St. Albans Saints
Encyclopedia
St Albans Saints Football Club is an Australian association football (soccer) club from St Albans, Victoria established by local Croatian Australians. The club is a regular participant in the Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament
. The club is well known for having produced many great players over the years, including many that have gone on to play for its sister club the Melbourne Knights
. The club currently competes in the Victorian Premier League.
St Albans Dinamo won its first title in 1983, winning the Victorian State League Division 2 with Melbourne Knights legends Billy Vojtek
(former Socceroo) and Branko Culina
leading the way. Billy Vojtek was the leagues top goal scorer with 16 goals. The following year the club joined the Victorian Premier League
, skipping Division 1, after several VPL clubs joined the expanded National Soccer League
. The club had a poor first year in 1984, finishing 12th and narrowly surviving relegation. By the late 1980s the club had become one of the leading sides in the competition. From 1986 to 1989 the club finished in the top 5 each season. 1988 was the season the club came closest to winning the championship, they finished 4th only 3 points behind first place. In this time the club produced many great players like Ivan Duzel, Ivan Kelic
, Velimir Kupersak and Oliver Pondeljak, all of whom went onto great success in the National Soccer League.
Over the next decade the club would struggle, with fluctuating results. The only joy came in 1993 with the club finishing 5th and making the finals. But the club was eliminated at the first phase, losing to Sunshine George Cross. But this period was marked by more young talent being produced by the club, in particular Ante Kovacevic
and Tom Pondeljak
. Both players went to win the National Soccer League championship with the Melbourne Knights.
In 1998 the club had its most successful season. The club finished first, winning the Minor Premiership. Striker Harry Karl had a great season scoring 23 goals, to finish 2nd on the goal scoring chart. The club made the Grand Final against the Bulleen Inter Kings. In a thrilling match Bulleen were up 2-0 by the 54th minute. But 10 minutes later St Albans had leveled in a remarkable comeback. The joy was short lived, with seven minutes remaining Bulleen scored what would be the winning goal.
After this stand out season the club would go back to being a mid table side. In 2005 the club was relegated from the Victorian Premier League after having played 23 seasons in the state's top league. Needing only a draw to survive the drop, the club was relegated in the final round after losing to Heidelberg.
In the 2010 State League 1 season the club would top the table and earn promotion back to the Victorian Premier League.
and North Geelong Warriors
.
Bill Fleming Medal - Media voted VPL Player of the Year
Victorian Premier league Coach of the Year
Victorian Premier League Leading Goal Scorer
Victorian Premier League Jim Rooney Medal - Grand Final Man of the Match
Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament
The Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament is a tournament run by the Croatian Soccer Federation of Australia and New Zealand, an organisation founded in 1974. The inspiration for the tournament came from the successful Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament founded in 1964...
. The club is well known for having produced many great players over the years, including many that have gone on to play for its sister club the Melbourne Knights
Melbourne Knights
Melbourne Knights Football Club is a football club representing Melbourne, Australia in the Victorian Premier League . The club is one of the most successful football clubs in Australia, being a two-time championship and four-time premiership winner in the now defunct National Soccer League...
. The club currently competes in the Victorian Premier League.
History
The club was formed by Croatian migrants as Dinamo in 1975. In 1982 the club took over the German backed St Albans Soccer Club which was near bankruptcy. The club became St Albans Dinamo and took residence at Churchill Reserve in St Albans. The club still remains there till this day. The club would go onto build a social club there which holds 400 patrons. It has become an important meeting place for the local Croatian community.St Albans Dinamo won its first title in 1983, winning the Victorian State League Division 2 with Melbourne Knights legends Billy Vojtek
Billy Vojtek
Billy Vojtek is a retired Croatian Australian footballer. He migrated to Australia with his family as a child, he would go on to become one of the leading players in Australia during the 1960s and 70s...
(former Socceroo) and Branko Culina
Branko Culina
Branko Čulina is a football coach and former player. He is currently without a club after being sacked by Newcastle Jets.-Club career:...
leading the way. Billy Vojtek was the leagues top goal scorer with 16 goals. The following year the club joined the Victorian Premier League
Victorian Premier League
The Victorian Premier League is the highest State level association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and second highest nationally after the A-League...
