With South Melbourne the only team to have confirmed qualification heading into Round 5 of the 2025 Australian Championship, this weekend’s fixtures carry extra weight for the chasing pack.
For the rest, there’s no margin for error; momentum matters, and a strong performance now could define their knockout run.
Here's who to keep an eye on in Round 5 of the Australian Championship.
Sydney United vs Wests APIA
Player to watch: Fabian Monge - Wests APIA
Those familiar with Fabian Monge will know exactly what he brings to a football pitch.
A mainstay in NPL NSW since making his senior debut as a 16-year-old with Marconi Stallions back in 2017, Monge has long been regarded as one of the competition’s most polished midfielders.
Four years of standout form earned him a move abroad to Greece with Xanthi FC under Tony Popovic, before returning to Australia to link up with him again at Melbourne Victory.
While short-lived in Victoria, he's back with APIA, where he's previously made his mark. Monge has slotted straight back into the side's rhythm, dictating play, linking transitions and controlling possession.
With both sides desperately needing all three points from this fixture, I think the game is wide open for a player like Monge to really make an impact.
Sydney Olympic vs Moreton City Excelsior
Player to watch: Ali Auglah - Sydney Olympic
Ali Auglah has been one of the standout stories of the Australian Championship so far.
Signed from Rockdale Illinden, he made an instant impact for Sydney Olympic, scoring the competition's historic first-ever goal in their devastating 3-2 loss against South Melbourne in Round 1 and scored the opener again, this time at Jubilee Oval in Round 4.
At just 23, Auglah's football journey has already seen him rise through the ranks at Western Sydney Wanderers, feature for Australia at the 2019 U17 FIFA World Cup and play a handful of games in the A-League for Macarthur.
Four goals in four games for Auglah show us just how lethal he's been as he sits atop the top goalscorers list, and there's no sign of him slowing down.
Like Atlas holding up the heavens, he's been carrying Olympic on his back this tournament, and they need three points from this fixture to have any chance of being quarter-finalists; it's as simple as that.
South Melbourne vs Broadmeadow Magic
Player to watch: Nahuel Bonada - South Melbourne
Before the Australian Championship kicked off, South Melbourne hadn’t won a game all year without Nahuel Bonada, and that says everything about his influence.
He's missed the last two weeks with suspension, and South Melbourne's really struggled to assert control of the games in his absence.
They've lacked their usual bite in the final third and looked short of that trademark intensity that he brings every time he’s on the pitch.
He truly is the spiritual heartbeat of the dressing room at Albert Park, and from my personal experience, as both a staff member and a fan at South Melbourne, Bonada’s return could be exactly what Hellas need to tune their performance into the next gear.
They’ve already qualified and have proven over the last four games that they have the fight and belief to win football matches, and with Bonada back in the squad, the sky’s the limit for what this football club can achieve in the Australian Championship.
South Hobart vs Marconi Stallions
Player to watch: James Hilton - Marconi Stallions
Goalkeeper James Hilton has been one of the unsung heroes of Marconi Stallions’ Australian Championship campaign.
While much of the attention has gone to their attacking quality, Hilton’s consistency between the posts has quietly underpinned their success.
The fact that the Stallions have conceded just two goals in their opening four games despite facing a massive 41 shots speaks volumes about Hilton’s shot-stopping, positioning, and command of his area.
He was selected in Round 4’s Team of the Week after keeping a firing Heidelberg United side to just one goal in brutal weather conditions.
Preston Lions vs Canberra Croatia
Player to watch: Jason Romero - Preston Lions
I think the Lions are unlucky to be at this point in the Championship with just a single win and two draws, but with the attacking talent at their disposal, they’re due to click.
Preston Lions have only scored six goals all tournament, and half of them have come from American striker Jason Romero.
Romero will be central to that push. If he gets the service and space to work with, he’s more than capable of sparking Preston’s resurgence.
They lost last time out to Canberra in the capital, but back at Genis Steel Stadium, with the home crowd behind them, Preston and Romero should snap up all three points.
Heidelberg United vs Wollongong Wolves
Player to watch: Anthony Lesiotis - Heidelberg United
Anthony Lesiotis has been the metronome in Heidelberg’s midfield since joining the club two years ago.
He's one of John Anastasiadis' most trusted players, playing 41 games of football this year, only missing one; a remarkable sign of his consistency, fitness, and importance to the side.
Week after week, he’s a quiet achiever in this Heidelberg United team, one of those players who rarely makes headlines but is absolutely essential to how they function.
His work rate, composure, and ability to control the tempo give Heidelberg their rhythm, while his defensive awareness provides the platform for others to push forward.
While speculation links head coach John Anastasiadis to Gosford to take the reins at Central Coast Mariners, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Lesiotis is one of the first names on his recruitment list.
Heidelberg are all but qualified for the Quarter-Finals, but I don’t think they’ll have any trouble making a statement at home against Wollongong Wolves this week at the Olympic Village.
MetroStars vs Baywater City
Player to watch: Luke Palmateer - Bayswater City
Last week, we took a look at Bayswater City's Declan Hughes for his football brain and ability to control defensive transition.
This week, keep your eyes out for leader and captain, Luke Palmateer.
I've been told Palmateer is essentially Western Australia's answer to Harry Souttar.
Dependable as ever at the back, a great leader on and off the pitch, and well-loved by pretty much everyone in the state.
He scored a goal in Round 4 against Sydney United, which contributed to another three points for the side from the West.
Palmateer has got a real ability to make a difference in a game that matters and Bayswater City need just one point to secure themselves some knockout football.
Avondale FC vs NWS Spirit
Player to watch: Blake Carpenter - Avondale FC
Last week, I made a point of specifically not picking Bruno Fornaroli as my player to watch against Canberra Croatia, and he proved me wrong with another goal to his name.
With that being said, my Round 5 player to watch for Avondale is Blake Carpenter.
Carpenter’s story is one of perseverance. He’s battled through a tough run of injuries across his career, but since returning to action toward the end of the NPL Victoria season, he’s started to show glimpses of the player he once was and can be: full of pace, dynamic, composed and intelligent in possession.
Across these Australian Championship games, his sharpness and confidence have continued to build, and you can see the trust growing within him and from those around him.
He bagged an assist in Avondale's Round 4 clash against Canberra, and if he can stay fit and continue finding his rhythm, Carpenter’s quality from the back and his ability to drive forward could be a key factor in Avondale’s push toward the knockout rounds.