Melbourne Knights FC - Youth and Junior Development

Youth and Junior Development

The Melbourne Knights is a club famous for its youth and junior development, it has one of the best set ups in Australia. Many great players have gone through the youth set up at the Knights, the most notable being Socceroo captain Mark Viduka. A highlight of this strong set-up came in the NSL years where the Melbourne Knights were a dominant force in the National Youth League, being champions 3 times. The club was also runner-up on two other occasions. The Knights have continued this winning tradition at the youth level in the VPL, with the club winning the double as it took out the Under 18 and Under 20 Victorian championships in 2007

Currently the club is home to over 250 players ranging in sides from the Under 8 to Under 18 level in the Victorian Milo leagues, as well as an Under 20 youth team which serves as the reserves side and plays in the Victorian Premier League Reserves competition.

The club has played a particularly important role with the youth of the Croatian community in both Melbourne and Geelong, giving them a pathway in the sport. The result of this can be seen in the many great footballers of Croatian heritage that have played for the Knights at the senior level over the past six decades.

The success of the clubs youth development can be seen in the number of Knights players that have gone onto play in some of the best football leagues around the world and play international football; 38 Knights players have played for Australia at senior level and 3 for Croatia. As well as countless others who played for Australia at Under 17, Under 20 and Under 23 levels. An example of the impact the club has had at this level was the 1996 Atlanta Olympic side (under 23) which contained a staggering 5 Knights players; Mark Viduka, Danny Tiatto, Joe Spiteri, Frank Jurić and Steve Horvat. You also had Vinko Buljibašić and Joe Bačak who were part of the qualifying campaign, while Adrian Červinski, Damien Vojtek and Ante Jurić were part of pre-qualifying friendlies.

The Knights are well known for giving young emerging talent opportunities in their senior squad. Players like; Marak Talajic debut at 16, Eddie Krncevic at 16, Josip Šimunić at 17, Steve Horvat at 17, Mark Viduka at 18, Mark Silić at 18, Billy Vojtek at 18 and more recently with Mate Dugandžić at 16. As such players that have gone through the clubs junior ranks have always made up a large part the Knights squad, such as in the 1990s when the club dominated the NSL.