“Who will be the best signing?” is always one of the million dollar questions at the beginning of any season.
Now, that we have almost reached the crescendo of the 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League season, it’s time to have a look back at those who are in the mix for the mantle of the competition’s best pick-up.
Some are fresh faces, others are familiar names on our shores, but what all 10 on our list have in common is they have had a profound impact in the A-League Men’s this season.
With all eyes on the upcoming Dolan Warren Awards on June 1 and the blockbuster Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne City Grand Final on June 3, KEEPUP has collated a list of 10 of the signings of the season.
Note – No mid-season arrivals have been included in the initial ten.
ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL – TICKET DETAILS
ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL – TICKET DETAILS
Brandon Borrello (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Brandon Borrello returned to Australia with a vengeance, putting together an amazing campaign in his first season back in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
After five years in Germany playing for a number of different clubs, the attacker signed for Western Sydney Wanderers and fit into the side with ease, scoring 13 goals and tallying five assists.
His season really took off in the second-half of the campaign when he was moved centrally and played as an out and out striker instead of on the wing.
Borrello scored nine of his goals this season from February 19 onwards, along with three assists.
The attacker’s form didn’t go unnoticed by Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, who re-called him to the national team for the March friendlies against Ecuador, where he fired home the opener in the Melbourne leg.
The 27-year-old’s season is almost certain to translate into votes in the Johnny Warren Medal count next week, where he is one of the favourites alongside national team counterparts Craig Goodwin and Jamie Maclaren to take home the top gong.
Oskar Zawada (Wellington Phoenix)
Talk about making a splash in your debut season down under.
Not many strikers had better numbers this season than Oskar Zawada, who was a revelation for Wellington Phoenix.
Arriving from Polish outfit Stal Mielec, Zawada took his time to get going but once he found the net for the first time in November, the flood gates opened.
The Polish striker went on an unbelievable scoring run from January through to March, having a score involvement in 11 consecutive games. Zawada scored a whopping 10 goals and in the one game he didn’t score in, he got an assist against Macarthur FC.
Zawada finished the regular season with 15 goals and two assists, which was third on the Golden Boot standings behind Maclaren and Jason Cummings.
According to Dutch media, Zawada’s performances have caught the attention of the Eredivisie side Heerenveen who are reportedly interested in prying him away from the ‘Nix.
Marco Tulio (Central Coast Mariners)
In the off-season, Central Coast were on the hunt for a new attacker knowing Garang Kuol was leaving midway through the campaign.
That was when Marco Tulio’s name popped up. The 25-year-old arrived at the club from Sporting Lisbon after four years playing primarily for their youth side and on loan in Belgium and his homeland of Brazil.
Incredibly, before he arrived in Gosford, Tulio had a $97 million (AUD) release clause in his contract at Sporting.
After a slow start, Tulio exploded and showcased all the quality that put him on the radar of the Portuguese giants.
Tulio has scored nine goals and tallied five assists, but his biggest impact came during the run home, particularly in their final round matchup on the road against Adelaide United – where he scored a double to help his side secure a top-two finish.
He dazzled with another star showing against the Reds a few weeks later, this time in the Semi Final second leg, firing home the sealer to book their spot in the decider against Melbourne City.
And this piece of skill exemplified the confidence he is playing with right now.
Valon Berisha (Melbourne City)
There are some players who just ooze class and Valon Berisha is no exception.
Berisha arrived at Melbourne City late in the off-season from Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims on loan, after playing for some of Europe’s top sides including Austrian giants RB Leipzig and Italian outfit Lazio.
It didn’t take long for Berisha to show why he played in some of Europe’s top leagues for most of his career.
The Kosovan international put in a Man of the Match display in City’s Round 1 win over Western United, which kickstarted an exceptional season for the premiers.
Berisha has seven assists this campaign, including two in their Semi Final tie against Sydney FC along with one goal which came in their 4-2 win at Macedonia Park against Perth Glory.
Marcelo (Western Sydney Wanderers)
There’s a fair argument to be made that Marcelo has been the best defender in the Isuzu UTE A-League this season.
The Brazilian centre-half arrived at Western Sydney Wanderers after years playing for a number of top quality European sides including Lyon, Besiktas and PSV Eindhoven.
Marcelo immediately helped steady the Wanderers defence alongside the likes of Tomislav Mrcela and fellow off-season arrival Lawrence Thomas. Not only was his on-field quality key to the Wanderers revival, but also his leadership, after he was named captain for the season.
