Hurstville Zagreb Football Club is an 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...

n association football club based in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

. The club was founded by 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 :...

s.

History

In November 1970 Hurstville Zagreb Soccer Club's humble beginnings began in the New South Wales Soccer Association playing out of the St George district. While playing in these surroundings the club won numerous minor premierships and grand finals.

In 1991 the club was promoted into the New South Wales Soccer Federation in Division Five. It has been in this league where Hurstville Zagreb SC has really shone through. In ten years the club has moved up through the divisions playing as high as the State Super League in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The club proudly plays its soccer in Division One.

Over the years the club has been involved in the development of a number of Socceroos and professional footballers, such as, Ante Milicic

Ante Milicic

Ante Milicic is an Australian former football player. He is currently one of the assistant managers of A-League club Melbourne Heart. He is of Croatian Australian origin....

, Ante Covic

Ante Covic

Ante Čović is an Australian football player. He is a goalkeeper who currently plays for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League...

, Eddy Bosnar

Eddy Bosnar

Edward "Eddy" Bosnar is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse.-Club career:...

, Ante Moric, Joe Vrkic, Mark Rudan

Mark Rudan

Mark Rudan is a former Australian football player who last played for Adelaide United in the A-League.-Club career:...

 and Luka Glavas

Luka Glavas

Luka Glavaš is an Australian football player.-Biography:Luka Glavas is an Australian semi professional football player.Glavaš has previously played for Hurstville Zagreb, Melbourne Knights and Sydney UnitedIn the 2006 NSW Premier League Grand Final against Blacktown City Demons, Glavas scored all...

. These players only represent the tip of the iceberg of players who come through the ranks of Hurstville Zagreb SC.

Every year, Zagreb also hosts the Martin Knezevic Cup in memory of former player, and friend, Martin Knezevic.

Zagreb has become the second largest Croatian soccer club in Sydney, after 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...

. The club currently competes in the New South Wales State League Division One

New South Wales State League Division One

The New South Wales State League Division One is the third-highest state level men's association football division in New South Wales, Australia. The competition is conducted by Football NSW, the state's governing body....

, the third highest league in NSW. The club hosted the Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament

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...

 in 1999.

In 2010, Zagreb celebrated it's 40th anniversary on the 1st of May. The club hosted a successful Gala Night at the Croatian Club Punchbowl which featured all the players from the original 1970 team as well as the 2010 team.

Despite a disappointing season, Zagreb attended the 36th Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament

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...

 where they finished third, missing out on the grand final by a solitary goal and defeating Canberra Deakin and St Albans Saints respectively.

At Football NSW's annual Silver Medal Dinner awards ceremony, captain Vjekoslav Steve Zoric was named as New South Wales State League Division One

New South Wales State League Division One

The New South Wales State League Division One is the third-highest state level men's association football division in New South Wales, Australia. The competition is conducted by Football NSW, the state's governing body....

 player of the season.

Hurstville Zagreb FC is proudly sponsored by Salex Interiors, Brighton Australia, Allawah Hotel, and The Croatian Club Punchbowl

Hurstville Oval

Hurstville oval

Hurstville Oval

Hurstville Oval is a sporting ground, located in the suburb of Hurstville, in Sydney's southern suburbs.It was opened in 1911. On the official opening day, cricketer Warren Bradley brought the Australian Team to the ground to play the local St George team....

, located on Dora Street, Hurstville is where Zagreb

Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 host their home games. It is a picturesque and famous sporting venue. Situated in the St.George District, the ground has a small grandstand and the recently constructed Booth-Saunders Pavilion

Pavilion

In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...

. Hurstville oval also hosted St.George District Rugby League

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 Football Club, St.George Rugby Union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

