“It’s taken him 17 appearances, but at last, Harry Sawyer is an A-League goalscorer!”
Those were the words of Network 10 commentator Teo Pellizzeri as the Macarthur Bulls striker wheeled away in celebration of his first Isuzu UTE A-League goal – a goal that came more than eight years on from his first appearance in the competition.
Sawyer scored twice in Macarthur’s 3-3 draw against Newcastle Jets on Friday night to get off the mark in the Isuzu UTE A-League in his second stint in the league.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE
His first stint came in 2016-17 at the Jets; Sawyer then tried his luck in Asia, and won the Hong Kong Premier League at Tai Po Football Club. But in recent years, the 28-year-old returned to prominence in Australian football with NPLM VIC side South Melbourne where he won the Premiership in 2022 and 2024, as well as two Golden Boots.
MATCH REPORT: Dream night for Bulls striker as first A-Leagues goals rescue a point in six-goal epic
In the 2024 Australia Cup campaign, Sawyer scored the winning goal for South Melbourne in a stunning 1-0 upset win over Isuzu UTE A-League side Wellington Phoenix and was signed by the Bulls in the aftermath of his Australia Cup exploits.
After 11 Isuzu UTE A-League games without a goal for Macarthur, at last the dam wall broke as Sawyer came off the bench to score twice in Friday night’s pulsating draw against his old side.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE
“It is a breakthrough first A-League goal for Harrison Sawyer!” Said Pellizzeri when his first of two headed goals rippled the back of the net at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
“What a special moment for the 28-year-old. A stage that perhaps he never thought he’d get back to.
“He tried his luck in Asia, in India. He was prolific in the NPL for South Melbourne. He was a fixture of Australia Cup ties and always the danger man on some of those Australia Cup nights in the national rounds. And now, he has Macarthur believing in a comeback.”
And come back they did; the Jets made it 3-1 after Sawyer’s maiden A-Leagues goal but Tomislav Uskok gave the Bulls hope with a bullet header of his own. Macarthur continued to hammer at the door until, in the 95th minute, Sawyer came to the fore to earn his side a dramatic point in the 3-3 draw.
Post-game, he spoke to Network 10 about what the moment meant.
“(It’s) super special for me and my family,” he said.
“Ive taken a while to get a goal and a lot longer than I would’ve hoped. But really keen to show what I can do at this level, so (I’m) happy to finally get one.”
