Welcome to Wonderkid Watch, a weekly update spotlighting the rising stars and captivating stories from A-League clubs engaged in the NPL across Australia.
17-Year-Old Makes His Melbourne Victory Debut Following Stint Abroad
Introducing James Lackay. The 17-year-old talent made his first appearance for Melbourne Victory’s senior academy side this past weekend.
Despite Victory’s 3-0 defeat against NPLM VIC frontrunners Heidelberg United, managed by former Western United assistant John Anastasiadis, the day was significant for Lackay.
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The aspiring young Australian player made his entry as a substitute, debuting for the NPLM VIC team at the Home of the Matildas.
“It was fantastic to witness James’ competitive senior debut. He has put in significant hard work to reach this point, and we are hopeful for his continued progression,” commented Victory’s senior academy technical manager Boris Seroshtan to aleagues.com.au.
Lackay is regarded as a promising forward, having played for Bayern Munich last year.
He participated in the FC Bayern World Squad, an initiative in the United States last year.
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The Class of 2024, under the guidance of former Bayern striker Roy Makaay, included two Australians – Lackay and Perth Glory’s Giovanni de Abreu.
During their American tour, Bayern’s World Squad played against Inter Miami and DC United, as well as their U19 squad back in Germany.
At the U23 level, Melbourne Victory continues to set the pace in the NPL.
While Victory sits in 10th place in NPLM VIC, their U23 side currently leads the standings after 15 rounds, following a 2-1 victory over Heidelberg.
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The Victory turned things around against Heidelberg with second-half goals from Phin Harbinson and Malik Olukhale.
A newcomer from Bulleen Lions, Harbinson has found the net six times in his debut season with Victory, scoring three goals in his latest three outings.
In NPLM SA, Adelaide United narrowly defeated Modbury Jets 1-0 thanks to a goal from Brody Burkitt.
The Reds currently sit second in the standings, trailing the leaders by six points over 11 matches.
Meanwhile, their reserves occupy seventh place after a 4-2 defeat at home to Modbury, with Fabian Grelli and Giorgio Parhas scoring for Adelaide.
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In NPLM WA, Perth Glory faced their first loss of the season, going down 1-0 to Olympic Kingsway.
However, Glory’s U23 team secured a 2-0 win thanks to an impressive brace from Oliver Evans.
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Can Anyone Halt Melbourne City This Season?
This is the burning question of 2025, as Melbourne City continues to elevate their game in VPL1.
Under the guidance of Alessandro Diamanti, the senior academy team remains unbeaten and atop the league after 15 rounds in Victoria’s second tier.
City faced an intense clash against Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, ending in a 1-1 draw in a top-of-the-table matchup.
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Emerging star Beckham Baker was the first to find the back of the net for the visiting City, marking his fourth goal in nine matches this season.
City now holds a three-point advantage at the top of the table as they push toward promotion to NPLM VIC.
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A-Leagues rivals Western United, holding a game in hand, find themselves in seventh place, currently 13 points off the top spot after a thrilling 3-3 draw with Kingston City.
Oli Lavale netted a double for the Green and Black.
Despite their current position in VPL1, Western still have ample opportunity to close the gap in their search for promotion. This season’s format allows automatic promotion for the top two teams, with the third to sixth-place teams competing in play-offs.
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In the VPL1 U23s, Western United remains unbeaten and occupies the top spot.
With a match in hand, Western leads by three points over Melbourne City after dismantling Kingston City 5-1.
Oscar Tanic and Christian Polyzoudis each scored twice, while Marcus Tavolaro added another.
As for City, they overpowered Bentleigh with a 3-1 scoreline, with goals from leading scorer Luke Becvinovski, Jesse Langa, and Daniel Matina.
Unbeaten Wanderers Continue Their Form
Western Sydney Wanderers have established themselves as the commanding force in the NPLW NSW U23 competition this year.
Boasting an unbeaten record in 2025, they played to a 0-0 draw against Northern Tigers on Saturday night.
