Who will be your club’s breakout star of the Isuzu UTE A-League 2025-26 campaign?
Last season, the likes of Perth Glory’s Jaylan Pearman, Western Sydney Wanderers’ Zac Sapsford, Sydney FC’s Adrian Segecic and Adelaide United’s Archie Goodwin all took giant steps forward in their respective careers – and earned overseas moves as a result of their Isuzu UTE A-League form.
This season, a new cast of ambitious talents will look to follow their lead when the 2025-26 season kicks off on October 17.
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Read on as aleagues.com.au identifies one player from all 12 Isuzu UTE A-League clubs with the potential to make the 2025-26 season their own.
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Adelaide United: Luka Jovanovic
Following the departure of last season’s Golden Boot winner Archie Goodwin to Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC, Luka Jovanovic now has the floor.
The 20-year-old lost the battle with fellow young gun Goodwin to become Adelaide’s starting No.9 last season but has a clear run at making the starting striker role his own under new head coach Airton Andrioli, who is very familiar with Jovanovic’s undeniable talents having coached the Reds youngster through the club’s youth ranks.
Jovanovic played less minutes last season (793) than he did in 2023-24 (928), but scored five goals compared to his four in the 2023-24 campaign – his most in an Isuzu UTE A-League season to date.
With Adelaide legend Craig Goodwin returning to the club ahead of season 2025-26, Jovanovic can bank on silver service from the Socceroos winger which can only help his chances of putting up career-best attacking numbers when the season kicks off on October 17.
Jovanovic is currently on Under-20 World Cup duty with the Young Socceroos. Having lost their first two group games against Italy and Argentina, Australia must defeat Cuba on October 5 (AEDT) to have any chance of progressing to the knockouts as one of the four-best third-place group finishers – otherwise, the 20-year-old striker will return to Adelaide to prepare for a Round 1 clash with Sydney FC at Coopers Stadium on October 17.
Auckland FC: Jesse Randall
New Zealand international Jesse Randall is on a hot streak heading into his second season at Auckland FC.
The 23-year-old fed off limited minutes in Auckland’s Premiership-winning inaugural campaign; he made seven starts in 20 appearances and scored three goals in his 766 match minutes.
But in his second pre-season at the club, Randall has scored six goals across both friendly games and Australia Cup fixtures – including a Round of 16 brace against NPL VIC giants South Melbourne – to push for a regular starting role under head coach Steve Corica this season.
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FULL FIXTURES: Every match of the Isuzu UTE A-League 25-26 season here
DERBY DATES: The matches to circle in your calendar now
FIRST 5 FIXTURES: Your Isuzu UTE A-League team’s start to the 2025-26 season
FINALS SERIES: 2025-26 structure and dates
TRANSFER CENTRE: Your club’s ins/outs ahead of the upcoming season
Brisbane Roar: Samuel Klein
Late in an otherwise forgetful 2024-25 campaign for Brisbane Roar came the emergence of young midfielder Samuel Klein, who scored five goals in his last eight appearances to end the season as Brisbane’s equal-top scorer.
The Roar had won just two games heading into the final four rounds of the season but collected 10 of their 21 points in victories over the Mariners, Western United and Wellington Phoenix. Klein was central to that success. Should he continue to receive regular minutes under new head coach Michael Valkanis, expect to see the 21-year-old midfielder continue his rapid rise.
Central Coast Mariners: Haine Eames
Haine Eames, remember the name.
The 17-year-old Central Coast Mariner is on an upward trajectory after an encouraging debut season in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
The 2024-25 campaign saw Eames become the Mariners’ youngest ever debutant, starter and debutant; he even wore the captain’s armband as a 16-year-old in Central Coast’s AFC Champions League Elite clash with Kawasaki Frontale in February, making him the youngest-ever captain in AFC Champions League history.
Eames played more than 1,100 match minutes in his first campaign at the Mariners.
Labelled a player with “an abundance of talent and potential” by Mariners head coach Mark Jackson, Eames has risen to every challenge thrown at him in his young career thus far. Could becoming a key player at the club be his next frontier in 2025-26?
SOCCEROOS SQUAD: 19 Isuzu UTE A-League products called up for USA & Canada friendlies
Macarthur Bulls: Bernardo Oliveira
Bernardo Oliveira is heading into his fifth season in the Isuzu UTE A-League – and he’s only 21.
Injuries have stunted the Australian youth international’s career to date but the fit-again, Brazilian-born son of an A-Leagues legend could set the league alight with a consistent run in the Macarthur starting XI.
Bernardo joined Macarthur in January, 2024 from Adelaide United and scored three goals in four games in the lead-up to an Achilles tendon injury that sidelined the young winger for nine months. He made nine appearances and just two starts in his return to action last season.
Macarthur head coach Mile Sterjovski has unlocked the full potential of other Bulls forwards in recent years with fellow young Aussie Jed Drew the shining example; a fully-fit Bernardo could be the next Bull to shine in attack under Sterjovski should he remain fit through the opening months of the 2025-25 campaign.
