The Austraffic PFA Player of the Month is back for the 2026-27 season and the 12 nominees across the A-Leagues have been locked in for October.
All 12 players – across both competitions – were selected by a panel of former players and experts, who nominated the individuals based off their performances during the first month of the season.
Across each of the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions six players have been nominated for the award and 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
Corban Piper (Wellington Phoenix)
Piper has been one of the stars of the season so far. The versatile striker has found the back of the net in each of Wellington’s three matches and sits atop the Golden Boot charts at the end of the month. His performances have not only helped the ‘Nix to a perfect start to the season, but caught the eye of national team selectors too, earning a first-ever call-up to the New Zealand national team for the upcoming international window in November.
Jonathan Aspropotamitis (Macarthur FC)
Aspropotamitis has played a key role in the heart of the Macarthur defence since returning to the club this season. The centre-back’s performances have helped the Bulls to an unbeaten start to the season, making a huge impact at both ends of the ground, having scored the winner against Perth Glory in Round 1.
Dylan Scicluna (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Scicluna has reminded the league of just how damaging he can be with a fast start to the new campaign. The all-action midfielder has been everywhere for Western Sydney Wanderers throughout their first three games, acting as an important player in both defensive and attacking phases. Scicluna’s standout performance came in their 5-2 victory over Auckland FC where he tallied two assists at home.
Miguel Di Pizio (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Di Pizio has been another of Western Sydney’s prime movers to start the season, floruishing in his return to the club where he began his professional football journey. The former Central Coast Mariners winger has played centrally as a No.10 in the opening three matches and began to forge a nice partnership with the likes of Scicluna, Nicolas Milanovic, Brandon Borrello and Liam Gillion. Di Pizio scored his first goal for the club in the aforementioned win over Auckland in Round 2, after he was teed up by fellow nominee Sciculuna’s long range pass.
Tom Aldred (Brisbane Roar)
Aldred is back in Brisbane and picking up right where he left off. The captain returned to the Roar this season after a two-year stint in India and has slotted in seamlessly in the heart of defence, providing much needed steel to a back-line which lost Lucas Herrington in January and Dimitri Valkanis to a long-term injury. Aldred scored the all-important late equaliser against Auckland in Round 3 to ensure Brisbane continued their unbeaten start.
Matthew Sheridan (Wellington Phoenix)
Sheridan joins teammate Piper among the Wellington players in the mix for Player of the Month honours. The 22-year-old full-back has two assists from right-back and has provided great cover defensively as part of the league’s best back-line through three games (only conceded one goal). He also earned a debut call-up to the All Whites squad for the upcoming international window alongside Piper and fellow teammates Nathan Walker, Bill Tuiloma, James McGarry, Alex Rufer and Henry Gray.
A-League Women
Momo Hayashi (Melbourne City)
What a start to life in City colours for Hayashi. The Japanese midfielder has taken to her new surroundings brilliantly with a stunning start to the campaign, scoring in both of City’s opening two league games, including a stunning long-range strike against Sydney FC in Round 2. Hayashi also found the net in the 7-0 victory over Kaya-Iloilo in the AFC Women’s Champions League, continuing her brilliant season.
Talia Kapetanellis (Central Coast Mariners)
Kapetanellis has been one of the great stories of the A-League Women season so far. The Central Coast Mariners attacker has been flying, scoring five goals in three games to help her side to an unbeate start to the campaign. Incredibly, this comes only months after she believed her football journey may be over following her release from Western Sydney Wanderers at the end of the 2024-25 season. But after starring in the NPL with both Sydney Uni and APIA Leichhardt Tigers, she has landed back in the league and made the most of her second chance in the A-Leagues.
Julia Sardo (Perth Glory)
Perth’s defensive unit has been superb to kick-off the new season and the form of Sardo has gone a long way to ensuring they haven’t conceded in their opening three matches. The ever reliable full-back has won a stunning 92.9% of her 15 tackles and has also made 15 clearances, showcasing just how strong she has performed from the word go this season.
Danika Matos (Central Coast Mariners)
Matos has starred in her new surroundings on the Central Coast throughout the opening three games of the new season. The full-back has been on fire up-and-down the flank, tallying three assists in her opening three matches to help her side continue their undefeated start.
Sienna Saveska (Melbourne Victory)
After an interrupted first season at Melbourne Victory, Saveska is off to a flying start to her second year at the club. The versatile attacker has solidified her place in the Victory starting lineup this season and opened up her account for the ‘Vuck’ with the all-important winner against Newcastle Jets last weekend.
Talia Younis (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Younis continued her rise to stardom throughout the opening few rounds of the season with a blistering start to the new campaign. The youngster – who was nominated for the PFA Young Women’s Footballer of the Year – has picked up where she left off last season with three strong performances for the Western Sydney Wanderers, which included scoring and helping herself to an assist in their win over Brisbane Roar.
Featured image (right): Central Coast Mariners
