Mate Dugandzic
Mate Dugandzic | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 22, 1989 |
| Occupation(s) | Soccer player, coach |
| Years active | 2006–2016 (player) |
| Known for | First player to transfer directly between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart; member of Adelaide United 2015–16 A-League Premiers and Grand Final winners |
Mate Dugandzic (; born 22 October 1989) is a former Australian soccer professional who currently holds the position of head coach at Sydenham Park SC competing in the Victorian State League 1. Prior to this role, he was an assistant coach for Western United NPL. Dugandzic is distinguished as the inaugural player to transfer directly between Melbourne's two A-League teams, moving from Melbourne Victory to Melbourne Heart in 2011. Additionally, he was a member of the Adelaide United squad that achieved the 2015–16 A-League Premiers Plate and triumphed in the 2016 A-League Grand Final.
Melbourne Knights
At just 16 years old, Dugandzic made his first appearance for the Melbourne Knights in 2006. The following year, he contributed to the team finishing second in the Victorian Premier League. His standout displays during the 2007 play-offs, where Melbourne Knights secured third place, drew attention from several A-League sides, Italian club A.S. Roma, and the Australian Institute of Sport. Interest also came from the Croatian Football Federation. As a result, Melbourne Knights facilitated a trial opportunity with Dinamo Zagreb for Dugandzic and teammate Daniel Visevic. Dugandzic expressed a preference for joining Dinamo Zagreb over AS Roma and completed a three-week trial with their first team in December 2007.
Lokomotiva Zagreb
Given Dugandzic’s Croatian heritage, Dinamo Zagreb offered him a five-year deal following his trial period. Holding Croatian citizenship allowed him to be registered as a European player. Initially, he played with Dinamo’s reserve squad until July 2008 before being loaned out to Second Division club Lokomotiva. Since breaking into Dinamo’s senior squad proved challenging, Dugandzic returned to the Melbourne Knights for the 2009 Victorian Premier League season.
Melbourne Victory
On 10 September 2009, Dugandzic secured a two-year contract with Melbourne Victory. Originally signed as a youth player, his impressive performances led to elevation into the senior team. He made his professional debut on 26 September 2009 as a substitute during a 3–2 victory over Gold Coast United. His first start came on 24 October when he scored twice in a 3–1 win against Adelaide United. On 7 August 2010, Dugandzic started in a grand final rematch against rivals Sydney FC, contributing one goal and an assist. Further cementing his influence at Melbourne Victory, he netted two goals within four minutes on 26 January 2011 in an away triumph over North Queensland Fury.
Melbourne Heart/City
On 26 February 2011, Dugandzic agreed to join Belgian Pro League side K.A.S. Eupen on a free transfer from Melbourne Victory. Eupen’s manager, Albert Cartier, expressed optimism that Dugandzic would bolster their midfield options. However, just two days later on 28 February 2011, Dugandzic opted to remain in Australia by signing with cross-town rivals Melbourne Heart, becoming the first player to move directly between these clubs. He cited Melbourne Heart's club philosophy as a significant factor influencing his decision.
Dugandzic made an immediate impact by scoring twice on his debut despite a narrow 3–2 defeat to Newcastle Jets. He found the net again six weeks later during a convincing 3–0 victory over the Jets and scored the winning goal in a 1–0 result against Wellington Phoenix. On 13 May, Melbourne City announced that Dugandzic along with four other players including Damien Duff, would not be offered contract renewals following the conclusion of the season.
Adelaide United
On 16 August 2015, Dugandzic secured a one-year contract with Adelaide United. He left the team upon the conclusion of his agreement.
International career
In September 2010, Dugandzic received a call-up to join the Australian under-23 national team, led by coach Aurelio Vidmar, for the Four Nations Tournament held in Vietnam. He made his first appearance as a substitute against North Korea on 20 September 2010. Later, on 7 April 2011, he was selected for a combined Olyroos and Socceroos training camp featuring 31 players.
A-League statistics
| Club | Season | League | Finals series | Cup | Continental1 | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | ||
| Melbourne Victory | 2009–10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 1 | 13 | 3 |
| 2010–11 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 27 | 5 | |
| Total | 36 | 7 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 1 | 40 | 8 | |
| Melbourne City | 2011–12 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 23 | 7 |
| 2012–13 | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | 26 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 26 | 4 | |
| 2014–15 | 13 | 2 | – | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | 14 | 2 | |
| Total | 68 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 13 | |
| Career total | 104 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 110 | 21 | |
1 – Statistics for the AFC Champions League correspond to the season during which the group stages took place (for example, ACL 2010 aligns with the 2009–10 A-League season).
See also
Honours
Adelaide United