, St.George Cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

  and the St.George Australian Rules.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season
! League
! Points
! Position
|-
| 1974
| New South Wales Inter Suburban 3rd Division
| 19
| 8th
|-
| 1975
| New South Wales Inter Suburban 3rd Division
| 31
| 3rd
|-
| 1976
| New South Wales Inter Suburban 2nd Division
| 20
| 7th
|-
| 1977
| New South Wales Division 5
| 27
| 3rd
|-
| 1978
| New South Wales Division 4
| 23
| 6th
|-
| 1979
| New South Wales Division 3
| 18
| 8th
|-
| 1980
| New South Wales Division 3
| 18
| 10th
|-
| 1981
| New South Wales Division 3
| 23
| 7th
|-
| 1982
| New South Wales Division 3
| 18
| 9th
|-
| 1983
| New South Wales Inter Urban 1st Division
| 18
| 9th
|-
| 1984
| New South Wales Inter Urban 1st Division
| 17
| 10th
|-
| 1985
| New South Wales Inter Urban 1st Division
| 10
| 11th - Relegated
|-
| 1986
| New South Wales Inter Urban 2nd Division
| 12
| 12th - Relegated
|-
| 1987
| New South Wales Inter Urban 3rd Division
| 31
| 5th
|-
| 1988
| New South Wales Inter Urban 3rd Division
| 35
| 1st - Champions and Promoted
|-
| 1989
| New South Wales Division 5
| 30
| 1st - Champions and Promoted
|-
| 1990
| New South Wales Division 4
| 23
| 5th
|-
| 1991
| New South Wales Division 4
| 43
| 3rd
|-
| 1992
| New South Wales Division 3
| 40
| 5th
|-
| 1993
| New South Wales Division 3
| 50
| 2nd
|-
| 1994
| New South Wales Division 3
| 43
| 3rd
|-
| 1995
| New South Wales Division 2
| 38
| 5th
|-
| 1996
| New South Wales Division 2
| 41
| 3rd
|-
| 1997
| New South Wales Division 2
| 35
| 4th
|-
| 1998
| New South Wales Division 2
| 44
| 3rd
|-
| 1999
| New South Wales Division 2
| 40
| 3rd
|-
| 2000
| New South Wales Division 2
| 44
| 2nd
|-
| 2001
| New South Wales Division 1
| 38
| 5th
|-
| 2002
| New South Wales Division 1
| 34
| 3rd
|-
| 2003
| New South Wales Division 1
| 60
| 2nd - Promoted
|-
| 2004
| New South Wales Winter Super League
| 37
| 8th
|-
| 2005
| New South Wales Winter Super League
| 24
| 14th - Relegated
|-
| 2006
| New South Wales Division 1
| 18
| 10th
|-
| 2007
| New South Wales Division 1
| 41
| 6th
|-
| 2008
| New South Wales Division 1
| 17
| 13th
|-
| 2009
| New South Wales Division 1
| 15
| 11th
|-
| 2010
| New South Wales Division 1
| ??
| ??
|-

Current 1st Grade Squad

Goalkeepers

• 1.
  
  Antun Jurleta

Defenders

• 16.
  
  Anthony Majetić
• 5.
  
  Stjepan Jezercic
• 18.
  
  Marko Šusić
• 3.
  
  Thomas Kasunić
• 2.
  
  Aleks Trenoski

Midfielders

• 10.
  
  Steve Zorić
• 11.
  
  Michael Posavac
• 8.
  
  Paul Gagro
• 12.
  
  Tomislav Dejanovic
• 17.
  
  Stephan Perak
• 12.
  
  Dario Borovickic
• 13.
  
  Kreso Moric
• 7.
  
  Josip Pusic

Strikers

• 9.
  
  Christopher Terkes
• 21.
  
  Daniel Jurleta
• 15.
  
  Justin Horvat

Coach & Manager

• 
  John Gagro

Current U/20's Squad

Goalkeepers

• 1.
  
  Jonathan Panayi (VC)

Defenders

• 3.
  
  Ivan Luburić
• 5.
  
  Ivan Tošić (C)
• 2.
  
  Kristijan Petrović
• 4.
  
  Mickey Jonjić
• 15.
  
  James Pintaric

Midfielders

• 8.
  
  Miguel Teixeira
• 7.
  
  Krešimir Morić
• 13.
  
  Josef Alberton
• 16.
  
  Brock Saterdag
• 10.
  
  Jozo Radas
• 14.
  
  Ivan Kovacevic
• 17.
  
  Kostadin Stojanovski

Strikers

• 11.
  
  Stjepan Vukman
• 14.
  
  Luke Lombardy

Coach

• 
  Scott Boyle

Team Manager

• 
  Tiho Pandza

Notable players

• Ante Milicevic
• Luka Glavas
  Luka Glavas
  Luka Glavaš is an Australian football player.-Biography:Luka Glavas is an Australian semi professional football player.Glavaš has previously played for Hurstville Zagreb, Melbourne Knights and Sydney UnitedIn the 2006 NSW Premier League Grand Final against Blacktown City Demons, Glavas scored all...
  
  
• Marko Filipovic
  Marko Filipovic
  Marko Filipović is a Bosnian Serb football player. He currently plays for SC Toulon....
  
  
• Ante Pervan
• Ante Covic
  Ante Covic
  Ante Čović is an Australian football player. He is a goalkeeper who currently plays for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League...
  
  
• Richard Plesa
• Mark Rudan
  Mark Rudan
  Mark Rudan is a former Australian football player who last played for Adelaide United in the A-League.-Club career:...
  
  
• Joe Vrkic
• Vlimtrez Grande
• Michael Cunico
• Paul Bilokapic
• Denis Alilovic
• Joe Caleta
  Joe Caleta
  -External links:* * * * *...
  
  
• Robert Mustapic
• Eddy Bosnar
  Eddy Bosnar
  Edward "Eddy" Bosnar is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse.-Club career:...
  
  
• Ante Moric
  Ante Moric
  Ante Tomislav Moric is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder.-Career:Moric played at club level in Australia and Croatia for St. George, AIS, Sydney United, Zadar, Canberra Cosmos, Sydney Olympic, Fraser Park, APIA Leichhardt Tigers and Rockdale City Suns.He...
  
  

See also

• List of Croatian football clubs in Australia
• Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament
  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...
  
  
• 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 :...