The new Isuzu UTE A-League 2025-25 season is fast approaching and clubs are busy ramping up their preparations ahead of the big kick off.
With that in mind, aleagues.com.au caught up with three-time Championship winner and Network 10 pundit Alex Brosque to discuss one big issue at each club heading into the new season.
In part two of our three-part series, Brosque looks at some of the major talking points surrounding Macarthur Bulls, Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets.
Despite starting the Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 campaign like a runaway train, Macarthur Bulls eventually came to a grinding halt when it came to qualifying for the Finals Series, falling agonisingly short come season’s end.
Key to that was the fact Mile Sterjovski’s side lost a plethora of attacking talent midway through the campaign as the in-form Jed Drew departed for Austria, super-sub Ariath Piol left for MLS and crucially, captain and all-time leading goalscorer Valere Germain sealed a move to the J1 League.
As a result of these big absentees, the Bulls struggled. Big striker Harrison Sawyer did his best to score goals but they were ultimately found wanting come the end of the season. Now, heading into 2025-26, the story is somewhat similar with Marin Jakolis the biggest name to have departed during the off-season.
The Croatian winger was in fine form last year as he registered double figures for both goals and assists and will no doubt leave a big whole in the Bulls’ attack – so how do they replace him?
“To be honest Jakolis wasn’t a prolific goal scorer by any means,” said Brosque when posed the question. “So they sort of did (replace him) anyway by sharing the goals around. I think that’s what’s been missing for Macarthur for a little while though, that regular sort of goal scorer so hopefully Rafael Duran Martinez can do that.”
A summer recruit from the Liga MX, Mexican forward Martinez has been signed with exactly that in mind and his record across both of Mexico’s top two tiers suggests they have found a genuine goalscorer.
Add to that the fact the club have signed former Sunderland striker Ji Dong-won, Croatian winger Šime Gržan and of course CommBank Socceroos midfielder Anthony Caceres, something which Brosque believes stands them in good stead to challenge on two fronts this season.
“I think it’s a good squad and it could be Sawyer that can get amongst the goals this season. I do think they can share the goals across that front line. Sawyer is the big, tall option who can get goals and if Rafael Martinez comes in and gets amongst them then they’ve got plenty of attacking options.
“You’ve also got wide players who can create and get good delivery in and you’ve got Caceres in behind with Luke Bratton as well. So their midfield is great and in their defence they’ve really stocked up with the likes of Damien De Silva.
“So I think they’re a very well-rounded squad, to be honest. Macarthur, I like the look of them, so I think I’m tipping them to be quite strong this year.”
The Bulls head to Suncorp Stadium in Round 1 when they face a new-look Brisbane Roar side under new boss Michael Valkanis.
Melbourne City: Juggling Isuzu UTE A-League and ACL Elite commitments?
Reigning champions heading into the new Isuzu UTE A-League season, Aurelio Vidmar’s Melbourne City will have a big target on their backs this season.
Having finished second in the regular season last term, City will also now have AFC Champions League Elite football to contend with in 2025-26 as well given Premiers Auckland FC were ineligible for the competitions owing to their OFC status.
A big out for City during the off-season was that of loanee Marco Tilio, who won’t be returning from Celtic having joined Austrian side Rapid Wien.
Furthermore, Socceroo James Jeggo announced his retirement from professional football due to injury whilst Grand Final goalscorer Yonatan Cohen also won’t be returning for the upcoming season following the expiration of his contract, however Brosque doesn’t think that departures will prove to be a big problem.
SCENES! Melbourne City Win the Grand Final | Trophy Lift & Final Whistle Emotions!
“When all those players went down injured the likes of (Alessandro) Lopane, (Max) Caputo, all these kids that came through, they were great. (Zane) Schreiber, Lawrence Wong, you know, I just think those kids will be even better for the experience last year and everything they did.
“So when those experienced players came back in last year, yes, they went back to the bench, but they they were great in the time that they were were needed and they sort of kept the ship afloat for the club and the team, and kept them sort of humming along and building nicely.”
In terms of incomings, City have added the experience of Japanese winger Takeshi Kanamori (Avispa Fukuoka) and Kosovo international wide man Elbasan Rashani, whilst then putting more faith in youth with the likes of Besian Kutleshi joining from Western United, Liam Bonetig from Celtic and academy duo Beckham Baker and Akeem Gerald.
Whilst they may be young the experience gained from last season will certainly be invaluable for that crop of City youngsters this season, particularly when it comes to Vidmar fielding teams in both the Isuzu UTE A-League and the ACL Elite.
“These kids are now ready to step up and be those senior players to a certain extent, and there’s still a lot of quality around them.