After 12 matches, Western Sydney leads with ten wins and two draws, having scored 30 goals while only conceding three.
Bulls FC Academy faced a setback, losing 3-1 to Gladesville Ravens, while Newcastle Jets fell 4-1 to Sydney University.
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In the senior NPLW NSW, however, the Wanderers suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Northern Tigers, despite a late goal from Catalina Wyrzynski.
Nevertheless, the weekend belonged to Amber Luchtmeijer, who produced a stunning late comeback.
The 2024 NPLW NSW Golden Boot winner and young star from Sydney FC, scored in the dying moments – first in the 88th and then in the 91st minute, leading Bulls FC Academy to a thrilling 3-2 victory against Gladesville Ravens.
Elizabeth Grey ignited the incredible revival with a goal in the 70th minute, bringing the Bulls back from a 2-0 deficit.
The in-form Bulls have won five consecutive matches and currently sit sixth in the standings, ahead of ninth-placed Western Sydney and the 12th-placed Newcastle Jets, who lost 4-0 to Sydney University.
In NPLM NSW, Western Sydney Wanderers secured an important 2-1 victory over ten-man Mt Druitt Town Rangers on Saturday night.
Awan Lual and Edmun Haddad powered the Wanderers to victory, pulling them three points clear of the relegation zone.
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Meanwhile, rivals Sydney FC had mixed results.
On Friday night, the Sky Blues halted NWS Spirit’s winning run with a 2-0 victory, thanks to goals from Taye Headley and substitute Marin France.
“The boys had the upper hand in the first half, then we performed well in the second half managing their long balls,” Sydney FC head coach Jimmy Van Weeren shared via NPL NSW.
“Spirit are enjoying a commendable season, so it’s gratifying for our young players to showcase such positive performances and results.”
However, on Tuesday night, Sydney FC fell to a 1-0 defeat against St George FC.
In the U20s, Sydney celebrated two victories against NWS Spirit and St George City.
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Junior Conde, Zac Fowler, and Oscar Gultekin powered a 3-0 triumph over NWS Spirit, followed by goals from Jeremy Mifsud and Justin Cardozo leading to a 2-0 away victory against St George City.
Sydney currently sits eighth in the standings, ten points adrift of second-placed Western Sydney, who are level on points with leaders Manly United.
Western Sydney’s U20 team was inactive this weekend, while the Central Coast Mariners also took the weekend off in both first grade and U20s.
In Football NSW League One, Bulls FC Academy remains unbeaten after a 1-1 draw against Northern Tigers.
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The in-form young talent Zane Helweh netted an equaliser in the 80th minute to secure a draw over the weekend.
This marked Helweh’s 12th goal of the season, placing him just two goals behind the Golden Boot leader, Kai Denton.
The Bulls currently sit fourth in the standings, amid a six-match unbeaten streak, five points off the pace.
Newcastle Jets from seventh place fell behind after a 1-0 loss to Inter Lions.
In the U20s, both the Bulls and Jets continue to lead the pack.
Bulls FC Academy is at the top of the table, five points clear of Newcastle following a convincing 4-0 win over Northern Tigers, with Julian Rodriguez impressively scoring twice – while Levi Sciuriaga and Stephen Varvaritis also found the back of the net.
Newcastle triumphed over Inter Lions 3-1, with a strong performance from Tommy Edmonds scoring twice alongside an Archie Brideson goal.
In NPLM QLD, Brisbane Roar faced a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Brisbane Olympic.
In New Zealand, results were varied.
Wellington Phoenix’s men’s reserves drew 2-2 against Waterside Karori in the Central League, with goals from Daniel Makowem and Luke Brooke-Smith.
In the same league, Wellington’s women’s U18s remain unbeaten after Katie Pugh’s 12th goal of the season propelled them to a win over Miramar.
However, the women’s reserves experienced their first defeat, losing 2-1 to Miramar.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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