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.
Two-goal hero keeps Sydney in the top flight
Cometh the hour, Cometh the man. Jaiden Kucharski scored a brace to ensure Sydney FC avoided relegation from NPLM NSW over the weekend.
On the final day of the regular season, Sydney produced a great escape with a 2-1 win over Sydney Olympic as former A-Leagues striker and Olympic captain Roy O’Donovan retired.
Sydney entered the match with their top-flight status on the line but Kucharski‘s two-goal haul kept the Sky Blues in NPLM NSW for another season as fellow A-Leagues academy Central Coast Mariners dropped into a relegation/promotion play-off tie.
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The 22-year-old forward, who scored four goals in 24 Isuzu UTE A-League appearances last season – nine of those starts – converted a 44th-minute penalty before doubling the lead with a well-taken goal from the edge of the area approaching the hour mark.
Former Mariners, Newcastle Jets and Brisbane Roar star O’Donovan pulled a goal back five minutes later but the Sky Blues held on for a huge win at Jubilee Stadium on Sunday.
Kucharski, who made his A-Leagues debut in 2022-23, finished the NPL season with four goals in just six games.
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“Today might not have been our best performance but we were clinical with the chances that we created,” said Sydney FC head coach Jimmy Van Weeren via NPL NSW.
“The boys have enough potential and deserve to be in this league and we are just really proud and happy for the players.
“Our players are going to be far better for this season and for the experience that they have gained here and we are really looking forward to next year.
“JK [Kucharski] is a superbly talented player and you saw that again today, he has some real quality and his goal-scoring ability is first class and we are really proud of him.”
The 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season is shaping up as an exciting one for Kucharski.
Sydney FC has been a part of the 22-year-old’s life for as long as he can remember; firstly as a fan, entrenched in the club’s active supporter base, The Cove. Then as an academy signing at 13. Then as a scholarship signing with the senior side at 19, an Isuzu UTE A-League debutant at 20, and a goalscorer in the Australian top flight at 21.
That last accomplishment was ticked off the to-do list last season when Kucharski was handed the first league start of his senior career under Sydney head coach Ufuk Talay, rewarding his faith with an impressive brace struck in a 5-1 rout of Adelaide United.
He backed that up with a goal in the 2-1 derby victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in April before scoring in the 4-0 Elimination Final rout of Macarthur FC.
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A-Leagues academies to meet in vital play-off
Central Coast Mariners v Bulls FC Academy. Lock it in.
The two academy sides will go head-to-head in a two-legged play-off in New South Wales.
Central Coast’s 4-1 loss to premiers Rockdale Ilinden despite an equaliser via Bailey Brandtman meant the Mariners dropped down into 15th position in NPLM, while Bulls FC Academy’s 3-1 defeat to Hakoah FC saw the team finish second in Football NSW League One.
With one team automatically promoted to the top flight – Mt Druitt Town Rangers – the Bulls will now face the Mariners over the next two weekends to decide who gets the final spot in NPL NSW for next season.
The Bulls will host the first leg at Sydney United Sports Centre on August 31, before the Mariners welcome their A-Leagues counterparts to Pluim Park on September 6.
Eyes will be on Central Coast’s Arthur De Lima after his breakout NPL season was rewarded with his maiden professional contract at the Mariners.
The 18-year-old has scored 12 goals in 25 starts for the Mariners.
As for the Bulls, captain Flynn Madden looms as a big threat having scored a team-high 11 goals in 2024.
Meanwhile, Western Sydney Wanderers’ NPLM NSW season ended with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of second-placed Marconi Stallions.
Meliwethu Nkomo scored for the Wanderers.
“I think the boys were fantastic in most parts of the game,” said Wanderers coach Richard Cardozo via NPL NSW.
“They were probably soft goals to concede, we probably should have done a little bit better to block shots.
“I think we probably deserved a little bit more out of the game, but I’m still proud of the boys and how they’re developing.
“Each week they’re showing they’re capable of playing this level and potentially higher.
“Hopefully with a little bit of luck we can keep a lot of these boys together and next season keep building the same way.”
In NPLM WA, relegation-threated Perth Glory drew 2-2 at Western Knights.
Giovanni De Abreu scored a stunning goal, while Khoa Ngo equalised 11 minutes from the end.
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Newcastle’s unprecedented season
Having already clinched the Football NSW League Two premiership and promotion, Newcastle Jets ticked off a “remarkable” feat to end an historic season.
The Jets ended the entire 2024 campaign unbeaten following a 3-1 victory at Hawkesbury City.
Described as an “unprecedented, remarkable achievement” by Football NSW, Newcastle made it through the 30-round season without a loss as they prepare for life in NSW’s second tier.
They became the first ever League Two side to achieve the feat as Xavier Bertoncello scored twice in two minutes, while Kierry James was also on target.
With Saturday’s triumph, the Jets finished with 23 wins and five draws to go with two byes. Newcastle closed out the campaign 13 points ahead of second placed Mounties Wanderers.
Bertoncello was Newcastle’s leading scorer with 17 goals, ahead of teammate Janni Rafty (13) and Alex Nunes (11).
On top of Newcastle’s success in League Two, the Jets have also handed out scholarship deals to Ben van Dorssen, Nunes, Zac Bowling and Will Dobson.
“I think our team is full of potential for the A-League,” Jets head coach Damian Zane told aleagues.com.au recently.
“We feel like we have real talent. We’ve always had talent in Newcastle. We’ve been crying out to get up to NPL2 and have been unlucky not to at certain times. It feels right. The age of the youth team and the depth of talent, it feels the right time to go up now.
“I feel this group of players will actually lift. We will grow and produce more players by going up a level.
“It is a good vibe. I only really noticed a couple of weeks ago that we were undefeated. To be undefeated shows a good mental resolve. You have to understand, for the first few months, we didn’t even know if we’d exist. I asked the players to just concentrate on football but it just shows the mental state of this group. We didn’t even know if the club would be around and they were still getting results.
“It shows a bit about; A – the type of player we breed in Newcastle and it shows a fair bit about this group and they are a touch special.”
In NPLW NSW, Amber Luchtmeijer was crowned the Golden Boot winner with 23 goals.
The Sydney FC-bound sensation did not score in Bulls FC Academy’s 4-1 win against Manly United but still finished top of the charts.
In the final game of the regular season, the Bulls were inspired by a Petria Phillips hat-trick and a goal from Daniella Naeimi.
Emerging Jets were beaten 4-0 by Gladesville Ravens.
In the final round of the regular NPLW VIC season, Melbourne Victory signing Alana Jancevski scored in Heidelberg United’s 2-2 draw against second-placed Preston Lions, who benefited from two goals via Perth Glory star Susan Phonsongkham.
Former Victory forward Maja Markovski wrapped up the Golden Boot with an incredible four goals in premiers Bulleen Lions’ 8-0 humbling of Calder United.
Melbourne City star Rhianna Pollicina‘s brace guided Box Hill United past FV Emerging 6-0.
Full-season members, click here to visit the Unite Round ticket hub to secure your tickets today!
