After five rounds of competition, the standings are beginning to take shape, with the top three teams starting to pull away from the rest of the field.
This Sunday’s Match of the Round features Bankstown Sports Stars, coming off a dominant victory, as they host Central Sydney Wolves, who are looking to bounce back after a narrow defeat in Round 5.
Match of the Round: Bankstown Sports Stars vs Central Sydney Wolves, Sunday 18th May 3pm @ Kelso South
Previous Meeting: Central Sydney Wolves 0-3 Bankstown Sports Stars – RD1, 2025
Bankstown Sports Stars will be aiming to secure their second win of the season over Central Sydney Wolves and stay hot on the heels of the ladder leaders, while the Wolves will be looking to claim their first victory over a top-three side and shake up the standings.
In their previous meeting back in Round 1, Bankstown Sports Stars kicked off their inaugural AAL1 campaign in style, putting three unanswered goals past the Wolves in a dominant 3-0 win. With five rounds now behind them, both teams have had time to grow and adjust, and this upcoming clash could yield a different outcome.
Currently sitting in 2nd place, Bankstown Sports Stars are coming off a big Round 5 win over St Christopher’s in a match that was tightly contested for over an hour. After a goalless first half where both sides battled for control, Stars took a narrow 2-1 lead before exploding with four goals in the space of 11 minutes, eventually finishing with a commanding 6-1 victory.
In their Round 1 match-up, Diana Elshiekh and Chelsea Lalsing were the key difference-makers, combining to score all three of Stars’ goals. Through the first five rounds, Elshiekh has netted seven goals while Lalsing has added five, with the duo accounting for 12 of the team’s 16 goals so far this season. If Bankstown are to break through the Wolves’ defence again, these two will likely be at the heart of it.
While their attacking form has been impressive, Bankstown Sports Stars have shown some vulnerability at the back. After keeping clean sheets in the opening two rounds, they’ve conceded eight goals in their last three matches. With Wolves still finding consistency in their forward play, Stars will be eager to tighten up defensively and return to their early-season solidity.
Central Sydney Wolves, currently 4th on the ladder, were left frustrated in Round 5 after scoring first but failing to collect points for the second week in a row. Dina Kamoun opened the scoring once again, but their opponents East Bankstown quickly equalised and added a second early in the second half to seal a 2-1 win.
Kamoun, a key 2025 signing for Wolves, missed their Round 1 clash against Stars but has since found form, scoring in each of her last two appearances. She will be central to Wolves’ hopes in this rematch. Wolves also received a big boost last weekend with the return of reigning AAL1 Player of the Year, Ola El-Zahab, who made her first appearance since Round 1. Her leadership and shot-stopping ability will be crucial as they look to contain Bankstown’s high-powered attack.
