After an enthralling opening night of action in the Australian Championship, Round 1 continues on Saturday with two more mouth-watering clashes.
The Premiers of South Australia take on New South Wales Champions APIA, while Victoria's Preston Lions host NWS Spirit.
MetroStars v Wests APIA FC
Saturday 11 October 2025
Watch live on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Kick-off: 1:00pm AEDT
T.K. Shutter Reserve
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The first of two clashes sees South Australia take centre stage as MetroStars welcome NPL NSW Champions Wests APIA FC.
MetroStars had a strong league campaign, comfortably taking out the NPL South Australia Premiership, with only two defeats in 22 matches.
The side made it to the NPL SA Grand Final, going down to Croydon Kings 2-1.
They also had success in the Hahn Australia Cup, earning a Round of 16 place before losing to two-time Champions Macarthur FC.
Owen Windsor will be a serious threat going forward for MetroStars, with 15 goals in the NPL SA, earning him the Golden Boot.
Midfielder Cameron Woodfin was not far behind in the goalscoring standings, bagging 11 goals.
In goal, Cody Oestreich will be tough to beat, having kept the most clean sheets in the NPL SA, with nine, while defender Noah McNamara has been a rock at the back, making the most clearances.
Wests APIA FC have had a similarly successful season, finishing second in the NPL NSW before going on to be crowned Champions.
Franco Parisi’s team demonstrated unmatched goal-scoring prowess in the competition, scoring 75 league goals in 30 games.
Winger Jack Stewart could be a difference-maker on Saturday, with his trickery creating numerous chances and contributing 11 goals so far this season.
Seiya Kambayashi will be another creative menace for APIA and has the most key passes of any NPL NSW player in 2025.
Presley Ortiz’s goal-getting attitude will give MetroStars’ defenders something to think about, having buried 20 goals so far in 2025.
APIA also made the headlines in the Round of 32 of the 2025 Hahn Australia Cup when they caused an early Cupset, downing A-League giants Melbourne City 2-0.
These teams have been the ones to beat in their respective state competitions and will give rise to a fierce battle on Saturday.
Preston Lions v NWS Spirit
Saturday 11 October 2025
Watch live on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Kick-off: 3:00pm AEDT
Genis Steel Stadium
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In the later kick off, Preston Lions play host to NPL NSW Premiers NWS Spirit.
The Lions snuck into the NPL Victoria finals football courtesy of a fast finish to the regular season, coming fifth.
They carried this form into the finals and beat competition giants Oakleigh Cannons 2-1 before going out to eventual NPL Victoria Champions and Hahn Australia Cup Finalists Heidelberg United.
Lleyton Brooks top-scored with nine goals, while Jonas Markovski and former NPL NSW star Jason Romero grabbed six goals each.
Preston were also one of the most defensively solid teams in the NPL Victoria this campaign, conceding just 28 goals from 26 matches.
Key to their defensive record and chances on Saturday is Matthew Bozinovski, who made more clearances than any player in the NPL Victoria and also won the most aerial duels.
Spirit produced a phenomenal effort in the NPL NSW to claim the Premiership after 30 rounds, seeing them into the Australian Championship as the highest-placed NSW team.
The side finished two points ahead of eventual Champions Wests APIA before losing to Rockdale Ilinden in the semi-finals.
It was their first-ever top-flight title since flying through the Football NSW divisions over the last decade.
Yu Okubo and Takumi Ofuka headlined Spirit’s attack, scoring 31 goals between them, however, Okubo has since moved on to Eastern in the Hong Kong Premier League.
Another of Spirit’s attacking weapons, and someone Lions will have to keep a lookout for, is Michael Konestabo, who registered 15 goals and five assists in the NPL NSW, averaging 0.79 goal involvements per match.
Spirit have also lost long-serving coach David Perkovic ahead of the Championship, who guided the team through its meteoric rise, with loyal assistant Luca Falcone taking the reins.
With both teams demonstrating their match-winning credentials so far this campaign, it could be a tight clash come Saturday.