Ante Milicic
Encyclopedia
Ante Milicic is an Australia
n former football (soccer) player. He is currently one of the assistant managers of A-League
club Melbourne Heart. He is of Croatian Australian
origin.
. The first stint was played almost entirely for Sydney United
, for whom he played as a junior, and which culminated in playing in their runner-up 1996/97 side. After that season he moved to NAC Breda
in the Netherlands
, and after 2 seasons there went to Croatia
's Rijeka
. On his return to the NSL in season 2001/02, he rejoined Sydney United
for a brief stay, before moving to city rival Sydney Olympic during the same season. He would spend the rest of the season and the next playing there, including scoring the only goal of the 2001/02 Grand Final against Perth Glory
. In the final he was awarded the Joe Marston Medal
, delivering Sydney Olympic their second NSL
title, as well as playing in the runner up side the following season against Perth Glory
.
In season 2003/04, the NSL
's last, Miličić moved once again, this time to Parramatta Power
, where he would once again taste Grand Final defeat against the Perth Glory
. After the NSL
was disbanded, Miličić played in the Malaysian League for Pahang
. It was widely felt that with the $1.5 million salary caps imposed on all Hyundai A-League clubs, Miličić would not be able to be brought back to Australia
. However, he joined the Newcastle United Jets
, who finished 4th on the Hyundai A-League ladder in 2005/2006, also joining close friends Labinot Haliti
, Ned Zelic
and Harry Hezbolla.
Ante Miličić was the first player in the A-League
to score a Hat-Trick in the game vs on 4 November 2005 in round 11. He was also the first player to do a rabona
in the a-league
.
In May 2006 Ante signed to transfer to rival A-League
team , where he played in 44 matches scoring 11 goals.
On 8 December 2007, Miličić had his contract terminated by mutual consent and joining Malaysian Premier League
Shahzan Muda FC
, citing that "It wasn't quite happening for me at Queensland Roar."
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|2003||0||0
|-
|2004||3||2
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|2005||1||2
|-
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as Player/Coach for season 2009 and 2010 in the NSW Premier League. It is his first venture as coach and currently boasts a record of 9 wins (8 in Premier League 1 Tiger Turf Cup), 2 Draws and 1 Loss.
He was also called up as an Assistant Coach to the Under 20's Young Socceroos team for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt and Assistant in Under 20s World Cup in Colombia 2011.
On the 18th November 2009 it was announced that he would be joining Jesper Olsen
as an assistant coach at new A-League
franchise Melbourne Heart.
:
With Sydney Olympic:
With Trinity Grammar 4th XI:
Personal Honours:
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n former football (soccer) player. He is currently one of the assistant managers of A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
club Melbourne Heart. He is of Croatian Australian
Croatian Australian
Croatia has been a source of migrants to Australia, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2006, 128,051 persons resident in Australia identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry.- History :...
origin.
Club career
He played for a variety of sides in two stints in the National Soccer LeagueNational Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
. The first stint was played almost entirely for Sydney United
Sydney United
Sydney United Football Club are an Australian football club from Sydney, Australia, established in 1957 by Croatian Australians in the area...
, for whom he played as a junior, and which culminated in playing in their runner-up 1996/97 side. After that season he moved to NAC Breda
NAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and after 2 seasons there went to Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
's Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
. On his return to the NSL in season 2001/02, he rejoined Sydney United
Sydney United
Sydney United Football Club are an Australian football club from Sydney, Australia, established in 1957 by Croatian Australians in the area...
for a brief stay, before moving to city rival Sydney Olympic during the same season. He would spend the rest of the season and the next playing there, including scoring the only goal of the 2001/02 Grand Final against Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
. In the final he was awarded the Joe Marston Medal
Joe Marston Medal
The Joe Marston Medal is an A-League award given to the player of the match in the A-League Grand Final each year. Introduced in 1990, previously the award was also given to the best player in the National Soccer League grand final. The medal is named after Joe Marston, who played for Australia...
, delivering Sydney Olympic their second NSL
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
title, as well as playing in the runner up side the following season against Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
.
In season 2003/04, the NSL
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
's last, Miličić moved once again, this time to Parramatta Power
Parramatta Power
Parramatta Power were a football team which was based in western Sydney. They played in the National Soccer League from season 1999/2000 until the league folded in 2004. The Power were runners up to Perth Glory in the 2003/04 season of the NSL after Perth made the Grand Final look easy in...
, where he would once again taste Grand Final defeat against the Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
. After the NSL
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
was disbanded, Miličić played in the Malaysian League for Pahang
Pahang
Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
. It was widely felt that with the $1.5 million salary caps imposed on all Hyundai A-League clubs, Miličić would not be able to be brought back to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. However, he joined the Newcastle United Jets
Newcastle United Jets
Newcastle United Jets Football Club is a professional football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The club competes in the A-League and plays its home games at Ausgrid Stadium . The Jets have won one A-League championship, defeating arch rivals the 1–0 in the 2007–08 Grand Final...
