Four NPL Attackers A-League Clubs Should Target
With the NPL regular season now finished, here are four Australian attackers whose performances, profiles, and underlying metrics should have A-League clubs taking notice ahead of 26/27.
The gap between the A-League Men and Australia’s NPLs is arguably smaller than ever, but the way A-League clubs behave in the market hasn’t necessarily reflected that.
The continued integration of young Aussie players into the A-League has rightly received plenty of praise, with clubs turning to homegrown talent as squad-building becomes more challenging due to ever-tightening budgets, a restrictive salary cap, and limited avenues for recruitment.
And while clubs have become a lot more open to developing and playing young players, there remains an opportunity close to home that appears to still be heavily underutilised — the National Premier Leagues.
The Australia Cup has repeatedly shown that the gap between the professional and semi-professional levels in the country is not as wide as it appears, while recent seasons have provided a growing list of Australian players who have successfully made the transition into the A-League.
That doesn’t mean every outstanding NPL player is ready to walk straight into an A-League starting XI, not at all. The environments are different, the demands are higher, and projecting how a player’s qualities will translate is precisely where recruitment becomes difficult. But the talent is there.
In a league where clubs are forced to find marginal gains, the NPL represents an accessible talent pool that is still undervalued. Familiarity will always make established A-League players a “safer” bet (according to some, at least), but repeatedly looking within the same market also means overlooking opportunities elsewhere.
In this article, rather than simply highlighting four of the NPL’s most productive forwards, we’ll look at four Australian players whose performances, profiles, and underlying metrics suggest they could be worth a closer look from A-League recruitment departments.
Arran Cocks — South Melbourne FC
Can he survive the physical step up?
Born in 2006 in South Africa and raised in Australia, Cocks is the youngest player on the list. The youngster has really come to the fore since moving to Hellas from Broadmeadow.
A natural left-winger by trade, Cocks has been deployed mainly as a left-wing-back in South Melbourne’s attacking 3–4–2–1 system. Although this is a different role on paper for the 20-year-old, his average position in games has regularly been the furthest forward of all his teammates.
This aggressive role has allowed Cocks to play high and wide, where he can receive the ball isolated against a full-back. His close control, low centre of gravity, and ability to manipulate his body make him difficult to dispossess, while his sharp burst over the first few metres allow him to create separation without needing large spaces.
While he’s not the quickest across longer distances, Arran is very good at baiting opponents into engaging before changing direction to cut into his stronger right foot or accelerate into space.
When he does get that extra yard, Cocks can whip in excellent crosses with his right foot or shoot with power from all sorts of ranges, making him a versatile weapon in the final third.
Away from his attacking qualities, the South African sharpshooter is also an active presser and counter-presser, particularly when South look to regain the ball immediately after losing it. His work tracking runners is less consistent, however, and remains an area of his game that will need to improve if he is to make the jump.
According to Twelve Fotoball’s Earpiece platform, Cocks ranks first and second, respectively, for xT created from Dribbles and Carries out of all wingers in the 2026 NPL Victoria season.
Unsurprisingly, most of those actions come from the left wide space and the left half-space, where he’s most prominent, due to South’s system consistently allowing him to play isolated 1v1 or 1v2.
Cocks also ranks in the top three of his cohort for xA per 90 minutes and Key passes per 90, highlighting his ability to not only progress the ball but effectively create quality chances for his team.
But the question remains: Can he translate that to the A-League?
While the A-League does represent a significant step up in speed and intensity, the fact that Cocks’ profile is not solely reliant on raw speed and power means that a potential move to the pro level could see him maintain decent output.
For wingers that depend on pace and power to create separation, similar step-ups in quality could mean harder and longer adjustment periods, but in the case of the former St. Johnstone FC attacker, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Arran’s game is based more around la pausa — the ability to deliberately slow down while in possession, allowing the picture to change before making a more beneficial decision.
Cocks does that extremely well. He’s great at judging the body position of the defender and making the right decision in order to gain advantage.
In a more organized environment, against better defenders, like the A-League Men, Cocks will need a system that allows him to utilize these strengths, but I believe that he’s a player who can be more than useful at the level, especially considering his upside at the age of 20.
Cocks also holds a UK passport, which could make him a valuable asset in terms of resale potential, with English clubs becoming more and more active on the Australian market.
Presley Ortiz — APIA Leichhardt FC
Do the Goals Translate?
Son of former NSL player Christian Ortiz, Presley is a clinical striker who finished joint-top of the NPL NSW Golden Boot ladder with 21 goals.
Ortiz returned to Australia in 2023 after a two-year stint in Portugal. Since moving to APIA in 2025, he has consistently stood out as one of the best finishers in NSW.
