A-League Men: 20+ NSW teen young guns set to shine in new football season
The new A-League Men season is just around the corner and young NSW talent are waiting in the wings to make an impact. Check out 20+ teenage young guns set to star this season.
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The A-League Men is set to be flooded with up and coming talent this upcoming 2024-25 season.
A-League clubs have done their homework in the off-season, scouting and signing young NSW talent to bolster their squads for the new season and beyond.
With the 2024-25 season just weeks away, check out all the teenage talent set to make their mark in the A-League.
Haine Eames - Central Coast Mariners
A star on the rise, Haine Eames is likely to make his A-League Men debut this season after signing a three-year scholarship contract with the Mariners. The 16-year-old has been with the Mariners Academy for two seasons, featuring mainly in their U20s and First Grade squads this year. He was part of the championship-winning Joeys squad at the ASEAN U16 Boys Championships and has been training with the Mariners ALM side. He was brought along to China for the team’s Asian Champions League Elite loss to Shandong.
Jai Ajanovic - Central Coast Mariners
Since joining the Mariners Academy at the beginning of the year, Jai Ajanovic’s stocks have been climbing. He was featured as the Joeys’ starting goalkeeper for their ASEAN Championship run at just 15-years-old and has now signed a three-year scholarship deal on the Central Coast. Ajanovic previously represented the Sutherland Sharks in various age groups across Youth League One, as well as a few appearances in the U20s NPL side. The now 16-year-old will have Mariners legend and new goalkeeper coach Danny Vukovic as a mentor.
Arthur De Lima - Central Coast Mariners
Following a standout season in the NPL, Arthur De Lima earned a scholarship contract with the Mariners for the next three seasons. The 17-year-old led the scoring for the Mariners NPL campaign, scoring 12 goals in 31 matches across first grade and U20. De Lima has already been called up to the ALM side, making his debut for the Mariners in their 3-1 loss to Shandong in China.
Bailey Brandtman - Central Coast Mariners
Bailey Brandtman is a Mariners Academy graduate and a newly promoted member of the ALM squad. The 19-year-old came off the bench in three AFC Cup matches last season and made five appearances in the club’s treble-winning campaign. Although Brandtman spent much of the A-League off-season back in the NPL, he was confirmed as part of the Asian Champions League squad and was brought on against Shandong. Brandtman has often risen to whatever challenge the club has put in front of him and will be an exciting addition this ALM season.
Jacob Brazete - Brisbane Roar
Jacob Brazete is one of two Sydney talents snatched up by Brisbane Roar on scholarship contracts ahead of the new season. The 18-year-old made the move up to NPL First Grade in 2024 after mainly featuring in the Sydney FC U18 squads the previous two seasons and was a consistent performer, starting 21 of his 30 games. Brazete is a former Manly United junior.
Pearson Kasawaya - Brisbane Roar
The second Roar steal from Sydney FC, Pearson Kasawaya is a highly regarded full back who moves to Brisbane on a two-year scholarship deal. The 17-year-old earned an NPL first grade call up this season after spending 2023 with the U20 team and has represented Australia in the U20s.
Oliver Damevski - Macarthur FC
Damevski has made the move north from Melbourne City’s U21 side to the A-League with Macarthur. The 19-year-old has signed on a two-year scholarship contract, seeing him at the Bulls until the end of the 2025/26 season. Damevski is a talented young defender who is expected to rise to the challenge of potential first grade minutes.
Nickolas Alfaro - Sydney FC
At 16-years-old, Nicko Alfaro became the youngest men’s player in Sydney FC history to take the field in a competitive fixture when he came off the bench against Oakleigh Cannons in the team’s Australia Cup Round of 32 loss. He’s an U16 champion with NSW Sky, winning the FA National Youth Championships earlier this year. Alfaro has been training with the A-League team and has been brought into the fold for their Asian Champions League 2 campaign and has represented Australia in the junior teams.
Mitchell Glasson - Sydney FC
Mitchell Glasson is set for his second A-League season at just 18-years-old. He made 15 appearances in Sky Blue last season after making his debut on October 21 against Melbourne Victory. Glasson is a Sydney FC Academy graduate and is highly regarded within the club, known as a hard worker at training and leaving nothing on the pitch.
Wataru Kamijo - Sydney FC
Wataru Kamijo joined the Sydney FC Academy from the Wanderers towards the end of the 2023 NPL season and was promoted to the ALM team shortly after. He was a regular feature for the first grade NPL team this season, starting all 21 matches he played. The 18-year-old is yet to make his A-League debut.
