The nominees for the PFA’s Austraffic Player of the Month award for October-November have been revealed, with six A-League Men and A-League Women players up for the first peer-voted award of the season.
The 12 players were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances in the opening rounds of the 2024-25 season. All nominees have to be a PFA member.
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
Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Milanovic has started the 2024-25 season like a house on fire. The Western Sydney Wanderers playmaker has gone to another level in the opening rounds of the campaign, building off a promising first full-season in Wanderland, with a string of exemplary performances. His five goals to start the season has him sitting on top of the Golden Boot leaderboard after six rounds, which was helped by his hat-trick against the Newcastle Jets. He also has two assists to his name, taking the 23-year-old’s goal contributions tally to seven in six appearances – the most out of any player in the competition so far this season.
Jordan Courtney-Perkins (Sydney FC)
It’s been a red-hot start to the season for Courtney-Perkins, who has flourished in his second year at Sydney FC. The versatile defender has slotted in as both a left-back and left-winger throughout the opening rounds of the campaign, but his best performances have come when he’s been positioned in the former. Not only has he contributed defensively, Courtney-Perkins has also had quite the impact in attack, scoring in the most recent Sydney Derby along with providing an assist a fortnight earlier against Macarthur FC.
Alex Paulsen (Auckland FC)
It’s no surprise to see the reigning PFA Young Men’s Player of the Year and the captain of the 2023-24 PFA A-League Men Team of the Season in the nominees to start the campaign. Paulsen has picked up right where he left off with Wellington Phoenix last season, this time in the Blue and Black of their noisy rivals and new kids on the block, Auckland FC. Returning to the A-League Men on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth, the goalkeeper has been fantastic between the sticks and with the help of his sturdy defence, is yet to concede a goal this season. According to FotMob, Paulsen has prevented the most amount of goals in the league this season (3.5 goals), and ranks second in saves per 90 (3.4 saves).
Ryan Teague (Melbourne Victory)
Teague has quickly become the heart and soul of Melbourne Victory’s midfield. Forming a formidable partnership with fellow youngster Jordi Valadon, the 22-year-old has gone from strength to strength in his second season at the club, putting together an immense start to the campaign. Teague’s impact has been felt right across the board, from breaking up the play in defence, to providing energy going forward and even impacting the scoreboard, finding the back of the net in their Melbourne Derby win over Melbourne City and getting an assist against Brisbane Roar with a lovely-weighted corner.
Hiroki Sakai (Auckland FC)
A key to Auckland’s fast start to the season has been the form of Sakai. The 74-time Japan international has slotted in seamlessly at full-back and as the captain of the Black Knights, providing fantastic leadership in the back-half and a string of impressive performances to help Auckland continue not only their undefeated start to the season, but run of clean sheets to begin their life in the competition. His work in attack has also been key, helping Steve Corica’s side score their first-ever goal, when his cross was turned in for an own-goal.
Zach Clough (Adelaide United)
Clough’s been on a tear to start the new campaign, helping Adelaide United to an unbeaten start to the season. The Englishman has three goals in his last three matches, to go with two assists against Western Sydney Wanderers and Perth Glory, taking his goal contributions to five for the season, which is the equal-third best in the A-League Men.
A-League Women
Alicia Woods (Brisbane Roar)
Woods is enjoying a breakout campaign so far, putting together a string of solid performances to start the new season. The Brisbane Roar midfielder has been sensational from the word go, particularly going forward, creating the second-most amount of chances in the league with 12 (per FotMob) and forging a fantastic partnership with the likes of Momo Hayashi and Tameka Yallop. The Young Matilda ranks third for average rating FotMob rating (8.08) from her first four appearances of the season, and has rarely missed a beat during the Roar’s solid start to the campaign.
Emily Gielnik (Melbourne Victory)
Gielnik has been on fire for in her first four appearances of the campaign. The Melbourne Victory attacker has six goals to her name already and sits first on top of the Golden Boot leaderboard after the first month of the season. The recently recalled Matilda started the season with a brace away to Adelaide United, before firing home a hat-trick against Western United, along with another goal in their Derby defeat to Melbourne City.
Tameka Yallop (Brisbane Roar)
Joining Woods in the Brisbane Roar contingent nominated for the Player of the Month is Yallop, who has also enjoyed a fantastic start to the season. The star midfielder has been key to leading her side to a solid opening few rounds of the season, scoring three goals already this campaign, including a brace in their 3-0 win over Perth Glory. Per FotMob, Yallop has also created the most amount of chances in the league with 13 to her name in four appearances.
Isabel Gomez (Central Coast Mariners)
Gomez has backed-up her impressive first season in Gosford with a brilliant start to the new campaign. The Central Coast Mariners midfielder has been the heartbeat of Emily Husband’s side throughout the opening rounds, putting together a string of impressive performances in the middle of the park. The 22-year-old also added goals against reigning champions Sydney FC and Melbourne City, and to cap it off was called-up to her maiden Matildas squad for the November-December window. However, an untimely injury ruled her out of making her debut for the senior national team.
Jessika Nash (Central Coast Mariners)
Nash has taken to her new home in Gosford brilliantly, putting together a very solid beginning to life at the Central Coast Mariners. The Young Matildas captain has slotted in seamlessly in Mariners defence, securing Player of the Match honours in her first-game for the club against Sydney FC, before helping her side secure a clean sheet the following week away to Western United. Nash’s performances caught the eye of national-team selectors, earning a recall to the Matildas for the first-time since 2021.
Lourdes Bosch (Melbourne City)
Bosch has been one of the great revelations to start the new A-League Women season. The American attacker has been on fire for Melbourne City this season, scoring three goals and tallying two assists in her first four games at the club. In fact, her five goal contributions is the second-most in the entire league this season so far, sitting only behind Emily Gielnik (six) after the first month of the campaign.
