FPF's Aussies Abroad power rankings: Week 7
- Ross Papadakis
- 15 minutes ago
- 7 min read
It was a strong fortnight for Australians abroad, with standout performances continuing to come from all corners of Europe. From goal contributions and clean sheets to individual accolades, several Aussies are finding their stride as the season builds momentum. Some have solidified their spots near the top with consistent form, while others are starting to make their mark after quieter starts. With competition for places heating up, this week’s rankings highlight those flying the flag highest across the globe.
Jordan Bos in action for the Socceroos against New Zealand last month. (Image: Tahlia Daly)
Jordan Bos - Feyenoord (+2)
Jordan Bos jumps two spots to claim the top spot after being named Eredivisie Player of the Month for August, underlining his explosive start to life in the Netherlands.
Bos was immense again in Feyenoord's 3-2 win over Utrecht, playing the full 90 at left-back, while also featuring in the Europa League against Aston Villa.
The 21-year-old sits inside the Eredivisie's top 10 for successful dribbles (13), successful tackles (9), and duels won (50).
On top of the defensive strength, Bos has already tallied two goals and one assist from seven matches, just three shy of his entire tally from last season with Westerlo.Â
Following his positive performances in green and gold, which included a goal against the USA, Feyenoord beat Ajdin Hrustic's Heracles Almelo 7-0. He was substituted at half-time while 4-0 up.
I genuinely believe there is no ceiling for Bos. With a four-year deal at Feyenoord under his belt, I wouldn't be surprised if an even bigger European side comes calling.
Alessandro Circati - Parma (-1)
Circati slips down a spot this fortnight, more due to the surging performances of Bos than his own.
Last week, the 20-year-old played another full 90 minutes in Parma's narrow 1-0 loss to Lecce in Serie A.
Stationed once again at the heart of defence, he showed his composure and reliability. But he couldn't prevent Parma from slipping to their second defeat of the season.
This week, he played another full game in Parma's 0-0 draw against Genoa, despite his side playing most of the game with 10 men.
Circati's consistency remains unquestioned; he has played every minute of their league campaign so far, and Parma's defensive record is still among the best in Serie A.
He remains firmly in the top three, currently being one of the most reliable young defenders in Europe.
Nestory Irankunda - Watford (-1)
After a strange first-half substitution in Watford's 2-2 draw with Portsmouth, Irankunda responded strongly by starting and playing 85 minutes in their 2-1 win over Oxford.
The teenager offered a constant outlet in behind and wasn't afraid to take on responsibility in the final third, showing his maturity despite the inconsistent nature of Watford's season.
Early last week, Paulo Pezzolano was relieved of his duties as Watford manager, with Javi Gracia taking over. In Gracia's first game in charge, Watford fell 1-0 to Sheffield United with Irankunda playing 60 minutes.
While the early sub raised eyebrows, his response proved he remains one of the Hornets' most important players. Irankunda then played another 45 minutes in Watford's 2-1 win over West Brom this morning.
Their attack looks sharper with him on the pitch, and his stock continues to rise as he racks up minutes in the Championship.
Mat Ryan - Levante (+4)
Another clean sheet for Mat Ryan in Spain, and it's great to see him playing and clearly loving his football again.Â
Levante beat Real Oviedo 2-0, with the Socceroos' number one making two saves.
Off the pitch, it was an even bigger week for Ryan, who welcomed his first child—capping off a memorable few days for the veteran goalkeeper.
But it's been an interesting couple of weeks in totality for Ryan in Spain, as this week Levante lost 3-0 to Rayo Vallecano in what was a pretty disappointing performance.
Patrick Yazbek - Nashville SC (new)
Not many people have been happy with the lack of MLS-based Aussies in this list, so here's a highlight of one of the best performers in the league.
Fresh off winning the US Open Cup, Yazbek has been steadying along, putting in respectable stints as Nashville sits sixth in the Eastern Conference.
The midfielder has been quietly effective, offering balance in the middle of the park and chipping in with valuable contributions when called upon.
His consistency is earning trust at the MLS level and helping Nashville remain competitive in a tight table.
Most recently, he played 73 minutes in a 5-2 loss to Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, in which the Argentine wizard scored a hat-trick.
And of course, these are performances that earned him a spot in the Socceroos, where he featured off the bench in both games against Canada and the USA.
Mohamed Toure - Randers (new)
Mohamed Toure starred in Randers' 2-1 win over Viborg in the Danish Superliga, scoring once and assisting the opener inside the opening 15 minutes.