FULL FIXTURES: Every match of the Isuzu UTE A-League 25-26 season here
TRANSFER CENTRE: Your club’s ins/outs ahead of the upcoming season
Melbourne City: Max Caputo
Max Caputo’s remarkable run to the 2025 Championship with Melbourne City was one of the stories of the 2024-25 season. Now, the 20-year-old is primed to make the upcoming term his own, and is a legitimate chance to challenge for Golden Boot honours, such is his talent as a number nine.
Caputo broke his leg in a freak training accident on the cusp of Round 1 last season but returned in February to spearhead City’s attack; he started all 15 of his appearances from that moment on, scoring five goals en route to securing the 2025 Championship.
Considered a key figure in City’s squad at the age of 20, a fully-fit Caputo has the potential to wreak havoc in the upcoming Isuzu UTE A-League season.
DERBY DATES: The matches to circle in your calendar now
FIRST 5 FIXTURES: Your Isuzu UTE A-League team’s start to the 2025-26 season
FINALS SERIES: 2025-26 structure and dates
Melbourne Victory: Matthew Grimaldi
Olyroos attacker Matthew Grimaldi has joined Melbourne Victory from Western United where he scored 10 goals across the first two seasons of his promising young career.
At 21, the gifted playmaker has a new challenge ahead of him: to break into the starting XI at last season’s Grand Finalists to continue his rapid rise.
There will be ample opportunity for Grimaldi to do exactly that following the departure of Daniel Arzani and Zinedine Machach from the club – two players of pivotal importance to Victory’s attack last season.
Newcastle Jets: Alex Badolato
A player of similar profile to young Victory signing Matthew Grimaldi is 20-year-old creative midfielder Alex Badolato, who signed for Newcastle Jets from Western Sydney Wanderers after a loan spell at Victory at the backend of season 2024-25.
In March, Badolato helped the Young Socceroos seal the Under-20 Asian Cup title and was named player of the tournament for his role in Australia’s success.
Currently in Chile for Australia’s Under-20 World Cup campaign, Badolato will return to Newcastle after the major tournament to work under new Jets head coach Mark Milligan, who believes he can get the best out of the young midfielder throughout his time at the club.
“We are extremely happy that we were able to gain a player of Alex’s quality,” Milligan said after signing Badolato.
“He holds great potential and I believe we will see him flourish in our environment.”
Perth Glory: Charbel Shamoon
Perth Glory have taken significant steps to reinforce a defence that shipped a league-high 56 goals last season, and the acquisition of 21-year-old Iraq international Charbel Shamoon could prove the club’s best piece of off-season business.
Shamoon is a ball-carrying full-back who averaged four dribbles and 75 touches per 90 minutes in 2024-25; he ranked 12th in the Isuzu UTE A-League for dribbles per 90 last season (min.1,000 match minutes), trailing 11 midfielders and forwards on the league-wide list.
Glory fans are desperate to see their side show greater energy and endurance throughout the 2025-26 campaign to avoid being outworked and exposed by their Isuzu UTE A-League opponents; Shamoon could be key to Glory improving in that pivotal area and will have ample opportunity to impress at his new side.
The sky is the limit for a young player already capped at senior international level and signed a two-year deal in Perth.
Sydney FC: Paul Okon-Engstler
When you’re the son of a Socceroos legend, the pressure to perform is sky high. Such is the talent of new Sydney FC midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler, however, any expectations already set for the 20-year-old could very well be exceeded throughout his first campaign in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Son of retired Socceroo Paul Okon, Okon-Engstler joined the Sky Blues from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica on a three-year deal; already called up to the senior Socceroos squad in June, the central midfielder is a star in the making.
Former Melbourne Victory star Ryan Teague is a perfect example of what Okon-Engstler could quickly become in the Isuzu UTE A-League; Teague spent two seasons at Melbourne Victory and became a senior Socceroo before sealing a move to Belgian Pro League team KV Mechelen for an undisclosed fee in July.
Wellington Phoenix: Luke Brooke-Smith
It’s been a big off-season for Phoenix youngster Luke Brooke-Smith.
At 17 years and 93 days of age, the Wellington forward became the second-youngest New Zealand international debutant in All Whites history, coming off the bench to face the Socceroos in Auckland in September.
Currently on international duty at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile, Brooke-Smith scored his first goal of the tournament to help his side to a 2-1 comeback win over Egypt as New Zealand looks to make it out of their group and into the knockouts. When he returns, expect Brooke-Smith to receive plenty of minutes under Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano as he looks to cement his status as one of the best young players in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Western Sydney Wanderers: Aydan Hammond
Aydan Hammond has seen the blueprint in Western Sydney: perform well, score goals and attract interest from overseas clubs.
Just last season alone, young trio Nicolas Milanovic, Zac Sapsford and Oscar Priestman sealed moved abroad off the back of superb Isuzu UTE A-League form for the Wanderers and now, 21-year-old Hammond looks poised to receive more opportunities of his own to shine in the absence of the departed trio.
Hammond made just six starts in his 25 appearances last season but scored four goals in 688 match minutes; the Olyroos forward could quickly become a pivotal member of the Wanderers’ attack and has experienced new arrivals Kosta Barbarouses, Alou Kuol and Bozhidar Kraev to learn off in the upcoming season.
