Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has announced its annual player-voted PFA A-League Men Team of the Season ahead of this Saturday’s blockbuster Melbourne Derby Grand Final between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory.
The squad – made up of 18 players and a coach – features five players who will feature in this weekend’s decider, which kicks off at 7:40 PM (AEST) on Saturday night.
City have four players in the squad, including two starters in defence with Kai Trewin and Nathaniel Atkinson voted in the back four, while Aziz Behich and Marco Tilio are among the substitutes.
Ryan Teague is the sole representative from Victory, after being named among the starters in midfield.
A-League Premiers Auckland have the most representatives of any of the A-League Men teams with six players and the Coach of the Season.
Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen was voted Team of the Season Captain for a second consecutive season, having received the highest number of votes from his peers.
He’s joined by Francis de Vries, Hiroki Sakai, Louis Verstraete, Guillermo May and Nando Pijnaker in the squad, while Steve Corica was voted the Coach.
The Team
The team comprises of a 4-3-3 formation, with seven substitutes on the bench. All selected players received the most votes among their peers by PFA A-League Men members at the conclusion of the regular season. The members also voted on their coach of the season.
The Captain and Goalkeeper
Alex Paulsen has been voted the captain of the PFA A-League Men Team of the Season for the second consecutive season, receiving the most amount of votes from his peers after yet another brilliant campaign.
The 22-year-old didn’t miss a beat for Steve Corica’s side, keeping a league high 12 clean sheets during the regular season, to go with a 73% save percentage (third best in the A-League Men) and 2.1 goals prevented, which was the second best figure in the league.
His performances – along with that of his fantastic defensive unit – helped Auckland secure the A-League Men Premiership in their first season in the league.
“I can’t quite believe this. I’m still taking it in to be honest,” Paulsen said.
“I’m thankful to everyone who voted for me, it means so much. I want to thank my teammates, the coaching staff and my family who have all supported me over this past year and encouraged me to become a better person and a better goalkeeper. It is a huge honour and privilege to be represented on behalf of Auckland FC.”
Paulsen is the first A-League Men player to be voted captain of the PFA Team of the Season on back-to-back occasions since all-time A-League Men top goalscorer Jamie Maclaren achieved this feat in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
The Defenders
Auckland duo Francis de Vries and Hiroki Sakai were voted the starting left-back and right-back respectively, after starring in their first campaigns in the A-League Men. Both players impressed enormously at both ends of the pitch as Auckland only shipped 27 goals for the entire campaign – which was the second best in the league – while De Vries added seven assists and two goals to his name and Sakai had seven goal contributions (three goals, four assists).
They’re joined by Kai Trewin and Nathaniel Atkinson from City, who helped Aurelio Vidmar’s side to a league-best 25 goals conceded for the entire campaign. This is the first time both players have been voted into the squad, with the former enjoying a breakout season in his maiden campaign at City which saw him earn a Socceroos call-up. Atkinson, meanwhile, starred in a myriad of roles across the pitch for City in his first season back at the club following a stint overseas at Scottish side Hearts.
The Midfielders
An additional three fresh faces have been voted into the starting midfield, with Angus Thurgate, Ryan Teague and Louis Verstraete earning places in the XI.
Thurgate starred for Western United all campaign, with his tireless efforts in the middle of the park helping John Aloisi’s side back into the finals this season, while Teague also shone in his second season at Melbourne Victory, taking his game to another level throughout the 2024-25 campaign as one of his side’s most consistent performers on a week-to-week basis.
Meanwhile, Verstraete shone in his first season in the A-League Men with Auckland, providing plenty of steel and creativity in the middle of the park.
The Forwards
The Team’s attack has a youthful flavour to it with joint Golden Boot winners Archie Goodwin and Adrian Segecic joining Johnny Warren Medallist Nicolas Milanovic in the front three.
Goodwin took his game to another level during the 2024-25 season, shining in his first season with Adelaide United with 13 goals to his name, while Segecic also thrived for Sydney FC, adding the same amount of goals to his name in a breakout campaign for the versatile attacker.
Milanovic continued to flourish for the Western Sydney Wanderers, tallying 18 goal contributions (12 goals, six assists) and earning a move to Scottish side Aberdeen as a result of his performances which also saw him take home the league’s top gong.
The Substitutes
Nando Pijnaker and Guillermo May are rewarded for their fantastic seasons at either end of the pitch, with the latter being named the club’s Golden Boot winner after scoring nine goals.
Aziz Behich, meanwhile, earns his first call-up to the team since the 2011-12 season with Melbourne Heart, while Marco Tilio’s scintillating end to the season sees him join the squad for also the second time in his career.
They’re joined by Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas, who makes his second appearance in the Team of the Season following another strong campaign, along with Sydney FC’s Anthony Caceres. Meanwhile, Western United young gun Noah Botic was voted into the squad for the first time in his career after finishing second in the Golden Boot race.
The Coach
Steve Corica‘s fantastic season with Auckland FC earns him the position of Coach. Corica led the A-League Men’s newest side to the Premiership in his first season. As a player, Corica was named on the bench of the 2009-10 team and the PFA Team of the Decade, but this is the first time he has been named coach, joining Kevin Muscat who achieved the feat in 2015.
About the PFA Team of the Season
The inaugural PFA A-League Team of the Season was announced in 2009 and has been revealed annually in the A-Leagues Finals Series. Based on peer recognition, selection in the PFA Team of the Season remains one of the highest accolades a professional footballer can receive in Australia.
At the end of each season, PFA members from the A-Leagues are asked to vote on their best XI. The composition of the team is based on the number of votes tallied for each player in each position, with the substitutes bench comprising those players who finished below those in the starting XI positions. The player with the most votes is determined the Team of the Season’s captain.
