Aussie Wonderkid’s Brother Shines with Hat-Trick as Three 15-Year-Olds Make a Stunning Impact: Emerging Talent Spotlight

Welcome to Wonderkid Watch: your weekly digest of emerging players and stories from A-League clubs competing in the NPL across Australia.

Featured image: Gloria Polyzoudis/gpsportphotography

Sibling of A-League star drives Western United’s perfect start with a hat-trick

As Dylan Leonard continues to shine in the Isuzu UTE A-League with Western United, his younger brother is also making waves in the club’s youth squad.

Mark Leonard netted a hat-trick, propelling the Green and Black to a 4-0 victory over Kingston City in VPL1 at the weekend. This win marks a promising beginning for the promotion contenders, securing their second consecutive victory as they launch into 2025.

NOAH BOTIC INTERVIEW: ‘Next Viduka’ has been ‘dreaming of the Socceroos since he was 10’ & here’s how he’s proving he’s ready

The 18-year-old striker, with his brother just a year younger and playing as a defender, scored twice within the first 13 minutes before sealing his hat-trick with 18 minutes remaining during Saturday afternoon’s match in Tarneit. Jake Najdovski also contributed with a goal, elevating his personal tally to three for the season.

Mark Leonard’s performance was exceptional, placing him at the top of the goalscoring leaderboard with four goals in the opening two matches of the season in Victoria’s second tier. Western United shares the top position with Northcote City.

Like Dylan, Mark joined Western United from Port Melbourne, an NPLM VIC side, at the beginning of the 2023-24 season and made his professional debut last year in the Australia Cup playoffs against Newcastle Jets, having been involved with John Aloisi’s main squad throughout pre-season.

WONDERKID WATCH: Dream debut for 16-year-old Aussie Beckham who trialled at Manchester United, Manchester City & Chelsea

Western United’s academy director, Anthony Frost, remarked on the aspiring talent, stating, “Like Dylan, Mark has demonstrated impressive maturity and understanding of the game since his arrival at the club.”

“His relentless work ethic serves as a model for others and provides him with the essential foundation to position himself for scoring opportunities, assisting, and breaking up play defensively.

“Mark showcases adaptability, able to influence the game in wide areas or centrally. He effectively creates threats both by connecting in tighter spaces and by stretching the pitch further forward.”

“Mark has refined his technical execution and sharpness, and we anticipate further development in our environment. We’re eager to see how he continues to advance this season.”

In the Under-23 match, Alex Marmura also had a standout performance, scoring a hat-trick in the 9-0 demolition of Kingston by Western.

In NPLM VIC action, Melbourne Victory faced a setback, falling 1-0 to Heidelberg United, with former Western United talent Max Bisetto finding the net for the 2024 VPL1 champions in search of their first win this campaign.

R19 TALKING POINTS: Coach defends cautious strategy as unsung hero gains recognition

The U23s of Victory secured a 6-1 victory, with Daniel Lazarevski scoring twice alongside further contributions from Lucas Alessi, Patrick Wall, Edon Ajrovski, and Alex Lee.

Former Spurs youth player makes history

Keep an eye on Akeem Gerald.

The 15-year-old, who just celebrated his birthday in February, made headlines by scoring the decisive goal in Melbourne City’s narrow 1-0 victory over Bentleigh Greens in VPL1, a week after his debut.

$35 million: Melbourne Victory reveals premier site for training complex

That goal was particularly special for the teenager, as he became the youngest player ever to score for City’s youth side.

Gerald spent part of his childhood at Tottenham whilst his family lived in England, and in a startling year, he has found the back of the net at every age group in City’s academy except their development squad (VPL1 U23).

Alessandro Diamanti’s City remains unbeaten through two rounds in VPL1, sitting just two points back of Western United.

City’s U23 team also shone, overcoming Bentleigh 2-0, thanks to a brace from Luke Becvinovski.

A duo of 15-year-olds debut in Wanderers’ victory as Sky Blues thrive

Western Sydney Wanderers achieved a significant victory in season 2025, defeating Sydney Olympic 1-0 in NPLM NSW.

Awan Lual emerged as the game-changer, netting the decisive goal in the 75th minute, continuing to keep the Wanderers unbeaten in their first two fixtures.

The match also marked the debut of two 15-year-olds for the Wanderers, Akol Akon and Johnny Pavlovic.

Western Sydney’s head coach, Richie Cardozo, commented on the match’s dynamics: “We had moments of comfortable possession but need to learn to maintain focus during challenging periods.”

“We fielded a younger squad this week, an average age of 17-18, with the addition of two 15-year-olds making their debuts.

He added, “Awan Lual, our goalscorer, is just returning from injury, so we need to manage his game time carefully. I’m delighted with the three points earned today; we equally deserved a win last week after missing several chances.”

Tristan Arrarte scored the only goal in the U20 clash, leading Western Sydney to a 1-0 win against Olympic.

Across town, Sydney FC celebrated a 3-1 victory over Sydney United on Sunday, with goals from Joe Lacey, Joseph Calusic, and Mathias Macallister marking their first win of 2025.

Nickolas Alfaro provided an equaliser in the U20 match, ending in a 1-1 draw with Sydney United.

Meanwhile, the Central Coast Mariners were on the losing end of a 6-2 match against APIA Leichhardt, with goals from Zayd Kassaby and Lawrence Taylor in vain.

The U20s also faced defeat, losing 3-2 despite efforts from Shumba Mutokoyi and Isaac Kwon.

30 and counting for the soaring Jets

Newcastle Jets are off to a strong start in 2025, achieving a 3-1 victory against Blacktown Spartans in Football NSW League One.

The Jets, now competing in the second tier after an incredible unbeaten season in 2024, have secured back-to-back wins to initiate their journey in League One, thereby extending their unbeaten streak to 30 matches.

Ethan Debono, Xavier Bertoncello, and substitute Lucas Johnson were instrumental in the Jets’ success on the road.

The U20s from Newcastle also celebrated a 2-1 win, courtesy of two own goals from opponents.

Elsewhere in League One, Bulls FC Academy suffered a 2-1 defeat at home against Canterbury Bankstown, remaining winless in 2025 despite a consolation goal from Atiya Waraga, who has now scored twice this campaign.

However, the U20 side excelled with a resounding 5-0 victory, with Atem Achuoth netting two goals along with contributions from Julian Rodriguez and Henrique Oliveira.

In Western Australia, Perth Glory are maintaining their hopes for a 2025 WA Night Series semi-final spot, fighting back to secure a 2-2 draw with Olympic Kingsway last Friday.

The Glory’s NPLM WA squad has set up a final group-stage clash against Armadale SC, aiming for a decisive win.