It was another entertaining weekend of football in the National Premier Leagues across Australia. KEEPUP brings you the best bits.
A golazo with his ‘weak foot’
Jonny Yull scored one of the goal’s of the season for Adelaide United in NPLM SA over the weekend.
In one of the best goals you will see anywhere in Australia, the 17-year-old sensation found the top corner of the net from long range, opening his account in this season’s NPL.
It was an outrageous strike from the ambidextrous midfielder – commentators labelling it one with his “weak foot” – as Adelaide’s league-leading NPL outfit routed Michael Marrone’s Sturt Lions 4-1 in Round 5 on Saturday, with Bernardo Oliveira also on target.
Yull is one of the brightest young talents in Australian football and another gem off Adelaide’s famed production line, with five A-Leagues appearances to his name.
At 15 years and 321 days, the UK-born youngster became the third youngest player to represent Adelaide – behind Teeboy Kamara and Mohamed Toure – after his substitute appearance against Perth Glory in Round 4 of the 2020-21 Isuzu UTE A-League.
London came calling for the teenager last year, when Yull was invited to Premier League powerhouse Chelsea for a two-week trial.
Having caught the eye of Chelsea’s academy, the Blues extended that trial to a month as he appeared for their Under-18 and U21 teams and they even made a bid for the gifted teen, however it was rejected by Adelaide.
Also previously linked with Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion, Yull also represented Australia for the first time via the AFC U20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan.
Yull scored in the remarkable 9-1 rout of Qatar as the Young Socceroos reached the quarter-finals before suffering a heart-breaking penalty shoot-out loss to Uzbekistan in the last eight.
In 2022-23, he has made three appearances for Carl Veart’s Adelaide, featuring in the last game before the international break – a 5-1 rout of Wellington Phoenix.
Was this the goal of the weekend?
Yull had a rival to his worldie and it came from NPLM NNSW’s Reserve Grade competition.
Former Newcastle Jets goalkeeper Ben Kennedy, who won the 2007-08 Isuzu UTE A-League Championship in the Hunter region, headlines Lambton Jaffas’ first-grade squad this season.
But the senior side were overshadowed by this insane outside-of-the-boot finish in the Jaffas’ 2-1 win at Edgeworth FC on Saturday.
Roar defender’s brother at the heart of an NPL rout
Jordan Courtney-Perkins is currently on loan at Brisbane Roar in the Isuzu UTE A-League, from Polish outfit Rakow Czestochowa. Meanwhile, his older brother Jackson is running out for Port Melbourne Sharks in this season’s NPLM VIC campaign.
The attacking midfielder bagged a double as Port Melbourne crushed Dandenong Thunder 6-2. Attacking midfielder Valentin Cesnik scored an incredible four goals to compliment Courtney-Perkins’ brace.
Avondale FC top the table by one point ahead of South Melbourne, and two clear of defending champions Oakleigh Cannons following their 3-2 win over Green Gully.
In NPL2 VIC, there was late drama between Preston Lions and Melbourne City in their 1-1 draw.
City hit the front through an 81st-minute own goal, only for the visitors to return the favour to Preston in the second minute of stoppage time.
Over in NPLM NSW, a pair of A-Leagues players were on target for Western Sydney Wanderers.
Alessandro Lopane – returning from Young Socceroos duty, and Jarrod Carluccio scored to rescue a 2-2 draw against APIA Leichhardt.
Daniel Wilmering, Alex Bonetig and Aiden Simmons – who have also represented Marko Rudan’s high-flying Isuzu UTE A-League side in 2022-23, also impressed.
“I thought Alex Bonetig was fantastic, I thought Liam Bonetig, his younger brother (in his) second starting game did fantastically well,” Wanderers head coach Andrew Christensen said.
“(I was) very happy overall. Daniel Wilmering (on the) left took charge of the team today and took some leadership and I felt that from him. Aiden Simmons was fantastic on the right too. I thought the whole 90 minutes they were excellent.”
Rockdale City Ilinden top the standings by five points after easing past Mt Druitt Town Rangers 3-0.
A mixed outing for an A-Leagues legend
A-Leagues great Teresa Polias stepped away from the Liberty A-League Women in 2021, and has spent the majority of the 2022-23 campaign heavily involved in the competition’s media scene.
However, the former Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners midfielder has been playing for Sydney Olympic in NPLW NSW.
Polias, who has not closed the door on a dramatic return to the A-Leagues after watching Canberra United’s Michelle Heyman eclipse her appearance record over the weekend, helped Olympic stay perfect this season.
Olympic edged Football NSW Institute 1-0 as Sarah Yatim scored the winner after Polias’ corner was not dealt with.
However, Polias was sent off late in the game on a mixed afternoon.
Olympic are the only team with a perfect record through three rounds to be two points clear of Northern Tigers FC.
There was an upset in Round 2 of NPLW VIC over the weekend.
Defending champions Calder United, who have a partnership with Liberty A-League outfit Calder United, were stunned 4-2 by visiting Alamein FC.
It was Calder’s first defeat of the season, while South Melbourne humbled FV Emerging 6-1.
South Melbourne, Box Hill United, Alamein and Boroondara-Carey Eagles are all level on four points.
In Queensland, Lions FC ran out 4-1 winners of Brisbane Olympic to stay two points ahead of Gold Coast United atop NPLW QLD.
FFSA NTC and Adelaide Comets are level at the top of NPLW SA thanks to respective 3-1 and 4-0 wins.
Huge upset in WA!
Perth RedStar have dominated women’s football in Western Australia but the Top Four Cup champions suffered a surprise defeat in the opening round of NPLW WA.
RedStar were beaten 2-0 by Hyundai NTC – their first defeat in over a year as the youngsters toppled the champions for the first time since 2020.
Balcatta Etna were the biggest victors, however, humbling Curtin University 9-0.
In Round 2 of the men’s competition, Perth Glory and Stirling Lions preserved their 100% records courtesy of 4-3 and 2-1 triumphs.
Down in NPLM Tasmania, Launceston City are the only team with two wins from two games thanks to their 1-0 victory away to Glenorchy Knights as Devonport City made light work of Launceston United 6-1.
