Perth's Stefan Colakovski reveals his team!

Colakovski is no stranger to A-Leagues Fantasy, having played back in the Fox Sports days, and is all set to go for the new campaign. The man himself is a midfielder in-game, who will set you back 180k if you want him in there.

The 26-year old said he is happy with where his team is at, but noted that there are minor changes in the works for round one, especially to accommodate the bye for Adelaide and Brisbane.

With a week to go, here is how his side is shaping up, starting with the midfield where he's chosen to spend almost half of his cash.

The Team |

Midfielders (1.43m) |

Starters: Yull - ADL (296k), Jelacic - MVC (256k), Brook - AKL (298k), Colakovski - PER (180k), Lawrence - PER (403k)

Colakovski has opted to focus his investment in midfield, targeting some key figures from across the league and planning to run a five-midfielder formation throughout the season.

“I reckon between the five of us, I'm thinking there's going to be a lot of goals and assists,” he said of his selections.

“I think the midfielders are where the best players are in the game, there were heaps of choices that I wanted to put in there.”

Colakovski has given himself the armband for round one against Macarthur, a decision he described as a ‘no-brainer’, and has included teammate Tom Lawrence, although the Welshman may be at risk due to his price.

“He's my most expensive player, which is deserved,” Colakovski said.

“He's maybe the only one that could get a change, and only because of his price, because I feel like I'm lacking in some other areas. But in saying that, Lozza, when he was fit last season, I think he was one of the if not the best in the comp, so I think he'll be the same this year.”

The midfield is rounded out by Auckland’s Lachlan Brook, a good friend of Colakovski, Adelaide’s Jonny Yull and Victory’s Keegan Jelacic.

“It hurts putting a Victory player in there, but again, a former teammate of mine and a friend of mine who I rate, I think he is a top, top player. With Victory having a smaller squad this year, I think there’ll be a bit more weight on his shoulders, and I think he'll deliver.”

Defenders (785k) |

Starters: Kuzamba - PER (105k), Atkinson z MCY (338k), Carluccio - WSW (130k)

Bench: Madanha - WSW (107k), Calver - AKL (105k)

With almost half of his salary cap tied up in the middle of the park, Colakovski has had to look for value picks in much of his backline. He has opted for one premium option in City fullback Nathaniel Atkinson, alongside Perth teammate Tadiwanashe Kuzamba, Wanderers duo Panashe Madanha and Jarrod Carluccio, another good friend of his, and Auckland backup Aaron Calver.

“I had to choose out of ‘Acker’ and [Ben] Garuccio, two good friends of mine, and Atkinson was a bit cheaper and I think he’ll still chip in with some all round points,” he said.

Colakovski highlighted the form of Kuzamba in pre-season and called the Perth youngster a ‘steal’ at his price, while indicating Carluccio was something of a political selection.

“One of my very good friends in football, obviously another former teammate, I know if I didn’t put him in he’d send me a message and get angry at me again… so he can’t have any complaints.”

Attackers (480k) |

Starters: Borrello - WSW (270k), Becvinovski - CCM (105k)

Bench: Reec - MAC (105k)

Like the author, Colakovski is expecting big things from Wanderers this season, with Brandon Borrello’s selection ensuring he meets his team selection cap for the Red and Black.

Borrello is complemented up top by Colakovski’s cousin, 17-year old Mariners’ talisman Luke Becvinovski, while Macarthur’s Jing Reec is on the bench as the third attacker at least until after Perth’s round one clash with the Bulls.

Asked about starting the youngster for a first round derby against the reigning Premiers, the family man's explanation was simple.

“Oh, he's my little cousin, he's my first cousin.”

“Well, for one, I have to have him in my squad, and then I had him in my squad, and then I'm like, "You know what? I'm just going to chuck him out there and see what he can do for me."

“Now, I know he hasn't even played an A-League game yet, but, you know, I want to put that extra pressure on him to make sure he gets on the pitch and scores a bit, but yeah, look, that's just family. That's called politics.”

Goalkeepers (297k) |

Starter: Smits ADL (192k)

Bench: Sail AKL (105k)

“I think Adelaide will be decent this year” Colakovski said when discussing his selection of Joshua Smits in goal.

“He's a foreign, experienced keeper. I think I had Delianov originally and then I think just for the price, I changed it to put in Smits, so I'm happy with that.

“And then Oli Sail, again, another friend of mine, I feel like I've just fielded almost a whole team of my mates. Feels like playing 5-a-side or something.”

While he's likely to have to make a keeper change for round one, Colakovski is happy with his squad.

“When I look at my team, I'm pretty happy with it. I just think I would love to put another few Glory players, because I think that'd probably be cheaper, but it is what it is. I've got to be smart with my picks.”

While his Sokkah Fantasy side is an obvious priority, Colakovski’s focus has been on making the most of getting a full pre-season under his belt, having missed the entirety of 2025 after rupturing his ACL while at the Phoenix.

He linked up with Glory for the second half of the 25/26 campaign, making the most of his limited time with three goals and two assists in just 500 minutes of football, and is keen to hit the ground running once again.

“After being out for 13 months, last season was all just about getting back into it and I did that. And scored some goals, got some assists in minimal minutes, which was good for me.”

“I haven’t had a full preseason in such a long time with, touch wood, no injuries or anything, so for the first time, probably since I was at Melbourne City, I’ve had a smooth preseason with a lot of hard work.”

It’s not just on-field where the two-time A-League Champion is looking to make his mark this season, as he undertakes a significant fundraising effort off of it.

Colakovski is raising funds with Breast Cancer Network Australia in memory of his Baba, who passed away from the disease in 2018. If he reaches his goal of $10,000 he’ll be dying his hair pink, and with almost $8,000 raised already there’s a decent chance he’ll be standing out in round one.

“I’ve had this idea in my head for a couple of years, and I’ve mentioned it to some family and friends.

“I think just due to circumstances, you know, it almost felt like the time just wasn’t right every October to do something like this. And then this year I just thought, I’m back playing, I’ve had a good pre-season and I’ll actually be on the pitch and if I am on the pitch, it creates way more exposure.”

You can visit Stefan’s fundraising page with the story of his Baba’s diagnosis and his inspiration here.