuma.

A-League Women

Holly McNamara (Melbourne City)

The Return of the Mac has been nothing short of special. McNamara picked up right where she left off prior to her season ending knee injury last season, putting together a string of top performances throughout February that sees her among the nominees for Player of the Month. The standout performance came in their 5-1 win over Western United, where she scored a hat-trick, before adding her fourth of the month against Newcastle only three days later. Ultimately, her performances led to a Matildas recall for the SheBelieves Cup.

Rhianna Pollicina (Melbourne City)

Melbourne City maintaining their undefeated start to the 2024-25 A-League Women’s season has been helped along by the recent form of Pollicina. The City attacker had a red hot February, scoring in the 5-1 win over Western United, while adding three assists in four matches, taking her to the top of the assists chart in the competition with five.

Alana Murphy (Melbourne Victory)

Murphy has gone from strength to strength this season for Melbourne Victory, solidifying herself as one of the top midfielders in the competition, The 19-year-old continues to act as the side’s metronome in the middle of the park, acting as a focal point in their build-up from midfield but also as a tenacious presence in defensive phases. Her run of performances led to Murphy earning a maiden call-up to the Matildas squad for the She Believes Cup, coming in as a late replacement for the injured Clare Wheeler.

Zoe Tolland (Adelaide United)

Tolland has been one of the league’s breakout stars this year, playing a central role in Adelaide’s remarkable 10 game unbeaten run. The 22-year-old centre-back has solidified herself in the heart of the Reds defence, helping forge one of the league’s most formidable defensive units alongside Ella Tonkin, Matilda McNamara and January Player of the Month Claudia Jenkins.

Sienna Saveska (Western Sydney Wanderers)

The Wanderers’ renaissance throughout February has been led by another of the league’s breakout stars in Saveska. The 18-year-old attacker now has seven goals for the season, including one in their 2-1 win over Brisbane early in the month, before adding an assist in their come-from-behind victory against Central Coast Mariners. If that wasn’t enough, her performances carried over at international level, with Saveska winning the Golden Boot with six goals in three games for the Young Matildas at the Pacific Aus Four Nations Tournament.

Kayla Morrison (Melbourne Victory)

Morrison’s brilliant campaign continued in February, with the defender playing an integral role in Victory’s six game undefeated run. The centre-back’s form was among the best in the entire competition, helping Victory establish themselves as the equal-best defensive unit in the league, while adding plenty with her ball-playing ability from the back-line.

The post Austraffic POTM: 12 February nominees locked in appeared first on The PFA.

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