Taiga Harper - Western Sydney Wanderers
Goalkeeper Taiga Harper signed with the Wanderers on a scholarship contract at the start of 2024 and was quickly thrown into the deep end. The 19-year-old made his senior debut in place of veteran keeper Lawrence Thomas, who suffered an injury the day before their match against Newcastle Jets. He was hugely impressive in his first outing, but hasn’t been back on the big stage since. Harper was consistent in the Wanderers’ NPL team this season and will be a good substitution if any goalkeeping drama were to happen again in 2024-25.
Nathan Barrie - Western Sydney Wanderers
Nathan Barrie has made quick work of climbing the Wanderers’ ranks since signing with the Academy in 2022 from Manly United. The 18-year-old signed a scholarship deal at the beginning of 2024 after a solid first NPL season in the Academy and made his A-League debut in slightly chaotic fashion, getting the call up amid suspensions and injury unavailabilities. The centre back will be hoping for more minutes in the upcoming season under new coach Alen Stajcic.
Oliver Randazzo - Macarthur FC
Olivier Randazzo signed a scholarship deal with Macarthur at the beginning of 2024 after impressing in the Bulls FC Academy NPL side. The 17-year-old previously played for Sutherland Sharks and made the move to the Academy at the start of the 2024 season. He was brought in off the bench for the Bulls’ 1-0 win over Oakleigh Cannons in the Australia Cup.
Dean Bosnjak - Macarthur FC
Dean Bosnjak has been given the call-up to the A-League after an impressive two seasons as part of the Bulls FC Academy in the NPL and League One competitions. The 17-year-old made his Bulls debut in the Australia Cup Round of 16 win over Newcastle Jets and has signed a scholarship deal with the club.
Alex Nunes - Newcastle Jets
Attacking midfielder Alex Nunes has been a standout for the Jets’ Academy this season, helping the first grade side to an undefeated year and promotion to Football NSW League Two for 2025. The 17-year-old has been part of the academy since he was nine-years-old after moving to Newcastle from the Northern Territory. Nunes signed a two-year scholarship deal in June.
Oscar Fryer - Newcastle Jets
Winger Oscar Fryer has moved to Newcastle from the Sydney FC Academy, signing on with the Jets for two seasons. The 18-year-old was expected to make his A-League debut last season, but a knee injury in June ruled him out indefinitely.
18, from Sydney Academy
Will Dobson - Newcastle Jets
Local Newcastle junior Will Dobson is an exciting young prospect for the Jets after signing him on a two-year scholarship deal. The 16-year-old has been part of the Jets’ Academy since U15s and was named academy player of the year in 2023. Dobson was part of the Australian Schoolboys squad which toured the UK and the Netherlands last year and was named player of the tournament.
Ben van Dorssen - Newcastle Jets
Ben van Dorssen is a local Newcastle junior who has risen through the Academy ranks after joining at nine-years-old. The now 19-year-old defender has signed with the first team on a two-year scholarship contract, with coach Rob Stanton having watched his progress through the youth team where he was a joint winner of the 2024 Player of the Year.
Lachlan Middleton - Sydney FC
Middleton is a Sydney FC Academy graduate and already gained experience with the A-League side towards the end of last season. The 18-year-old had his first minutes with the first team in their Australia Cup Round of 32 defeat to Oakleigh Cannons and is expected to feature off the bench this season.
Joseph Lacey - Sydney FC
Joe Lacey is a posterboy for Sydney’s Academy program, going from their Academy Training Program into the U13 squad and then onto the A-League Men. Sydney snapped up the 17-year-old on a three-year contract at the end of 2023, though it only kicked in on July 1 2024.
Marin France - Sydney FC
Attacking midfielder Marin France signed his first professional contract with Sydney after a stand out year in the academy, earning him the Rising Star Award from the club. The 17-year-old is another youth team product and France said he dreamed of one day playing in the A-League. France is locked into a three-year deal with the club.
Gus Hoefsloot - Sydney FC
Another academy graduate, Hoefsloot signed a multi-year scholarship contract at the start of the 2023/24 ALM season. The 18-year-old goalkeeper suffered a knee injury during that season but is expected to bounce back this year. Hoefsloot is likely to struggle to get regular minutes with Andrew Redmayne still Sydney’s prefered keeper.
Nathan Amanatidis - Sydney FC
Amanatidis is set for his second season in the A-League after featuring in 12 matches during the 2023/24 season. The 18-year-old has one goal to his name, scored in stoppage time against Kaya FC in the AFC Champions League Two match in early October.
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Alex Badolato - Western Sydney Wanderers
Alex Badolato has been steadily gaining experience since signing with the Wanderers three years ago and is set for his fourth season in the league. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder was a stand out striker in the academy space after joining in U13s. Badolato featured in 12 matches last season and will be hoping for more consistent minutes in 2024/25.
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Originally published as A-League Men: 20+ NSW teen young guns set to shine in new football season
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