, skipping Division 1, after several VPL clubs joined the expanded National Soccer League
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...
. The club had a poor first year in 1984, finishing 12th and narrowly surviving relegation. By the late 1980s the club had become one of the leading sides in the competition. From 1986 to 1989 the club finished in the top 5 each season. 1988 was the season the club came closest to winning the championship, they finished 4th only 3 points behind first place. In this time the club produced many great players like Ivan Duzel, Ivan Kelic
Ivan Kelic
Ivan Kelic was an Australian football player who played for NSL clubs Melbourne Knights, Sydney Olympic and South Melbourne FC....
, Velimir Kupersak and Oliver Pondeljak, all of whom went onto great success in the National Soccer League.
Over the next decade the club would struggle, with fluctuating results. The only joy came in 1993 with the club finishing 5th and making the finals. But the club was eliminated at the first phase, losing to Sunshine George Cross. But this period was marked by more young talent being produced by the club, in particular Ante Kovacevic
Ante Kovacevic
Andrew Kovacevic is an Australian football player with Croatian origins playing for Floreat Athena. He last played as a centre full back for the Australian A-League club Perth Glory before retiring in March 2007...
and Tom Pondeljak
Tom Pondeljak
Tomislav Pondeljak is an Australian football player, who is currently playing for A-league club Melbourne Victory.-Club career:...
. Both players went to win the National Soccer League championship with the Melbourne Knights.
In 1998 the club had its most successful season. The club finished first, winning the Minor Premiership. Striker Harry Karl had a great season scoring 23 goals, to finish 2nd on the goal scoring chart. The club made the Grand Final against the Bulleen Inter Kings. In a thrilling match Bulleen were up 2-0 by the 54th minute. But 10 minutes later St Albans had leveled in a remarkable comeback. The joy was short lived, with seven minutes remaining Bulleen scored what would be the winning goal.
After this stand out season the club would go back to being a mid table side. In 2005 the club was relegated from the Victorian Premier League after having played 23 seasons in the state's top league. Needing only a draw to survive the drop, the club was relegated in the final round after losing to Heidelberg.
In the 2010 State League 1 season the club would top the table and earn promotion back to the Victorian Premier League.
Supporters
The clubs supporters are primarily from the local Croatian community in St Albans, as well as from surrounding suburbs such as Sunshine, Keilor, Taylors Lakes, Delahey, Hillside and Sydenham. Though their support also stretches out to the greater Croatian community in Melbourne. They are third most popular Croatian backed club in Victoria behind the Melbourne KnightsMelbourne Knights
Melbourne Knights Football Club is a football club representing Melbourne, Australia in the Victorian Premier League . The club is one of the most successful football clubs in Australia, being a two-time championship and four-time premiership winner in the now defunct National Soccer League...
and North Geelong Warriors
North Geelong Warriors
The North Geelong Warriors Football Club, , is a Croatian backed football club from the regional Victorian city of Geelong. The club continues to have strong links to and support from the city’s large Croatian community. The club is a regular participant in the Australian-Croatian Soccer...
.
Honours
- Victorian Premier league Minor Premiers 1998
- Victorian Premier League Runner-Up 1998
- Victorian Premier League finalists (playoffs) 1993, 1998
- Victorian State League Top 4 Finalists 1986, 1988, 1989
- Victorian Division 1 Champions 2009, 2010
- Victorian Division 2 Champions 1983
- Australian Croatian Soccer Tournament Champions 1983, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1998, 2000, 2008
Individual Honours
Victorian Premier League Gold Medal - VPL Player of the Year- 1985 - Branko Culina
- 1989 - Velimir Kupersak
- 1995 - Tom Pondeljak
- 2000 - Damian Vojtek
Bill Fleming Medal - Media voted VPL Player of the Year
- 1988 - Ivan Duzel
- 1989 - Velimir Kupersak
Victorian Premier league Coach of the Year
- 1998 - Vlado Vanis
Victorian Premier League Leading Goal Scorer
- 1987 - Denis Morovic 18 goals
- 1988 - Ivan Kelic 17 goals
Victorian Premier League Jim Rooney Medal - Grand Final Man of the Match
- 1998 - Slavko Rados
Notable former players
- Lupce AcevskiLupce AcevskiLupce Acevski is an Australian-Macedonian football player, who is goalkeeper for Hume City in the Victorian Premier League. He is the current captain of Hume City-External links:**...