And when he wasn’t available, the Wanderers felt his absence enormously, conceding eight of their 27 regular season goals in the four games he missed.
Marcelo has signed an extension to stick around for another season at the Wanderers, where they will hope to build off their return to the finals for the first time since 2017.
Nectar Triantis (Central Coast Mariners)
Western Sydney’s loss has been Central Coast’s gain.
Nectar Triantis joined the Mariners on a three-year deal from the Wanderers in the off-season and quickly went on to become an integral part of their defensive unit.
Triantis is the latest in a long line of youngsters to thrive under Nick Montgomery’s tutelage, helping the side to a top two finish and a spot in the Grand Final on June 3.
Despite only a single senior appearance as a substitute prior to this season, the 20-year-old centre-back looked the part immediately, showing poise, class and defensive nous well beyond his years.
Similarly to Marcelo, the Mariners felt the full brunt of he and Brian Kaltak’s absence during the season, as he was called up to the Young Socceroos squad and missed a host of important fixtures.
However, since he and Kaltak returned to the starting XI in early April, Central Coast haven’t lost a single match, shipping five goals in seven games and only two in open play.
Robert Mak (Sydney FC)
Robert Mak was a major part of Sydney FC’s return to the finals this season.
The 75-time Slovakia international joined the Sky Blues after spending time at the likes of PAOK, Zenit St Petersburg and, most recently, Ferencvaros.
Mak’s impact was immediate, scoring on league debut against Melbourne Victory and forging a brilliant one-two punch with fellow off-season arrival Joe Lolley.
However, it was his end of the season performances that were almost enough to get him on this list alone.
After the international break, Mak scored four goals in four games to help his side to an all-important eight points during the run home which ultimately secured the Sky Blues’ spot in the finals.
When the bright lights of finals football were shining, the 32-year-old didn’t cower either, willing his side to a 2-1 Elimination Final victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Mak fired home the equaliser with just over 20 minutes to play, before teeing up Adam Le Fondre for the winner.
Incredibly, he did this all while playing through a hamstring injury, which eventually got the better of him and forced his withdrawal from the Semi Final second leg against Melbourne City after only playing 54 minutes in the first leg.
Brian Kaltak (Central Coast Mariners)
There aren’t many better A-Leagues stories than Brian Kaltak’s rise to stardom.
The 29-year-old had never played professionally before the start of this season, but after years of toiling away, Kaltak earned his first professional contract at the Central Coast Mariners as an injury replacement for Moresche.
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Nick Montgomery’s punt on Kaltak has paid off enormously, as the Vanuatu captain has gone on to become not only one of the Mariners most important players but one of the league’s most formidable defenders.
His performances, alongside Triantis, have been central to Central Coast’s run to the Grand Final on June 3 and the sheer quality of his performances have been rewarded with a long term contract until 2025.
Calem Nieuwenhof (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Another of the league’s prime movers this season was none other than Calem Nieuwenhof, who took his game to the next level after crossing the divide from Sydney FC to Western Sydney Wanderers.
The 22-year-old joined the Wanderers after coming through Sydney’s academy set-up and making 15 appearances in all competitions for the Sky Blues senior side.
However, it was under Marko Rudan’s tutelage where Nieuwenhof really flourished, starting in all 27 games this season and scoring four goals to go with two assists. Most notably, he scored one of the goals of the season in the 4-0 drubbing of his former side.
His performances didn’t go unnoticed either, in fact, he was linked with a move to Scottish giants Celtic in January.
Keegan Jelacic (Perth Glory)
If this season was anything to go by, Keegan Jelacic is destined for big things.
The attacking midfielder flourished in his first real taste of top flight football with Perth Glory and was one of their real shining lights in a season where they missed the finals for a third consecutive campaign.
Jelacic previously had a short tenure at Brisbane Roar, before joining NPL Queensland outfit Olympic FC, which helped catapult him back onto the radar of A-Leagues sides and into the Glory squad for this season.
It looks like it may be a one and done season for Jelacic too, who is heavily linked with a move to Belgium this upcoming off-season.
Honourable mentions
Danny Vukovic (Central Coast Mariners)
Joe Lolley (Sydney FC)
Sam Silvera (Central Coast Mariners)
Callum Talbot (Melbourne City)
Amor Layouni (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Damien Da Silva (Melbourne Victory)
Richard van der Venne (Melbourne City)
James McGarry (Central Coast Mariners)
Thomas Lam (Melbourne City)
Mark Beevers (Perth Glory)
