Ante Juric is an Australian football manager and former professional player. He is the current Australian under-17s an 19s women's national coach and is the assistant national technical director for the FFA. He was the head coach for Sydney FC in the 2017-18 W-League competition.
Playing career
Ante Juric, born in Canberra in 1973, has arguably been one of Australia's most cultured defenders produced in Australia. He played professionally for 13 years and has represented Australia as a Socceroo, Olyroo and Young Socceroo where the team finished fourth in the World Youth Cup of 1993. However Juric, with all his natural talent surprisingly did not play a huge part for the national team and indeed represented his country late in his career. In fact, it was after he produced a heroic performance in the 2002 National Soccer LeagueGrand Final win over Perth Glory, playing with a dislocated elbow that he finally received his senior cap that same year. In an era of Australian football where talent was overlooked for brawn and fitness, Juric was unlucky to miss the recent Dutch and technical influence in the game which would no doubt have highlighted his talents on the world stage. Juric learnt his trade at one of Australia's great junior nursery's Canberra Croatia/Deakin/FC. The club has produced the likes of Ned Zelic, Josip Simunic and George Kulscar. From here he went on to represent Australia at the World Youth Cup in 1993, culminating in a 4th-place finish, losing to eventual champions Brazil. Juric went on to have a successful National Soccer League career playing for the Melbourne Knights, Sydney Olympic/Sharks and the Canberra Cosmos, playing over 200 games and scoring over 20 goals and winning premierships and championships. Juric in his twilight years has played in the NSW Premier League winning a title with Sydney United and lastly played with Penrith Nepean in the NSWPL. In 2009 Juric was inducted into the ACT Sports Hall of Fame for his Football exploits and additionally in the same year he was inducted into the Capital Football Hall of Fame.
Managerial career
Juric embarked on a coaching career and recently was the assistant coach of the Sydney FC women's team in the 2008 and 2009 W-League seasons. Juric coached the NSWPL side Penrith Nepean in 2009 and is the current Australian U13s National head coach, taking the first Junior Socceroos to Malaysia of the AFC Festival of Football in 2009 and 2010. Juric was a former Women's U19 and Women's U17 national Australian coach and also the NSWIS Football men's coach. In June 2017, Juric was appointed head coach of Sydney FC's women's team.
