With one round left to play in the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League regular season, the question is: Who will win the Golden Boot?
The Golden Boot race is delicately poised as this season’s Finals Series looms on the horizon.
Sydney FC sensation Adrian Segecic and Adelaide United star Archie Goodwin share top spot atop the goalscoring charts with 13 goals apiece, but Western Sydney Wanderers gun Nicolas Milanovic (12) is within striking distance of the pair.
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There are four other hopefuls looking to chase down the leading duo in one final twist, which is headlined by the fact that Goodwin will not play in the final round of the campaign, due to Adelaide United’s bye.
| Player | Goals | Final Round Opponent |
| 1. Adrian Segecic (Sydney FC) | 13 | Melbourne City (2nd) |
| 1. Archie Goodwin (Adelaide United) | 13 | BYE |
| 3. Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney Wanderers) | 12 | Macarthur FC (8th) |
| 4. Noah Botic (Western United) | 11 | Auckland FC (1st) |
| 5. Hiroshi Ibusuki (Western United) | 10 | Auckland FC (1st) |
| 5. Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix) | 10 | Perth Glory (13th) |
| 5. Patryk Klimala (Sydney FC) | 10 | Melbourne City (2nd) |
This is the state of play heading into the 29th and final round in 2024-25.
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Adrian Segecic (Sydney FC)
Sydney FC’s super-sub in 2024-25, Segecic is in the box seat to sensationally win this season’s Golden Boot.
The 20-year-old attacker incredibly finds himself in this position thanks to a goal every 97.2 minutes this campaign – by far the most frequent goalscorer in the competition, despite starting the fewest matches among his rivals (13). The Australian young gun has also outscored his expected goals (xG) of 6.08.
The final round trip holds extra significance for Segecic and Sydney as the seventh-placed Sky Blues look to leapfrog Adelaide United into the top six.
Final round fixture: Melbourne City (A)
Archie Goodwin (Adelaide United)
Goodwin has been a revelation since joining Adelaide United in the off-season, with the highly-rated 20-year-old repaying the faith under Carl Veart. It has been a career-best season for the talented forward but the best he can hope for now is a share of the Golden Boot after hurting his hamstring in Round 28.
He lasted just 30 minutes against Melbourne City, with Goodwin now sweating on the Golden Boot race and Adelaide waiting to discover if they have done enough to secure finals football heading into their bye.
Final round fixture: BYE
Nicolas Milanovic (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Milanovic is just one goal shy of a share of the Golden Boot lead and you would not put it past the Western Sydney star to make one last push for the goalscoring gong on the final weekend, especially given the form of the Wanderers.
The Wanderers are 11 games unbeaten and back in the finals, with Milanovic playing a key role for Alen Stajcic’s side.
His career-best 12 goals have catapulted him into the mix, to go with six assists.
Final round fixture: Macarthur Bulls (A)
Noah Botic (Western United)
Subway Socceroos hopeful Botic, like many of his talented young counterparts, is in the midst of a career-best campaign with 11 goals to his name.
The 23-year-old has been central to Western United’s resurgence this season as he looks to overturn a two-goal deficit in the Golden Boot race.
Botic (23.4%) has the second-best shot conversation rate behind Goodwin (27.1%) among the top seven goalscorers in 2024-25, but has gone four games without a goal as John Aloisi’s Green and Black look to snatch second spot and an AFC Champions League Elite berth on the final day.
Final round fixture: Auckland FC (H)
Hiroshi Ibusuki (Western United)
An outside chance to take out the Golden Boot is the Japanese veteran, who has helped bring out the best in Western United teammate Botic this season.
A model of consistency during his time in the A-Leagues, the 34-year-old has scored 10 goals in his debut season at Ironbark Fields – his second successive campaign with double-digit goals.
Ibusuki scored against Brisbane Roar on April 17, though, did not feature in last week’s win over Sydney FC.
Final round fixture: Auckland FC (H)
Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix)
Wellington Phoenix great Barbarouses has shouldered the goalscoring load this season and, in return, the history-making 35-year-old finds himself in the upper echelon of the Golden Boot race. For the second straight season, he has scored 10 goals or more.
Barbarouses – who has been the subject of speculation regarding his future – has scored three goals in his last six matches to give himself an outside chance of snaring the Golden Boot.
To give himself any opportunity, he would need at least a hat-trick against Perth Glory in the Distance Derby.
Final round fixture: Perth Glory (H)
Patryk Klimala (Sydney FC)
Like Ibusuki and Barbarouses, the Sydney FC loanee has scored 10 goals heading into Round 29.
However, the former Celtic striker is battling an injury that has forced him to miss games against Newcastle Jets and Western United.
Final round fixture: Melbourne City (A)
