Nik Mrdja

Nikola "Nik" Mrdja (born 30 November 1978) is an Australian former football player, who played as a striker.[1]

Nik Mrdja
Mrdja with Central Coast Mariners in 2009
Personal information
Full name Nikola Mrdja[1]
Date of birth (1978-11-30) 30 November 1978
Place of birth Perth, Western Australia
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position(s) Striker
Youth career
Bayswater City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997 Bayswater City
1998 Kingsway
1998–1999 Canberra Cosmos 3 (0)
2000 Perth SC 6 (2)
2000–2004 Perth Glory 73 (25)
2004 AIK 12 (2)
2005–2011 Central Coast Mariners 48 (12)
2010 → Melbourne Victory (loan) 3 (1)
National team
2007 Australia 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Born in Perth, Mrdja had a career spanning several National Soccer League (NSL) and A-League clubs from 1998 to 2011, as well as a brief spell in Sweden with AIK in 2004.

Mrdja made one appearance for Australia, in a friendly against Argentina in 2007.

Mrdja no longer plays professionally. The West Australian newspaper, on 24th April 2019, reported that the ex-A-League frontman told Fremantle Magistrates Court he will plead not guilty to offences, which include 10 counts of aggravated possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine and cannabis and three counts of possession of stolen property.

Mrdja has also been charged by Western Australian Police with two counts of possession of a silencer, possession of drug paraphernalia, being an unlicensed person in possession of a firearm or ammunition, cultivating a prohibited plant and receiving.

Club career

Early years

Mrdja scored a golden goal for Perth Glory in the final of the 2003–04 National Soccer League against Parramatta Power in the last match of the NSL.[2]

Central Coast Mariners

In December 2004, Mrdja signed with Central Coast Mariners to play in the newly formed A-League.[3] In the Mariners first competitive fixture, an F3 Derby against the Newcastle Jets in qualification for the 2005 OFC Club Championship, Mrdja broke opposing defender Andrew Durante's leg with a tackle late in extra time.[4] The incident subsequently gained prominence as a sparking point for the clubs' rivalry.[5] On the field, Mrdja's early form for the Mariners was strong. In the club's next game against Adelaide United, Mrdja scored a hat-trick, sealing progress to the qualification final.[6] He scored another hat-trick in a 2005 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup win over Queensland Roar.[7]

However, soon after Mrdja suffered a knee injury causing him to miss the entire 2005–06 A-League season, eventually returning early in the 2006–07 season.[8] His first goal in the A-League came from a direct free kick in a win over New Zealand Knights on 19 November 2006.[9] Mrdja's knee injury continued to be an issue, and saw him miss much of the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons.[10]

Melbourne Victory

In February 2010, with the Mariners out of contention for the 2009–10 A-League finals, Mrdja was released by the Mariners and signed a short-term deal with Melbourne Victory to play in the final rounds of the A-League and in the 2010 AFC Champions League, as an injury replacement for Billy Celeski. At the same time, he signed a deal to play for the Mariners again in the 2010–11 season.[11] The unusual nature of the move, despite being valid within the rules, created significant controversy, given its lateness in the season and the ban on direct loans between A-League clubs.[12] The issue, and subsequent public controversy, prompted a review of the A-League's transfer rules by Football Federation Australia.[13]

Mrdja made his debut for the Victory on 5 February 2010, coming on as a halftime substitute in a win over North Queensland Fury, in the second-last round of the 2009–10 A-League regular season.[14] He scored his first goal for the club two weeks later, in a win in the first leg of the major semifinal against Sydney FC, before being sent off later in the match for elbowing Shannon Cole.[15] Mrdja received a two-game suspension for the incident, which eventually saw him miss the 2010 A-League Grand Final.[16]

Mrdja retired from professional football at the end of the 2010–11 season.[17]

International career

Mrdja was called up to the Australian national team for the first time in September 2007 for a friendly against Argentina, after an injury ruled out Scott McDonald and following Mrdja's good form in the A-League.[18] In the game, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Mrdja made his debut as a substitute in the 82nd minute, coming on for Joshua Kennedy in a 1–0 defeat.[19]

Honours

Club
Perth Glory
Central Coast Mariners
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See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Mrjda wins it for Glory". The World Game. 4 April 2004. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  3. Lynch, Michael (15 December 2004). "Player drain as Victory delays". The Age. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  4. Cockerill, Michael (9 May 2005). "A-League's new order hits the spot, but fans take time to catch on". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  5. Danvers, Greg (15 August 2008). "Siblings face off in epic A-league opener". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  6. Cockerill, Michael (12 May 2005). "It's Mrdja as Mariners sink Adelaide". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  7. "Mrdja hat-trick seals win". The World Game. 24 July 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  8. "Mrdja back for Mariners". The World Game. 26 October 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  9. "Mariners on the move after downing Knights". ABC News. 19 November 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  10. "Mrdja and Osman return to the fold". Football NSW. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  11. "Mrdja makes Melbourne move". 5 February 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  12. Airs, Kevin (8 February 2010). "Mrdja's Odyssey is a move too far". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  13. "Mrdja switch backlash prompts FFA review". ABC News. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  14. "El Zorro the hero for Victory". FourFourTwo. 5 February 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  15. "Victory don't get away with Mrdja". FourFourTwo. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  16. Hand, Guy (23 February 2010). "Mrdja's ban may include Grand Final". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  17. "Mariners sign Baird from Glory". ABC News. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  18. Chiarelli, Simon (7 September 2007). "Mrdja gets the Socceroos nod". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  19. "Argentina get home against gallant Australia". Football Federation Australia. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
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