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.
Featured Image: Rob Artola for Football NSW
A-Leagues-bound star’s red hot season continues
Amber Luchtmeijer is continuing to show why she has been signed by Liberty A-League champions Sydney FC for the 2024-25 season.
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The 17-year-old sensation and NPLW NSW Golden Boot leader scored her second hat-trick of the campaign as Bulls FC Academy blitzed Emerging Jets 4-0 over the weekend.
Luchtmeijer completed a 33-minute treble to inspire the seventh-placed Bulls at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, where teammate Gemma Ferris was also on target on Sunday evening.
The Sky Blues bound teenage star has scored 23 goals this season – five more than any other player in the competition.
Luchtmeijer had a dream when she joined Bulls FC Academy this season – play in the A-Leagues.
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She has achieved that dream after signing with Sydney FC amid her breakout season in NPLW NSW.
“I’m looking forward to working in the professional space and against more of the girls that play there,” Luchtmeijer said upon joining Sydney last month.
“To make the step up to the A-League is something I have dreamed of since the age of five and it’s just super exciting.
“Getting on the score sheet in the A-League would be pretty amazing but I just want to improve as a player and get used to performing in the professional space, but goals would definitely be a bonus.”
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Against the Jets, Luchtmeijer opened the scoring in the 17th minute and doubled the lead a minute later.
She helped make it 3-0 prior to half-time before bagging her third goal five minutes into the second half.
History-making Sky Blues boss Ante Juric said at the time: “Amber is a star of the future in Sydney FC’s eyes, she is very quick, has an excellent eye for goal and finishes with great maturity.
“She is a natural goalscorer and has had a break out year in the NPL. She has a lot of potential and I believe she can step up to this level.
“I am looking forward to working with her and helping her to flourish into a confident A-League Women’s player.”
Meanwhile, past and present Liberty A-League players went head-to-head in Victoria’s Nike FC Cup final over the weekend.
Bulleen Lions edged Preston Lions 3-2 at the Home of the Matildas, where former Melbourne Victory forward Maja Markovski scored for the champions.
Ex-Victory forward Tiffany Eliadis was named player of the match, while Perth Glory’s Susan Phonsongkham struck for Preston.
Late Drama in relegation battle
Is this the moment that kept Central Coast Mariners in NPLM NSW?
Lucas Scicluna converted a 94th-minute penalty to give the Mariners a vital 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Sutherland Sharks in their relegation battle.
Mitch Stamatellis conceded the stoppage-time penalty and Scicluna – who is yet to make his A-Leagues debut – stepped up to slot home the priceless spot-kick in a tense display at Seymour Shark Park on Saturday.
Central Coast – 14th in the standings – are on 25 points, level with 13th-placed Sutherland but adrift on goal difference.
“We knew it would be a tough game as Sutherland has been playing some good football lately,” Mariners head coach Lucas Vilela said via NPL NSW.
“I think they deserve to be in a better position but we had two teams that went out to play football today and we knew we had to do our best and fight until the end.
“I have to give everything to my guys as they kept fighting and created the chance to win the game in what was a very even contest but unfortunately for (Mitch) Stamatellis, he touched our player and we won the penalty to give us the game.
“Thankfully we have the quality to put it away and get the three points but it’s not over yet and we still have the ‘Finals’ to play before the end of the season, three massive games so we’ll keep ourselves grounded and prepare for what is to come.
“Obviously we’re delighted with the result, particularly after losing a point during the week, it’s a big three points for us but we have to build on that now.”
Sydney FC are at the foot of the NPLM NSW standings and a point adrift, though they did earn a valuable 0-0 draw away to Sydney United.
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Western Sydney Wanderers, meanwhile, lost 5-3 to APIA Leichhardt.
Awan Lual opened the scoring against APIA, while Phillip Gigliotti bagged a brace for the visiting Wanderers.
History-making Jets clinch promotion
Newcastle Jets’ “special” season has seen the club claim the title and promotion to Football NSW League One.
The unbeaten Jets were promoted from League Two to NSW’s second tier as champions with three rounds remaining after defeating Inner West Hawks 5-3.
Newcastle came from behind to take down the Hawks thanks to Alex Nunes and Xavier Bertoncello, who both scored twice. Wil Southcombe was also on target for the Jets.
Bertoncello has scored 14 goals this season to lead the way for the Jets, while Nunes has added 11 of his own.
Damian Zane’s Jets have not lost all season – winning 20 games and drawing the other five with two byes.
On top of Newcastle’s success in League Two, the Jets have also handed out scholarship deals to Ben van Dorssen (scholarship contract – 2025-26), Nunes (scholarship contract – 2025-26) and Zac Bowling (scholarship contract).
“I think our team is full of potential for the A-League,” Jets head coach Zane told aleagues.com.au recently. “It’s a very hard sell because everyone will say we’re in NPL3 and we knew we had to change that.
“It’s not easy up in Newcastle because a lot of players in that youth-age range, there is an NPL itself up here and they get money thrown at them. It’s quite easy at 18 to lose sight of the dream or feel that first grade will get you to the A-League.
“We’re trying to create a realisation that you’re in an A-Leagues academy, you’re only one step off and this is the best place to be. Put the money on hold, if you don’t get to the A-League, the NPL is another way of getting there. For too long I think up here, we’ve lost players for mine that should’ve stayed inside the academy.
“We’ve had to fight that. We feel if we can win promotion, we can get can to NPL2 which is more incentive to keep these kids for longer and a better competition again. Like I said, not every kid is going to make it at 16-17, some take a longer journey. Too often we’ve loft these kids.
“We’re a very young team, I think we may have one or two who are 20 this season. It feels right this season if we do go up, we’ve got players that can grow even further and hopefully we can add to those scholarships.”
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In League One, Bulls FC Academy slumped to a third straight loss following a a 5-2 defeat away to Rydalmere Lions.
The Bulls are second in the standings after 27 games, three points behind Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
In NPLM SA, Adelaide United crushed FK Beograd 4-1 to cap a big week for a pair of Reds youngsters.
On Saturday, the teenagers both scored in a big week for the Reds, who also had Joey Garuccio and Austin Ayoubi on the scoresheet.
In NPLM QLD, James Durrington equalised in Brisbane Roar’s 1-1 draw at Olympic FC.
Over in VPL1, Melbourne City extended their unbeaten streak to five games with a 3-0 triumph over Preston Lions.
Playing a catch-up game, Alessandro Diamanti’s City benefited from goals via Marcus Humbert, Joseph De Los Santos Myles and Kavlan Rahmani.
City are fifth in the standings, 12 points behind league-leading Melbourne Victory and six adrift of third-placed Western United.
