The 12 nominees for the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month award have been named for February.
Each of the players in the running for the peer-voted PFA award were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during the second month of the year.
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
Juan Mata (Melbourne Victory)
The Spanish maestro was at his brilliant best again throughout February. Mata starred as Melbourne Victory went undefeated in their four games in February and continuously reminded the Australian football public – and the world by that token – of just how good he really is. The winner of the Austraffic PFA Player of the Month for December tallied three assists (taking his tally to a league-high ten for the season) and two goals in February. His brace and one of those assists came in a 3-1 Derby win over arch-rivals Melbourne City, where Mata scored one of the goals of the season to open the scoring, before restoring their lead with another stunning strike in the second-half.
Jesse Randall (Auckland FC)
Randall continued his career best season to date with yet another brilliant stretch of football for Auckland FC which has led to him being nominated for Player of the Month for a second straight month. The New Zealand international bagged three more goals and two assists in February, including a brace in the Kiwi Classico against Wellington Phoenix and another strike in their win over reigning A-League Men Champions Melbourne City. His three goals has taken his tally to nine for the season and put him on top of the Golden Boot charts going into March.
Max Burgess (Newcastle Jets)
Newcastle continued their fine form in February and Burgess was central to their undefeated run. The 31-year-old has rejuvenated his career on the Hunter this season under Mark Milligan, slotting in brilliantly alongside the likes of fellow Player of the Month nominee Lachlan Bayliss and Will Dobson in midfield. Burgess’ calmness on the ball and intelligence makes him the perfect metronome in the middle of the park for the Jets in their quest for more silverware this season.
Andrew Redmayne (Central Coast Mariners)
Redmayne continues to play a huge role in Central Coast’s season and has helped them begin to scale the table for a finals push. The former Socceroos goalkeeper helped the Mariners extend their unbeaten run to seven straight games, including four games undefeated in February. Redmayne kept two clean sheets throughout the month which included a whopping nine save performance in their 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory at home. He now sits first in saves per 90 in the entire league with 4.7 and sitting second in save percentage (76.7%) and goals prevented (4.3) per FotMob.
Lachie Bayliss (Newcastle Jets)
Bayliss made it back-to-back months in the mix for the PFA Player of the Month following another run of fantastic performances. The midfielder continued to lead from the front as the Newcastle Jets retained their position on top of the table and their nine game undefeated streak. Bayliss capped off his great run of outings with two goals and adding an assist during February, which included the match-winning strike against Macarthur FC.
James Donachie (Central Coast Mariners)
Donachie has been a huge part of the Mariners revival in February, putting together a solid month of performances during their undefeated run. The experienced centre-back was a rock defensively for Central Coast and scored the all-important winner against Western Sydney Wanderers which enormously helped their surge up the table.
A-League Women
Aideen Keane (Melbourne City)
Keane is enjoying a breakout season for Melbourne City, establishing herself as one of the reigning premiers’ most important attackers. The 24-year-old has taken her game to another level in February, bagging two goals in their wins over Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar to take her tally to four for the season. Her performances alongside Bryleeh Henry and Holly McNamara in attack has created one of the A-League Women’s most potent frontlines heading into the finals series.
Melina Ayres (Newcastle Jets)
Ayres returned to her best in February with a run of fantastic performances during February. The attacker bagged three goals in four games to take her tally to six for the season, including one of the goals of the season in their clash with Perth Glory. Performances like these from Ayres will go a long way to ensuring the Jets can turn their fortunes around and begin to stack up the wins in order to make a late finals push.
Josie Aulicino (Canberra United)
Aulicino’s brilliant year with Canberra United has gone a long way to solidifying themselves as one of the A-League Women’s title contenders this season. The American – who starred with NPLW Victoria champions Box Hill United prior to landing at Canberra – has been one of the top performers in the competition since the start of the year and continued to flourish in February. Aulicino capped off her month with a brilliant brace in their 3-0 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers, which included a stunning long-range strike.
Ella Tonkin (Adelaide United)
Tonkin has been flying for Adelaide United this season as the Reds surge their way up the A-League Women ladder and into title contention. The versatile defender played a key role in Adelaide’s two wins in February, helping the Reds to back-to-back wins and clean sheets. Tonkin even made an impact at the other end of the field, scoring in their 2-0 victory over Brisbane Roar.
Pia Vlok (Wellington Phoenix)
Vlok’s rise to stardom continued in February as the teenage attacker put together an incredible run of form. The 17-year-old attacker began the month with a hat-trick in Wellington Phoenix’s 5-1 victory over Newcastle Jets, becoming the first women’s player to bag three goals in a single match in club history and the second youngest player in A-League Women history to do so. She continued her solid form throughout the rest of the month, which included an assist in their 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory. Vlok’s incredible season to date was capped off with a first-ever call-up to the New Zealand women’s national team, where she scored in her second appearance for the Football Ferns against the Solomon Islands.
Heather Hinz (Sydney FC)
Hinz has been a bright spot during a tough season for Sydney FC, starring between the sticks from the onset. The American goalkeeper continued her brilliant campaign with another solid month, taking her clean sheet tally to an equal league-high five in the Sky Blues’ 4-0 win over Brisbane. Hinz also ranks first in save percentage (87.3%), saves per 90 (6.1) and equal-top alongside Teresa Morrissey with six goals prevented according to FotMob.
