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.
