Professional Footballers Australia (the PFA) has today revealed the 2023-24 A-League Women’s Team of the Season, which includes a host of capped Matildas and seven players who will feature in this weekend’s 2024 Liberty A-League Women Grand Final.
Four players from Sydney FC and three from Melbourne City are among the 17 players selected in this year’s squad, who will all be in action this Saturday in the Grand Final at AAMI Park.
The Team
The team comprises a starting XI in a 4-3-3 formation, with six substitutes, as voted by the PFA’s A-League Women members at the end of the regular season. The players also voted on their coach of the season.
The Captain
Michelle Heyman‘s incredible season has seen her secure the role of captain, after receiving the most votes from the players.
Heyman’s 17 goals for Canberra United saw her become the first player in A-League Women’s history to win three Golden Boots, and her first since the 2011-12 season.
This season, Heyman became the league’s first player to score 100 career goals when she scored a brace against Adelaide United in January.
Her performances for Canberra earned her a recall to the Matildas squad for the first time since 2018, where she scored five goals in two matches against Uzbekistan to help Australia secure a place at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It feels very special, and I am honoured to be selected and named captain for the PFA Team of the Season,” Heyman said.
“I have spent my whole professional career playing within the A-League and wouldn’t be the player I am today without the support of Australian football.”
The Goalkeeper
After a breakout season, Perth Glory’s Morgan Aquino was voted by her peers as this season’s best goalkeeper. Aquino was immense between the sticks as she took the mantle of first choice keeper this campaign and registered the most appearances in a single season of her entire career to date, playing all 22 matches.
The 22-year-old led the league with 126 saves – 35 more than second-placed Izzy Nino and recorded a save percentage of 81.1%.
The Defenders
Kayla Morrison earned a place in the Team of the Season after an immense campaign in the heart of Melbourne Victory’s defence. Her teammate Jamilla Rankin was also recognised for her solid form since making the move to Victory with a place in the back four.
Sydney FC’s Charlotte McLean was a constant in the Sky Blues backline and continued to take her game to another level as part of the league’s best defence (20 goals conceded), while Melbourne City’s Rebekah Stott rounds out the defence after playing a pivotal role in her side’s push for the Premiers Plate.
This is the third time Morrison has been named to the Team of the Season, while Rankin, McLean, and Stott are making their second appearances.
The Midfielders
Three of the A-League Women’s most potent midfielders make up the side’s engine room. Vesna Milivojevic was a bright spark for Canberra United this season, scoring 10 goals and tallying three assists, with eight of those goals coming in the opening five rounds of the campaign.Her performances earned her an overseas move to Swedish side Norrköping.
Rhianna Pollicina was crucial to Melbourne City’s push for silverware, scoring six goals, including a decisive strike in their 2-1 win over Perth Glory that wrapped up the Premiership. Alex Chidiac rounds out the midfield three after another impressive stint upon her return to Melbourne Victory, providing plenty of energy in the middle of the park and adding two goals.
This is the fourth time Chidiac has made the Team of the Season and the third campaign in a row she has received a place in the squad. Meanwhile, it is Pollicina‘s third consecutive appearance and Milivojevic‘s second.
The Forwards
Heyman is joined in attack by the star duo of Newcastle Jets’ Sarina Bolden and Sydney FC’s Cortnee Vine. Bolden scored 14 goals and tallied nine assists this season, helping her side return to the finals for the first time since 2018.
Incredibly, Bolden only made 17 appearances, after being signed on the eve of Round 6 by the Jets. In her most productive A-League season yet, Vine bounced back from an injury-riddled beginning to the campaign in style, scoring 10 goals and registering six assists.
This is Vine’s fourth straight appearance in the team and Bolden‘s first.
The Substitutes
Sydney FC duo Mackenzie Hawkesby and Jada Whyman earn spots on the bench after solid campaigns, making it a third straight appearance for the former and second for the latter. Melbourne City’s Taylor Otto, Western United’s Grace Maher and Wellington Phoenix’s Macey Fraser all earn their place in the Team of the Season for the first time after brilliant seasons, while Melbourne Victory’s Emily Gielnik is recognised with a place in the team after a blistering end to the season; her second appearance in the team.
The Coach
Dario Vidosic‘s Premiership winning campaign with Melbourne City was recognised by the players, as he is named the Coach of the Season. In his first full season as the club’s senior women’s head coach, Vidosic steered City to their first piece of silverware since 2020, putting them in pole position to take home the double this year. He follows on from his father, Rado, who was named Coach of the Season in the 2019-20 season.
About the PFA Team of the Season
The inaugural PFA A-League Team of the Season was announced in 2009 and has been revealed annually in A-League Grand Final week for the past 15 seasons. Based on peer recognition, selection in the PFA Team of the Season remains one of the highest accolades a professional footballer can receive in Australia.
At the end of each season, PFA members from the A-Leagues are asked to vote on their best XI. The composition of the team is based on the number of votes tallied for each player in each position, with the substitutes bench comprising those players who finished below those in the starting XI positions. The player with the most votes is determined the Team of the Season’s captain.