, who finished 4th on the Hyundai A-League ladder in 2005/2006, also joining close friends Labinot Haliti
Labinot Haliti
Labinot Haliti is a football player who plays as striker for the Newcastle Jets in the A-League. He holds Albanian, Australian and Kosovar passports, making him eligible to represent Albania, Australia and the non FIFA-recognised Kosovo.-Club career:Haliti’s story begins in Kosovo’s capital,...
, Ned Zelic
Ned Zelic
Nedijeljko "Ned" Zelić is a former Australian football player.-Club career:Zelic started his career in the old Australian National Soccer League,where he played with clubs Sydney Croatia and Sydney Olympic...
and Harry Hezbolla.
Ante Miličić was the first player in the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
to score a Hat-Trick in the game vs on 4 November 2005 in round 11. He was also the first player to do a rabona
Rabona
In association football, the rabona is a method of kicking the football whereby the kicking leg is wrapped around the back of the standing leg—effectively with one's legs crossed....
in the a-league
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
.
In May 2006 Ante signed to transfer to rival A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
team , where he played in 44 matches scoring 11 goals.
On 8 December 2007, Miličić had his contract terminated by mutual consent and joining Malaysian Premier League
Malaysian Premier League
Malaysia Premier League is the second-tier football league in Malaysia. The league is currently named Astro Premier League Malaysia...
Shahzan Muda FC
Shahzan Muda FC
Shahzan Muda Football Club is a Malaysian football club based in Kuantan, Pahang. The club currently plays at the Malaysian FAM Cup, the third tier of the Malaysian League.-Honours:-Achievements:-Current squad:Transfers...
, citing that "It wasn't quite happening for me at Queensland Roar."
National team statistics
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|-
|2003||0||0
|-
|2004||3||2
|-
|2005||1||2
|-
!Total||6||5
|}
Coaching
Miličić returned home to his club, Sydney UnitedSydney United
Sydney United Football Club are an Australian football club from Sydney, Australia, established in 1957 by Croatian Australians in the area...
as Player/Coach for season 2009 and 2010 in the NSW Premier League. It is his first venture as coach and currently boasts a record of 9 wins (8 in Premier League 1 Tiger Turf Cup), 2 Draws and 1 Loss.
He was also called up as an Assistant Coach to the Under 20's Young Socceroos team for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt and Assistant in Under 20s World Cup in Colombia 2011.
On the 18th November 2009 it was announced that he would be joining Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen is a Danish former footballer who most notably played for Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. Olsen was a regular left winger for the Danish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches...
as an assistant coach at new A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
franchise Melbourne Heart.
Honours
With AustraliaAustralia national football (soccer) team
The Australia national association football team represents Australia in international association football competitions. Its official nickname is the "Socceroos"...
:
- OFC Nations CupOFC Nations CupThe OFC Nations Cup is an international association football tournament held among the Oceania Football Confederation member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name Oceania Nations Cup...
: 20042004 OFC Nations CupThe 2004 OFC Nations Cup doubled as the qualification tournament to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, except the two-legged final ....
With Sydney Olympic:
- NSL Championship: 2001-2002
With Trinity Grammar 4th XI:
- Cassen Cup- Most Ouststanding Opens Team: 2009
Personal Honours:
- Joe Marston MedalJoe Marston MedalThe Joe Marston Medal is an A-League award given to the player of the match in the A-League Grand Final each year. Introduced in 1990, previously the award was also given to the best player in the National Soccer League grand final. The medal is named after Joe Marston, who played for Australia...
: 2001-2002 with Sydney Olympic - Johnny Warren MedalJohnny Warren MedalThe Johnny Warren Medal is the award for best player in the Australian national football club competition. It was first awarded in the National Soccer League in 1990, and upon the NSL's demise in November 2004, was carried forward into the A-League, the competition in Australia...
: 2003-2004 with Parramatta PowerParramatta PowerParramatta Power were a football team which was based in western Sydney. They played in the National Soccer League from season 1999/2000 until the league folded in 2004. The Power were runners up to Perth Glory in the 2003/04 season of the NSL after Perth made the Grand Final look easy in... - NSLNational Soccer LeagueThe National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
Top Scorer: 2003-2004 with Parramatta PowerParramatta PowerParramatta Power were a football team which was based in western Sydney. They played in the National Soccer League from season 1999/2000 until the league folded in 2004. The Power were runners up to Perth Glory in the 2003/04 season of the NSL after Perth made the Grand Final look easy in...
- 20 goals