21 goals, a Golden Boot and now the A-League: Presley Ortiz earns his next shot

Another of NPL NSW’s leading talents is heading to the A-League, with APIA Leichhardt star and Golden Boot winner Presley Ortiz joining Central Coast Mariners.

The 23-year-old makes the move after two prolific seasons at Lambert Park and becomes the latest APIA player to earn an opportunity in the professional game.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the Mariners and I can’t wait to get started,” Ortiz said.

“I’ve worked hard over the past few seasons to keep improving my game and scoring goals, with the aim of earning another opportunity at this level.

“The Mariners have a great reputation for giving players opportunities and helping them get the best out of themselves, so for me this feels like a really exciting place to take the next step in my career.

“I want to come in, work hard, compete for my place and contribute however I can. As a striker you always want to score goals, but ultimately it’s about helping the team win.”

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For Ortiz, it is the reward for a career that has already taken him well beyond the state leagues.

The former Young Socceroo spent time with Portuguese giants Sporting CP as a teenager before eventually returning to Australia and finding a home at APIA.

He helped the club win the 2025 NPL NSW Championship and earned Team of the Year honours before going to another level this season.

Ortiz scored 21 goals during the 2026 regular season to finish equal-top of the Golden Boot standings as APIA claimed the Premiership.

Now comes his return to the professional game.

“Presley is a player who has worked extremely hard for this opportunity and his performances over the past couple of seasons have been impossible to ignore,” Mariners sporting director Matt Simon said.

“He has experienced football overseas, he has represented Australia at youth level and, importantly, he has come back and consistently performed at NPL level.”

Ortiz’s move is also significant for APIA.

He becomes the first player to progress to Central Coast through the new operating partnership between the clubs, which APIA hopes will create another direct pathway from Lambert Park into the A-League.

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“Ortiz is the first, of what we hope are many talented APIA players who will be afforded the opportunity to move into the A-League environment in this relationship with the Central Coast Mariners,” APIA said.

But he is far from the only APIA player to make that step.

Ortiz follows former team-mates Oscar Gonzalez (Newcastle Jets) and Max Court (Brisbane Roar) in securing A-League opportunities after their development at Lambert Park, continuing a significant period of player progression from one of the NPL NSW’s leading clubs.

APIA coach Franco Parisi pointed to those opportunities after the NPL NSW Grand Final when reflecting on what success at the club looks like beyond results and silverware.

“We’re developing footballers, three have moved on to the A-League,” Parisi said. “We’re developing young men who will become better human beings.”

There will be an early reunion, too.

Central Coast are scheduled to face APIA in a pre-season friendly on October 10 before the Mariners begin their A-League campaign against Newcastle Jets a week later.