Nik Mrdja
Mrdja before a test game with the Mariners (2009)
Nikola " Nik " Mrdja ( born November 30, 1978 in Perth ) is a former Australian football player. The striker, who was an international match in 2007, won with Perth Glory two Australian title in the National Soccer League and played in the succession League A -League from 2005 to 2011 almost continuously for the Central Coast Mariners.
Career
Mrdja played at the beginning of his career in the Western Australian Premier League ( WAPL ) and received in the 1998/99 season in Canberra Cosmos first opportunity in the top division of the country, the National Soccer League ( NSL) to play. After a brief return to the WAPL for Perth SC, played the striker from 2000 until the cessation of the NSL in 2004 for Perth Glory. After two seasons as a reserve player, he established himself in the 2002/03 season in the team and helped with its eight season hits the team to move into Cup Final ( Grand Final). When there 's 2-0 win against the Olympic Sharks Mrdja was loaded until shortly before the game ends.
In the following season he increased his goal tally to 14 goals and was therefore Ante Milicic and behind team-mate Damian Mori 's third top scorer in the NSL. Again, the team reached the championship finals and Mrdja came like in the previous year until the end of normal time for use. After a goalless 90 minutes Mrdja scored in the eighth minute of extra time by golden goal winner for Perth Glory and also the last goal in the history of the NSL.
After the nationwide Australian Division moved Mrdja, as well as many other Australian players abroad and came under the Swedish first division club AIK Solna. His dortiger stay only lasted for half a year and ended with the descent of AIK in the Superettan. In early 2005 Mrdja returned back to Australia and signed with the Central Coast Mariners for the newly created Australian A-League professional league. He missed initially because of a serious knee injury the complete first season 2005/ 06 and was due to chronic knee problems in the following two seasons only nine starts.
Despite the injury problems coach Graham Arnold nominated him in September 2007 for a friendly against Argentina in the Australian national team. He came here on his international debut when he came off the bench for Joshua Kennedy after 82 minutes of play. After his return from the national team, he again suffered from knee problems and fell for the rest of the season. After he regularly came in the seasons 2008/ 09 and 2009/ 10 for the Mariners used and in 33 games scored nine goals, he broke his contract in early February 2010, about a half-year contract as Injured replacement in title contenders and Champions League hopefuls Melbourne Victory sign. At the same time it was announced that he will play for the 2010/11 season again for the Mariners. This transfer of information outside of the transfer window in the final stages of the season provoked significant criticism by the league competitors and the media. The Football Federation Australia announced its intention to review the rules after the season.
The season ended prematurely for finally Mrdja. It first reached the 1-0 lead in a 2-1 semi-final success in the first leg of the Championship play-offs against Sydney FC, he was sent off in the 74th minute after an elbow strike the field and suspended for two games, making it also missed the final, which was lost to Sydney with 2:4 on penalties. After the 2011/12 season was largely overshadowed by injuries and he again drew upon a knee injury in January 2011, he explained his immediate career end.
Achievements
- Australian champion: 2002 / 03, 2003 /04