Come for the Alex Badolato hat-trick, and stay for the reaction to his virtuoso performance in Newcastle Jets’ 5-2 win over Melbourne Victory on Friday night.
The 20-year-old Newcastle midfielder hadn’t scored a senior league goal prior to his off-season move to the Jets. Now, he has four goals in two games. One of those goals won him Isuzu UTE Goal of the Week honours in Round 1. Two of his three goals on Friday night will compete for the same honour in Round 2.
A STAR IS BORN: Badolato hat-trick fires goal-hungry Jets to thumping win over Victory
‘TAKE A BOW’: Jets rising star scores another screamer
Against Victory, Badolato created two chances, took 106 touches, played 27 passes in the final third – and 73 overall – to go with a clinical hat-trick which put the CommBank Young Socceroo sixth on the list of youngest hat-trick scorers in Isuzu UTE A-League history.
Youngest-ever Isuzu UTE A-League hat-trick scorers
- Nestory Irankunda (2024): 18 years, 49 days
- Nathan Burns (2007): 18 years, 259 days
- Riley McGree (2018): 19 years, 163 days
- Adam Taggart (2013): 20 years, 175 days
- Adrian Segecic (2025): 20 years, 224 days
- Alex Badolato (2025) 20 years, 243 days
Up in the commentary box watching Badolato’s brilliant night unfold was A-Leagues legend Daniel McBreen who, throughout each stage of the 20-year-old’s hat-trick display, waxed lyrical over what he was witnessing.
“What more superlatives can you say about this young man after tonight? ” McBreen said.
“He is a talent. Look, I’m going to put it out there now and say as long as we’ve got him in this league, it’s going to be a pleasure to watch him.
“It’s one game, let’s not get carried away, but this guy has been doing well with the (Australian) national youth teams, he’s been awarded AFC Men’s Youth Player of the Year for a reason: because he is an exceptional talent. And he’s put that on display tonight.
“You see so many players come through with talent but you’ve got to have the right attitude – and he has it in abundance in all areas.”
New Jets head coach Mark Milligan was the man responsible for bringing Badolato across to the club in the off-season; the young creator had struggled for game time both at his parent club Western Sydney Wanderers, and on loan to Victory in the back-half of the 2024-25 campaign.
His form across the first two rounds of the new campaign suggests Milligan and the Jets have signed a gem, with Badolato committed to the club until the end of next season on a two-year deal.
“Fantastic,” said Milligan when asked to summarise Badolato’s performance on Network 10’s post-game show.
“He’s been fantastic all pre-season. You talk about the award that he won (AFC Men’s Youth Player of the Year), and it’s a credit to his character because it’s not been an easy 12 months for him.
“He’s one amongst many that we expect that type of performance from week in, week out. Tonight, he got his just rewards.”
Badolato picked the perfect night to impress at McDonald Jones Stadium, with CommBank Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic up in the stands watching on as he tore Victory apart.
McBreen noticed too, and pondered whether Badolato’s hat-trick showcase would leave a lasting impression on the Socceroos boss.
“This young man is all class, full of confidence, full of quality,” McBreen said.
“Everybody sit back and watch his trajectory – that man in particular (Popovic), must be taking some notes in that little black book we see him have. What a performance, Alex Badolato. What a talent.”
On social media, meanwhile, fans who tuned in to the Badolato show expressed their excitement at what they had witnessed from the 20-year-old.
Here’s some of the best fan reaction to Badolato’s hat-trick display:
