Here's the depth chart in a simple 4-3-3, including youth players. Pretty grim on the senior side of things, so I'd love for Italiano to take some risks.
Of the above, I'd expect the following to be a) good enough to make an impact at a higher level, and b) to be around the first-team squad next season:
- Noah Karunaratne (very agile and tricky winger who may lack end product, unused sub on a few occasions this A-League season)
- Fin Conchie (smaller, brave midfielder with good technique and strong in the tackle, as close to Devlin as we're going to get)
- Adam Supyk (if he rejoins the squad after this Northern League season with Eastern Suburbs - big fan, very attack-focused)
- Lukas Kelly-Heald (very tall CB, quite slow with weaker technique and defensive sense but can cover LB too)
- Isaac Hughes (good ball-playing CB and great leader at youth level, on the shorter side but good positional sense)
- Dan McKay (great two-way midfielder, great domestic campaign last year)
Wasn't Karunaratne going dutch after the U20 World Cup? Offer on the table but nothing official as yet?
Not everyone will agree, but some players who'd I'd hope are at least under some sort of consideration;
Nathan Lobo (LB/LWB) - 20
Joseph Lee (LW/RW) - 20
Campbell Strong (DM/CM) - 20 - College stateside, but was decent in outings for U22 side v China, solid player even before he went off to college
Oliver Colloty - (ST) - 19 - Obviously depends on how well his trial over in the UK goes I guess on that front.
Just my take of course, and I do have a few others that I'll get to when I can be bothered to do a decent write up. Agree re the academy lads too, but it's of no harm to cast a wider net for talent.