“So with Matthew Leckie, you’re probably not relying on him as much as they would have thought. I think they’ll be strong enough given all these youngsters that played last year now have a season under their belt and they’ll be ready to go and show even more.”
City kick off their Isuzu UTE A-League title defence with a mouthwatering clash at CommBank Stadium on Saturday, October 18 against the Wanderers.
Melbourne Victory: How does Arthur Diles use Juan Mata and how do they end their Championship drought?
Season 2025-26 promises to be an intriguing one for Melbourne Victory and their head coach Arthur Diles.
Beaten Grand Finalists last season, Victory have now suffered heartbreak in the last two Isuzu UTE A-League deciders and will be hoping the anguish of those two defeats can spur them on to go one step further this year and get their hands on the coveted trophy for the first time since 2018.
As in life in the Isuzu UTE A-League when young talent flourishes it’s only a matter of time before clubs around the world come calling and that was the case this off-season, with Kasey Bos (Mainz), Daniel Arzani (Ferencvarosi TC) and Ryan Teague (KV Mechelen) all moving to Europe.
“That’ll be interesting to see, Diles’ approach to Juan Mata,” said Brosque. “Because we saw Staj (Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Alen Stajcic) very early on decided that he was really only going to use Mata off the bench.
“So in bringing him across, what’s the intent on how they’re going to use him? Are they going to start him, which means you’re sort of building that midfield around him.
“You’re not expecting Mata to do all that much running, but you don’t want him to either, you want him on the ball.
“It’ll just be interesting with all the signings he’s made as to what team Melbourne Victory are going to be this year, because you’ve got so many different options there. So how does he balance out that midfield? How does he use Mata?”
“Going forward, there’s still a lot of quality there,” he said. “Vergos is still there, Santos is still there but if they get an injury in that front line – because Santos is a winger and Velupillay is a winger, Jing Reec can come off the bench and do a little bit, but right now Vergos is their only real go-to up front.
“I think they’ll be strong again, but in saying that, they have lost a lot of quality, especially in the final third.”
Victory will be aiming to inflict more misery upon the side they defeated in last season’s semi-finals as they take on Auckland FC in Round 1 at AAMI Park.
Newcastle Jets: How quickly can new head coach Mark Milligan have an impact on the side?
Following the club’s decision not to renew head coach Rob Stanton at the end of the Isuzu UTE A-League 2024-25 season, the Jets immediately turned their attention to former Socceroo Mark Milligan and subsequently handed the A-Leagues great his first senior coaching job.
Fast forward a few months and the Jets have taken flight under Milligan with Newcastle now preparing to face NPLM VIC champions Heidelberg United in the 2025 Hahn Australia Cup final as they bid to end a silverware drought that reaches back to 2008.
Opting to overhaul the squad in the off-season in a bid to bring in the style of player suited to his tactics, Milligan moved on 10 players, including first team players such as Dane Ingham, Ryan Scott and Phillip Cancar.
Taking their place in the Hunter are experienced Irish central defender Joe Shaughnessy, who joins from Scottish Premiership side Dundee FC, and creative duo Alex Badolato and Max Burgess, who join from Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC respectively, and Brosque believes the duo have a point to prove this season.
“There’s been a definite clean out on players,” said three-time Championship winner Brosque. “To be honest, I think Badolato – he had an incredible tournament with the under 20s, but he was released by the Wanderers, released by Melbourne Victory. So there’s a bit of a point to prove, because he’s clearly got the talent.
“This is a year where it has to be a breakout year for him.
“For Max Burgess being sort of frozen out at Sydney, again, we know his quality, but I think these are the two guys that can really sort of drive the attack for Millsy. But I think there’s some genuine excitement and hope from what everyone’s saying.
“But it’s up to Millsy, you know? How quickly does he get to have an impact with this team? We’ve seen it already, making the final of the Australia cup, if they go on to win that, the confidence that it’ll give this group to go on and have a good season will be huge.”
One player potentially key to any Newcastle Jets success this season could well be attacking midfielder Eli Adams, who enjoyed a breakout campaign last year, hitting nine goals and one assist in 24 games.
“He’s quite a timid boy, but he’s a very, very good player, we’ve seen it. But Millsy wants to see it every week, you know, and I think that’s a challenge for him.
“So there’s enough there. I think their Achilles Heel may still be defensively but if they can be tight, if Millsy, with the experience he brings as a defender can tighten them up at the back, then there’s enough going forward with Lachie Rose as well to to do some damage.
“This is an interesting one…”
Milligan’s Jets kick off their Isuzu UTE A-League 2025-26 campaign on Sunday, October 19 at polytec Stadium when they face rivals Central Coast Mariners.
