Welcome to Wonderkid Watch: A weekly piece that keeps you up to date with the players and stories emerging from A-Leagues clubs playing at NPL level in Australia.
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‘Special’ talent inspires Adelaide’s big win
Adelaide United prodigy Amlani Tatu scored a hat-trick to lead the Reds past newly-promoted WT Birkalla 6-2 in NPLM SA on Saturday.
Tatu scored two goals inside the opening 24 minutes, before the 16-year-old completed his treble three minutes from the end at ServiceFM Stadium, where Harry Crawford scored twice and the competition’s joint leading scorer Brody Burkitt (five) was also on target.
To go with his treble, Tatu also teed up Burkitt for his goal after skipping past two players.
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All eyes have been on Tatu since his “explosive” debut for Adelaide in the NPL 14 months ago. Another exciting talent making his way through Adelaide’s famed football factory, the teenage sensation made his Isuzu UTE A-League bow in February and has featured three times for Carl Veart’s men after signing a three-year deal at the start of 2024-25.
Adelaide’s Head of Youth Football Airton Andrioli spoke to aleagues.com.au about Tatu after his three-goal haul over the weekend.
“Amlani is going well, he is a special player but will need time to flourish,” Andrioli told aleagues.com.au.
“He still needs to develop physically and mentally, something that we have discussed with him. The demands of A-League football is something he needs to adapt to and it won’t happen overnight.
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“He needs to use the NPL games to gain confidence and continue to work on aspects of his game that need to improve.
“He also needs to constantly push him self through the pain barrier at training, working outside of his comfort zone to get to the next level.
“He is coming along well and should fulfil his potential at the right moment.
“Also, he needs to be more consistent with his performance at NPL level like he did last Saturday.”
Adelaide are level with MetroStars and Adelaide City on 14 points through seven rounds, though MetroStars top the standings on goal difference.
At reserve level, the Reds lost 4-3 at home to league-leading WT Birkalla despite leading 2-0 after 10 minutes.
Jacob Kabazo, Mohammed Hassan and Ali Mohtashami were on target for Adelaide, who sixth and eight points off the pace.
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In NPLM WA, Perth Glory stayed second with their 3-0 win over Western Knights.
Adrian Pini, Max Naylor and Alfie Knight were the goalscorers for the unbeaten Glory.
Glory’s U23s, meanwhile, edged Western Knights 4-3 courtesy of goals from Cristiano Farfan, Henri Knight and Oliver Evans.
Melbourne Victory gun’s ‘Goal of the Season’ stunner
Luka Kolic, wow!
The Melbourne Victory young gun produced a Puskas Award contender in Monday night’s thrilling 4-3 defeat to Dandenong Thunder in NPLM VIC.
Kolic broke the deadlock in insane fashion at the Home of the Matildas, where the 20-year-old scored a Rabona past A-Leagues champion and Thunder goalkeeper Jamie Young.
That goal lit up the internet as the former Melbourne Knights junior gave Victory the perfect start with his first goal of the campaign. It also thrust Kolic into the spotlight after he was promoted to the club’s Isuzu UTE A-League squad at the start of 2024-25.
Kolic – who scored five goals during Victory’s promotion from VPL1 in 2024 – is yet to make his professional debut for Victory but has been on the bench once for Arthur Diles’ side this season.
The youngster’s moment of magic against Thunder was part of a wild night in Bundoora.
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Patrick Wall struck two minutes later to have ninth-placed Victory 2-0 ahead after 37 minutes but that was just the start of the chaos.
Quick-fire goals from the visitors restored parity by the 48th minute before Daniel Lazarevski restored Victory’s advantage 19 minutes from the end.
Then, Thunder sensationally emerged from the jaws of defeat to snatch the win thanks to goals in the 84th and 89th minutes.
Victory’s Under-23 side, triumphed 9-1 thanks to a James Lackay hat-trick.
In VPL1, Melbourne City and Western United were both held to draws in Victoria’s second division.
Unbeaten leaders City drew 1-1 at home to Bulleen Lions despite Arion Sulemani‘s 26th-minute opener. Sulemani – who has made eight A-Leagues appearances this season – is in red-hot form having scored five goals in his last four games in VPL1.
Alessandro Diamanti’s City are five points clear at the summit and six ahead of third-placed Western United, who drew 1-1 away to North Sunshine Eagles.
Khoder Kaddour scored for Western, who had Besian Kutleshi sent off.
At U23 level, undefeated leaders Western United beat North Sunshine 6-1 thanks to a Lenny Van Heer brace. Oscar Tanic, Anderson Back, William Kengni and Yannick Kengni also scored.
As for City, John Kellis scored in a 3-1 loss to Bulleen.
‘First class’ two-goal hero gives Roar first win of 2025
Brisbane Roar have lift off in NPLM QLD.
Roar celebrated their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Wynnum Wolves thanks to a first-half double from Rhys Williams.
In his first league match since returning from Subway Joeys duty at the Under-17 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, Williams opened the scoring in the sixth minute and added another prior to half-time.
“Rhys has been the one in the group that has come the furthest in his development since we started pre-season in November,” Roar’s academy head coach Karl Dodd told aleagues.com.au.
“He has a real tenacity about him to continually be better and get it right. His attitude and application is first class and it’s showing in his performances.”
In NPLM NSW, Marin France and Mathias Macallister guided Sydney FC past Sutherland Sharks 2-0.
Western Sydney Wanderers went down 1-0 to St George City, while Rocco Smith scored in Central Coast Mariners’ 3-1 defeat at Rockdale Ilinden.
In the U20s, league-leading Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners were triumphant.
Luka Knezevic, Joshua Cetinic and Akol Akon inspired Western Sydney’s 3-0 win over St George City, while the Mariners took down Rockdale courtesy of Harrison Jablonski and Max Miller.
Sydney FC lost 3-2 at home to Sutherland Sharks despite goals from Zac Fowler and Jack Ryu.
In NPLW NSW, Newcastle Jets lost 2-1 at home to Gladesville Ravens. Alexis Collins scored for the Jets.
Bulls FC Academy, meanwhile, topped Western Sydney Wanderers 3-1 in an entertaining derby.
Petria Phillips was at the double for the Bulls, with Isabella Coco-Di Sipio also on target. Miriam Zumaya was Western Sydney’s goalscorer.
In Football NSW League One, Atiya Waraga and Zane Helweh led fifth-placed Bulls FC Academy past second-placed SD Raiders 2-1.
Meanwhile, sixth-placed Newcastle Jets were upstaged 3-2 by Bankstown City in NSW’s second tier.
At U20 level, the league-leading Bulls saw off SD Raiders 3-1 through Lachlan Sattout, Henrique Oliveira and Stephen Varvaritis.
Second-placed Newcastle overcame Bankstown 1-0 after Tommy Edmonds struck in the 50th minute.
In New Zealand, Wellington Phoenix men’s reserves were held to a 2-2 draw by Petone FC following an injury-time equaliser in the Central League.
Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues’ long-range stunner headlined the clash, while Luke Supyk also struck.
Wellington’s U18 women’s team also kept their unbeaten streak alive in the Central League following a 0-0 draw against Petone FC.
The Phoenix women’s reserve team, meanwhile, kicked off their season with a 4-2 win against Waterside Karori. Amber de Wit, Phoebe Hawes, Isla Cleall-Harding, and Grace Bartlett all scored.