At 182cm, Ortiz isn’t the most physically imposing #9, but he makes up for it with a strong upper body. He uses his arms intelligently to fend off pressure and protect the ball, allowing him to absorb contact, but he’s not a natural with his back to goal.
His game is built around movement rather than involvement. Ortiz is a low-touch striker who rarely drops deep to link play, instead preferring to stretch the defensive line by playing off the shoulder and running the channels.
Ortiz is also comfortable moving into wide areas, where he can receive facing the opposition goal and vacate the central spaces for some of his other teammates to exploit.
His movement is complemented by the ability to carry the ball over longer distances and dribble in tight spaces. He is particularly dangerous when drifting into the left channel, where he can drive inside and generate shots for himself. Once he gets into those areas, his finishing is his standout quality, especially in 1v1 situations.
As seen from his data, Ortiz’s ability to create separation when cutting in from the left to find good goalscoring positions makes him one of the most threatening strikers in the division.
However, some elements of his game could become more problematic against A-League opposition. His movement inside the box, especially on crosses, can be passive at times. He tends to attack the obvious spaces instead of exploiting defenders' blind side.
Another part of Presley’s game that could be an issue is his passiveness off the ball. Despite playing for one of the most active teams in NSW, in terms of PPDA & Defensive Intensity, he ranks low for most pressing metrics.
Interestingly, his counterpressing numbers tell a slightly different story, suggesting that his work rate is rather reactive instead of proactive. He is willing to engage immediately after possession is lost, but contributes less when the opposition has established possession and he has to recognise the right triggers.
His limited involvement in build-up also raises an interesting question about how best to use him at A-League level. Rather than acting as a focal point for the attack, Ortiz appears most comfortable when given the freedom to move around the frontline and receive facing the goal.
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A two-striker system, with a more fixed #9 occupying the centre-backs, could be a good option for him, if he does make that next step. Such a partnership would allow him to play to his strengths while mitigating some of his weaknesses, giving him more opportunities to receive facing goal, without engaging with physically superior CBs too often.
Jyden Harb — UNSW FC
Is the Sample Big Enough?
A former Australia futsal international, Harb has been one of the breakout stars in the 2026 NPL NSW season.
The 20-year-old has been the main man for UNSW FC, scoring 10 goals and providing 3 assists in his first full season in the top tier of NPL football, after winning the POTY and Golden Boot in FNSW League Two in 2025.
Harb is a tall, agile attacker with a slight frame and long legs. While he lacks explosive acceleration to consistently beat defenders for pace, his close control (typical for a futsal player) allows him to carry the ball past opponents and progress attacks without relying solely on athleticism.
On paper, he has been playing mainly as a left-winger, but on the pitch he’s been given a free role, allowing him to roam around and find spaces in between the opposition lines.
Jyden’s technical security, combined with his proactive mindset, is what makes him stand out at NPL level. He is often the first player his teammates look for when they get the ball, and he actively tries to force the issue. He is willing to attempt difficult passes, take players on, and shoot from positions where others might choose a safer option.
He is predominantly right-footed, but doesn’t hesitate to use his left for passing and shooting, while his ability to receive on the back foot, even under pressure, allows him to operate in tight areas.
His biggest selling point, however, is his creativity. Whether it’s through passing or dribbling, Harb is a real creative hub for UNSW. While his assist numbers don’t reflect that, his underlying data paints a different picture.
He ranks third out of 95 players for xT generated from Dribbles and second for xA, highlighting his ability to create high-value opportunities.
Another standout element of Harb’s game is his ball-striking. He is capable of generating power and accuracy from all sorts of ranges, both from open play and set-pieces, making him a threat even when he’s not able to find space inside the box.
Defensively, Harb is less proactive. He doesn’t show the same intensity without the ball as he does when his team has it, conserving his energy for the attacking phase instead. At a higher level, where he’s not necessarily the centrepiece of the team, that could be something that he’s forced to iron out.
But how much evidence does an A-League club need before deciding that a player is worth taking a chance on? Harb has only one season of NPL NSW football under his belt, so there is still plenty of uncertainty around how his game would translate to the professional level.
At the same time, his ability to step up from FNSW League Two to the top tier of NPL football, and immediately become one of the competition’s most influential players, is a bright green flag. Successfully adapting to a higher level of football is often a good sign when assessing whether a player can make another step up.
Harb’s rumoured move to Sutherland Sharks could provide another useful test. With the Sharks set to compete in the Australian Championship, he will have an opportunity to test himself against some of the country’s best NPL sides before the January transfer window, potentially giving A-League clubs another opportunity to assess him.
