Football Ferns Rebekah Stott and Macey Fraser have been named in a 17-player Women’s A-League Team of the Season, chosen by their professional peers.
Members of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) were asked to vote on their best team selection at the end of the Liberty A-League regular season, a tradition that began in 2009.
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.
Melbourne City’s Stott, who will lead her club in Saturday’s Grand Final against Sydney, makes the PFA team for the second time.
Main photo: Melbourne City’s Rebekah Stott … recognised by her peers.
Wellington Phoenix midfielder Fraser, who made her A-League debut this season, is one of six substitutes named in the PFA squad.
Captain of the theoretical squad, with the most votes overall, was Canberra United’s Michelle Heyman.
Heyman’s 17 goals for Canberra United saw her become the first player in A-League Women’s history to win three Golden Boots, and her first since the 2011-12 season. This season, Heyman became the league’s first player to score 100 career goals when she scored a brace against Adelaide United in January.
Her performances for Canberra earned her a recall to the Matildas squad for the first time since 2018, where she scored five goals in two matches against Uzbekistan to help Australia secure a place at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It feels very special, and I am honoured to be selected and named captain for the PFA Team of the Season,” Heyman said.
“I have spent my whole professional career playing within the A-League and wouldn’t be the player I am today without the support of Australian football.”
Who made the team
The team comprises a starting XI in a 4-3-3 formation, with six substitutes. The players also voted on their coach of the season.
Goalkeeper
Morgan Aquino (Perth Glory)
Aquino played all 22 rounds and led the league with 126 saves, 35 more than second-placed Izzy Nino, and she recorded a save percentage of 81.1%.
Defenders
Kayla Morrison (Melbourne Victory), Jamilla Rankin (Melbourne Victory), Charlotte McLean (Sydney), Rebekah Stott (Melbourne City)
Morrison and Rankin had strong seasons as the anchors of the Melbourne Victory defence.
McLean and her Sydney teammates had the league’s tightest defence, conceding only 20 goals.
Stott led her side’s defence in their march to the Premiers Plate, and Grand Final.
Midfielders
Vesna Milivojevic (Canberra United), Rhianna Pollicina (Melbourne City), Alex Chidiac (Melbourne Victory)
Milivojevic scored 10 goals and had three assists, with eight of her goals coming in the opening five rounds. Her early performances earned her a move to Swedish club Norrköping.
Pollicina scored six goals, including a decisive strike in Melbourne City’s 2-1 win against Perth Glory to secure the Premiership.
Chidiac made the PFA side for the fourth time, her third in a row, after her return to the Melbourne Victory.
Forwards
Michelle Heyman (Canberra United), Sarina Bolden (Newcastle Jets), Cortnee Vine (Sydney)
Captain Heyman is joined in the PFA side by Bolden, who scored 14 goals and made nine assists for the Jets, helping them reach the finals for the first time since 2018. She made only 17 appearances, having signed for the Jets ahead of round six.
FIFA Women’s World Cup star Vine bounced back from an injury-riddled start to the campaign, scoring 10 goals and registering six assists. This is Vine’s fourth straight appearance in the PFA selection.
Substitutes
Mackenzie Hawkesby (Sydney), Jada Whyman (Sydney), Taylor Otto (Melbourne City), Grace Maher (Western United), Macey Fraser (Wellington Phoenix), Emily Gielnik (Melbourne Victory).
For Fraser, the 2023-24 Liberty A-League season was a breakout performance, earning her the Phoenix members’ U-23 player of the year, and the members’ player of the year awards.
She was also recognised at the Phoenix season awards for scoring the women’s goal of the year, a stunning effort against Western United in round 4.
READ MORE: Barry and Barbarouses take top honours at Wellington Phoenix season awards >>>>
Fraser will play next for United States club Utah Royals in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) after the Royals reportedly ‘smashed’ the A-Leagues transfer record with an undisclosed fee understood to be a six-figure amount.
READ MORE: US club ‘smashes’ record transfer fee to sign Phoenix midfielder Macey Fraser >>>>
Coach
Dario Vidosic (Melbourne City)
In his first full season as Melbourne City’s senior women’s head coach, Vidosic steered his team to their first piece of silverware since 2020. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Rado, who was named Coach of the Season in the 2019-20 season.
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