- Joe Bacak
- Vinko BuljubasicVinko BuljubasicVinko Buljubasic was an Australian football player who used to play for NSL clubs Melbourne Knights, Perth Glory and the Football Kingz.-References:...
- Michael Collina
- Branko CulinaBranko CulinaBranko Čulina is a football coach and former player. He is currently without a club after being sacked by Newcastle Jets.-Club career:...
- Jason CulinaJason CulinaJason Culina is an Australian footballer who plays for the Australia national football team.- Club career :Culina started off with Sydney United under his father, Branko, before moving on to Ajax where he struggled in the reserves. Only after moving to FC Twente did Culina begin to shine at the...
- Ante Deak
- Ivan Duzel
- Mate DugandzicMate DugandžicMate Dugandžić is an Australian football player, who currently plays for Melbourne Heart FC in the Hyundai A-League. He was the first player ever to make a direct switch between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart....
- Ivan FranjicIvan FranjicIvan Franjic is an Australian football player of Croatian descent currently playing for A-League club Brisbane Roar.-VPL:...
- Ivan JolicIvan JolicIvan Jolić is a Bosnian Croatian football striker who currently plays for FC Anagennisi Dherynia in Cyprus..-NK Troglav Livno:...
- Frank JuricFrank JuricFrank Jurić is an Australian football goalkeeper of Croatian descent. He is currently the goalkeeping coach of A-League club Perth Glory.-Club career:...
- Nick KalmarNick KalmarNick Kalmar is an Australian Football player who currently plays for Melbourne Heart.-Club career:After his departure from Sunshine George Cross in 2007 he had a stint in Croatia before returning to Australia...
- Hrvoje Karl
- Ivan KelicIvan KelicIvan Kelic was an Australian football player who played for NSL clubs Melbourne Knights, Sydney Olympic and South Melbourne FC....
- Ante KovacevicAnte KovacevicAndrew Kovacevic is an Australian football player with Croatian origins playing for Floreat Athena. He last played as a centre full back for the Australian A-League club Perth Glory before retiring in March 2007...
- Paul Magdic
- Antun KovacicAntun KovacicAntun Kovacic is an Australian football player who currently plays for Churchill Brothers SC in the I-League.-Club career:...
- Velimir Kupersak
- Andrew MarthAndrew MarthAndrew Marth is a retired Australian football player who represented Australia 21 times.Marth spent all of his club career in Australia and mainly at the Melbourne Knights, where he was involved in their two National Soccer League titles, as well as becoming captain of the club...
- Tom Milardovic
- Denis Morovic
- Oliver Pondeljak
- Tom PondeljakTom PondeljakTomislav Pondeljak is an Australian football player, who is currently playing for A-league club Melbourne Victory.-Club career:...
- Slavko Rados
- Krunislav Razov
- Mark Silic
- Danny TiattoDanny TiattoDaniele Amadeo "Danny" Tiatto is an Australian professional football player who plays for St Albans Saints in the Victorian Premier League.-Early years:...
- Paul UrlovicPaul UrlovicPaul Mark Urlovic is a New Zealand professional footballer player who plays as Striker for Three Kings United in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier...
- Vlado VanisVlado VanisVlado Vanis was a Croatian Australian Football player and coach.-References:...
- Damian Vojtek
- Billy VojtekBilly VojtekBilly Vojtek is a retired Croatian Australian footballer. He migrated to Australia with his family as a child, he would go on to become one of the leading players in Australia during the 1960s and 70s...
- Jason Vukadin
- Marijan Vundrel
See also
- List of Croatian football clubs in Australia
- Australian-Croatian Soccer TournamentAustralian-Croatian Soccer TournamentThe Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament is a tournament run by the Croatian Soccer Federation of Australia and New Zealand, an organisation founded in 1974. The inspiration for the tournament came from the successful Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament founded in 1964...
- Croatian AustralianCroatian AustralianCroatia 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 :...