There are still questions to answer, particularly around his physical intensity, with and without the ball. This could be an issue, especially if he is to join a side that wants to press high and attack in transition, where forwards are expected to cover large distances at top speed. How he copes with those demands could therefore be an important part of determining if he’s ready for the next step.
Luca Tevere — Preston Lions FC
Did They Get It Wrong?
Last but definitely not least comes Luca Tevere, for many the best player in NPL Victoria.
I’ll admit that including Tevere feels a bit like cheating. Since returning to Preston, he has operated predominantly as a midfielder rather than an attacker, but his versatility and output made him impossible to leave out.
Unlike the other players on the list, Tevere already had a spell in the A-League with Perth Glory, where he recorded two assists from nine appearances. After being dubbed surplus to requirements, he was released by Glory in May and returned to the NPL with Preston Lions, where he has completely changed his fortunes, and those of the club.
Playing as one of Lions’ two number 10s, Luca is allowed to dictate the game with the ball, but also influence it with his movement off it.
Fairly small in stature, he is deceptively agile, but his best quality is arguably his ability to find space between the lines and manipulate defensive blocks through his off-ball movement. He is constantly playing off the shoulder of opponents, looking to receive in advantageous areas where he’s unmarked.
With the ball, he’s one of the most influential players in the league, averaging the most touches per 90 minutes out of all 94 midfielders to play more than 300 minutes in NPL Victoria this season.
Luca also ranks second for xGBuildup, which accounts for the accumulated xG from possessions in which a player was involved, showing that his high volume of touches isn’t simply a product of circulating possession.
As seen from his xGBuildup map, Luca’s influence is spread out across the pitch. Naturally, he’s best at operating in the left half-spaces, but he regularly drops deep to aid Preston’s single pivot, with his ability to turn under pressure and find runners being particularly useful.
But where Tevere’s passing really stands out is in and around the so-called zone 14, the area which most coaches consider the most dangerous on the pitch.
Once again, he ranks top of the midfield cohort for Expected Threat accumulated from non-set-piece passes adjusted by possession, with a considerable gap between him and the next-best player.
We’ve already seen a glimpse of what Tevere can do from these areas at A-League level, with his assist for Stefan Colakovski against Auckland being a perfect example. After finding space between the lines and carrying the ball up the pitch, Tevere creates the opening from exactly that zone 14 situation in which he has consistently excelled for Preston.
In terms of goalscoring, Luca is definitely more of a provider than a natural finisher, although he is capable of chipping in with goals. He is a good penalty taker and a threat from direct free-kicks.
From open play, however, looking at his numbers from the 2025 NPL season, which gives us a more reliable sample, he averaged 0.16 non-penalty xG and 0.19 non-penalty goals per 90, respectable numbers, but far from exceptional. His ball-striking technique is generally clean, but he doesn’t get into high-percentage positions often enough to consistently hurt opponents.
Physically, Tevere isn’t imposing, and his lack of strength can be exposed in shoulder-to-shoulder duels, but that doesn’t mean he is passive without the ball. He works hard defensively and is a nuisance for opposition players, particularly when Preston look to squeeze the pitch and win the ball back. His counter-pressing numbers back that up, ranking fourth for counter-pressing actions per 90.
So, does Tevere deserve another chance in the A-League? I certainly think so. When he joined Perth last January, he had already played a full NPL season, including a deep run in the Australia Cup and six games in the inaugural Australian Championship, accumulating 2,500+ minutes of football.
It is also important to note that NPL players are not full-time professionals, meaning Tevere had to juggle an everyday job alongside his football career. To make matters worse, he was carrying an injury going to Perth, meaning he didn’t even arrive fully fit in Western Australia for his first full-time contract.
The timing feels different now. Tevere has had a taste of the A-League, knows what is required at that level, and is heading into the NPL Victoria finals series at the top of his game. If an A-League club can bring him in before the start of the 26/27 season, they will have the opportunity to see a very different player.
The Bigger Picture
These four players won’t all make the jump. Some may prove they’re not ready, while others may never get the opportunity. That’s the nature of recruitment.
Not every NPL player will want to make the move either. For some, the financial security of working a full-time job alongside their football may be more appealing than taking the risk of an A-League contract. But for those who have the ambition to play professionally, the potential rewards can be significant.
Zac Sapsford and Lachie Rose, both now playing for Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership, are recent examples of how a successful transition from the NPL to the A-League can open a pathway to Europe. With European clubs increasingly looking towards the A-League, the journey from working a full-time job and playing semi-professionally to competing in European football is not as far-fetched as it might seem.
The pathway is there. Now, it’s up to A-League clubs to decide whether they’re willing to take the chance.
Thank you for reading.
All data provided by Twelve Football Earpiece
