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.
Grand Final awaits Premiership-winning Roar
Brisbane Roar have the NPLM QLD Under-23 Premiership in hand but they could also get their hands on the Championship.
The Roar, whose senior academy side finished eighth in NPLM QLD, were presented with the Premiership trophy after booking their spot in the Grand Final with a 5-2 rout of Lions FC on Friday night.
Sekou Jomanday’s side booked their spot in the big dance against Gold Coast Knights thanks to goals from Kade McDougall, Caleb Butler, Tuquiri Beckett, Declan Warnes and Forbes Porter.
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The Roar finished top of the standings with 53 points from 22 matches in the regular season, three points ahead of Moreton City Excelsior, while they also scored a league-high 81 goals.
A key part of their success up until this point has been the form of Zac Fowler.
The 16-year-old missed out on the Golden Boot by just one goal, having found the back of the net 25 times in 22 rounds.
Not only did he start for the U23s, but he made six appearances for the Roar’s senior academy team in 2024 and scored against Rochedale Rovers.
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Fowler, who returned to the Roar from Brisbane City ahead of the 2024 season having previously been part of the club’s younger academy age groups, has natural goalscoring instincts and possesses strong positioning with the ability to create scoring chances.
His technical ability is one of his biggest strengths, as well as his work rate off the ball and his pressing.
Glory clinch silverware in WA
Another A-Leagues academy side claimed a title over the weekend with Perth Glory’s Under-20 outfit wrapping up first place in U20 NPLM Western Australia via a thrilling 6-4 victory over Perth SC on Saturday.
While Perth Glory’s senior academy team drew 1-1 as they prepare for a two-legged inter-divisional play-off against Mandurah City, the U20s celebrated silverware.
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Maxim Uvarov inspired the wild win over Perth SC with a hat-trick and Louis Sollitt added two goals of his own, while Alfie Knight also scored.
Glory, whose U18s also earned a runners-up placing in their division, finished with 58 points from 22 matches (W19, D1, L2), 10 points clear of Perth SC.
Sollitt finished second in the Golden Boot race with 17 goals, four behind Perth SC’s Jacob Rossi.
This was the talented striker’s fourth year with Glory’s academy, having joined at U15 level.
A physically imposing striker who can hold the ball and not lose possession, Sollitt is also deceptively quick for someone of his size.
Sollitt, who has been training a lot with the U23s, while he has also been asked to train with the Isuzu UTE A-League squad recently, was made U20s captain at the start of the year.
As for hat-trick hero Uvarov, he has been with the Glory academy for eight years.
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An attacking midfielder who can play anywhere in midfield, he ended the season with four goals.
Uvarov’s biggest strength is his ability to create and score goals. He has an attacking mindset and enormous forward drive about his play.
He has regularly joined in U23 training, while he has also trained with the Isuzu UTE A-League squad recently, having been on the bench for the pre-season friendly against Sorrento SC.
Young Bulls draw first blood in promotion bid
It’s advantage Bulls FC Academy in their promotion/relegation play-off against Central Coast Mariners following Saturday’s 2-1 victory.
The two A-Leagues academies are going head-to-head after the Mariners finished 15th and in the relegation play-off spot in NPLM NSW, while the Bulls ended their Football NSW League One campaign in second.
With one team automatically promoted to the top flight – Mt Druitt Town Rangers – the Bulls are facing the Mariners over two legs to decide who gets the final spot in NPL NSW for next season after their U20 side won the title by 18 points.
Over the weekend, Flynn Madden and Ethan Debono scored to give the Bulls first blood at Sydney United Sports Centre.
Madden broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute after heading home from a Dean Bosnjak flick on. Bosnjak signed a scholarship deal with Macarthur FC last week.
The Mariners, though, restored parity in first-half stoppage time via Taye Hedley.
Craig Noone’s Bulls retook the lead in the 67th minute courtesy of Debono.
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“I thought we showed great character today to end the winless run. I’m happy with the result but as I said to the boys, the jobs only half done,” said Bulls head coach Noone.
“I thought we started off slow but worked our way into the game towards the end of the first half. Second half I thought we dominated and created plenty of chances.”
Central Coast welcome their A-Leagues counterparts to Pluim Park for the return fixture on September 6.
