The annual player-voted Austraffic A-League Women (ALW) Team of the Season has a distinct Sky-Blue theme, with six Sydney FC players named in the 2022-23 squad.
Forward Cortnee Vine, midfielders Sarah Hunter and Mackenzie Hawkesby and defenders Charlotte Mclean and Natalie Tobin were voted by their peers across the competition in the starting XI, while goalkeeper Jada Whyman secured a place on the bench.
Those players were instrumental in Sydney FC’s historic season in which the Sky Blues completed a three-peat to become the first ALW club to win three successive premierships.
Vine received the most votes from players for the second year in a row, earning the status of Team of the Season captain, adding another accolade to her recent Austraffic ALW Player of the Month for March.
“It’s been a fantastic year for me personally, and I’m really honoured to earn the vote of my teammates and peers across the A-League,” Vine said.
“Winning awards that have been voted by players are the ultimate compliment and I really cherish and respect these awards.
“I want to thank the girls and my peers for voting and to Sydney FC – I wouldn’t be where I am without them. I look forward to hopefully adding another piece of silverware this Sunday.”
The squad was revealed ahead of Sunday’s Grand Final decider at CommBank Stadium, where Vine’s Sydney FC take on Western United, who qualified for the Grand Final in their inaugural ALW season.
ALW newcomers Western United are represented by American duo – striker Hannah Keane, who scored 13 goals in 18 appearances for the green and black – and Hillary Beall – who was voted as the standout goalkeeper in a hotly-contested field which included Whyman and Melbourne Victory’s Casey Dumont.
Canberra United’s influential Michelle Heyman rounds out the front three alongside Vine and Keane after the 34-year-old netted 12 goals this campaign.
Joining Tobin and Mclean in defence are Western Sydney Wanderers’ Clare Hunt, whose form this campaign earned the 24-year-old three senior appearances in the Matildas, and Melbourne City FC’s Kaitlyn Torpey.
Despite her loan from American outfit Louisville ending in February, another Matilda, Alex Chidiac, earned the vote of her peers, with the 24-year-old chiming in with six goals and five assists in 13 A-League Women games during her spell back in Australia.
The bench consists of Whyman, Melbourne Victory defender Kayla Morrison, City’s striker Rhianna Pollicina, Canberra United’s Vesna Milivojević and Brisbane Roar’s Katrina Gorry.
The PFA’s A-League Women’s Team of the Season is proudly supported by PFA partner Austraffic.
About the Team of the Season
ALW players competing in the 2022/23 campaign voted on the composition of the squad, which considers player performances across the ALW’s 18 regular season rounds.
The team is spread across a preferred Starting XI (based on the number of votes received by each player) and placed in the formation which receives the highest number of votes from the players. The five players with the second-highest number of votes in each position are placed on the Team of the Season’s bench.
About Austraffic
Founded in 1983 (as Australasian Traffic Surveys), Austraffic has undertaken thousands of traffic, transport and pedestrian studies in all states and territories of Australia and New Zealand. Austraffic’s systems and expertise delivers quality data that meets the customer’s needs. Their offices are located throughout Australia, and their traffic engineering and information technology specialists assist customers with the design, analysis and presentation of surveys.
For more information visit austraffic.com.au