The 20-year-old swept home Randers' second after setting up Nikolas Dyhr just moments earlier with a clever piece of play down the right flank.
Toure's night ended in the 84th minute due to injury, but it was still a statement showing from the young forward. Fellow Aussie Paul Izzo also featured in goal.
Post international break, Toure played another 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Nordsjaelland.
Despite the loss, it's his form that earns him a spot in the top 10.
Cameron Burgess - Swansea (-2)
A 3-1 loss to Leicester City drops Cameron Burgess down a place from our previous power rankings. Following that was a 0-0 draw to Southampton and a 1-0 defeat to QPR.
While Burgess put in three solid performances, Swansea now sit in 16th with three wins, four draws and four losses.
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos - Motherwell (new)
Last week, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos continued his hot streak in Scotland, making it three goals in two games with a brace in Motherwell's 3-2 defeat to Celtic.
The Socceroo equalised in the 40th minute with a clever glancing header from Tawanda Maswanhise's cross, before confidently dispatching a 56th-minute penalty to put his side ahead. He was subbed off late with a minor knock.
This week, he returned to play 28 minutes off the bench in their 2-1 loss to Falkirk. Johnny Koutroumbis and Oscar Priestman also featured in the game.
Jacob Italiano - Grazer AK (no change)
After registering two very positive performances in two starts for the national team, Jacob Italiano returned to Austria, playing 82 minutes in a 0-0 draw against Hartberg.
He recorded a 75% dribble success rate and won seven of his 10 defensive duels. Despite it being Grazer AK's second clean sheet in their last three games, it's their sixth draw of the season as they remain winless across the opening 10 games.
Jed Drew did not feature for Hartberg and remains sidelined with a back injury.
Fran Karacic & Anthony Kalik - Hajduk Split (no change)
Another strong showing from the Aussie duo in Croatia as Hajduk Split claimed a 1-0 win over Vukovar 1991.
Fran Karacic helped his side to yet another clean sheet, continuing his reliable form at right-back. Meanwhile, Anthony Kalik featured for 10 minutes in midfield to help control the game and maintain Hajduk's title push.
This week, despite Hajduk beating Istra 1961 3-0, neither player was present. That makes it six clean sheets from eight league matches as Hajduk remain firmly in the hunt for the title, just behind Dinamo Zagreb on goal difference.
CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS RANKINGS
On the rise
Ajdin Hrustic - Heracles
Last week, Ajdin Hrustic continued to build momentum in the Netherlands, recording another assist in Heracles' 2-1 defeat to Twente.
The Socceroo was lively throughout, almost scoring himself before his pinpoint corner set up Ivan Mesik for the opener.
Having now supplied two assists across his past two games and becoming a regular 90-minute player, Hrustic is finding form at the perfect time, with his performances strengthening his push for a spot in Australia's World Cup squad.
As mentioned earlier, however, he did play all 90 minutes in Heracles' 7-0 loss to Jordy Bos' Feyenoord. But I don't think this is cause for concern, as the most important thing for a player like Hrustic is to remain fit and play football, and that is precisely what he's doing.
Cameron Peupion - ADO Den Haag
He scored ADO's second goal in their 3-0 win over Jong PSV, his third goal across his past six games in the Dutch second division.
They sit comfortably atop the league.
Cameron Devlin - Hearts
A little bit of a forgotten Socceroo, Cam Devlin, has been putting in an absolute shift in Scotland.
He just made his 8th consecutive start in the league as Hearts extended their winning streak to five games in a 3-0 win over Kilmarnock.
Struggling for form
Jackson Irvine - St Pauli
Not struggling for form, as Jackson Irvine remains sidelined through injury. But off-field headlines have dominated his week in Germany.
Reports emerged of internal tension at St. Pauli after board member Rene Born allegedly attacked the Socceroo on Instagram from a fake account over his stance on Palestine.
The club has since distanced itself from the incident. But the fallout has sparked speculation that the Socceroos captain could be on the move when the January transfer window opens.
Since then, he was an unused substitute in St Pauli's 3-0 loss to Hoffenheim.
Ryan Teague - KV Mechelen
Since we last checked in with Teague, he hasn't set foot on the pitch.
Absent from the last two matchday squads and an unused substitute in the two games before that, he has only played 35 minutes all season.
Click here to read more of Front Page Football's Aussies Abroad coverage!