Ante Covic facts for kids
Covic as goalkeeper for the Wanderers in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ante Covic | ||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995 | Hurstville Zagreb | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | APIA Leichhardt Tigers | 23 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Marconi Stallions | 46 | (0) |
| 1999–2001 | PAOK | 8 | (0) |
| 2000 | → Kavala (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Dinamo Zagreb | 0 | (0) |
| 2002–2007 | Hammarby IF | 121 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Newcastle Jets | 54 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | IF Elfsborg | 59 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Melbourne Victory | 24 | (0) |
| 2012–2015 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 78 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Perth Glory | 28 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Rockdale City Suns | 49 | (0) |
| 2018 | Wellington Phoenix | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 505 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2006–2008 | Australia | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018–2023 | Marconi Stallions (goalkeeping coach) | ||
| 2024– | Bankstown City (Women) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ante Covic (born on June 13, 1975) is an Australian football manager and a former professional goalkeeper. He is currently the manager for the Bankstown City (Women) team in NSW League One. Covic was part of the Australian national team that played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played for Australia two times. In 2014, he was named the best player of the 2014 AFC Champions League. He helped the Western Sydney Wanderers win the championship by not letting the other team score in 8 out of 12 matches. They beat Al-Hilal in the final game.
Contents
Ante Covic's Life
Ante Covic has a family background from Croatia. He is married to Vanessa Covic. They have two children, a daughter named Emelie and a son named Christopher.
Ante Covic's Club Career
Before playing in Europe, Covic played for teams like Marconi Stallions and Sydney Olympic in Australia's National Soccer League. He also played for PAOK and Kavala in Greece, and Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.
Playing for Hammarby IF
After leaving Australia in 1999, Covic played for several European clubs. He then joined Hammarby IF, a Swedish club in Stockholm. There, he competed with Erland Hellström to be the main goalkeeper. About a month into the Swedish Allsvenskan league season, Covic played his first league game. After that, he was usually the starting goalkeeper.
Covic left Hammarby in 2006. He had played 121 games for the club. Only three other goalkeepers in the club's history have played more games than him.
Playing for Newcastle Jets
Covic played his first game in the A-League in December 2006. His team, Newcastle, lost 3–2 to Adelaide United. Covic was the main goalkeeper for Newcastle Jets in the 2007 season. That year, he helped them win the A-League championship. On March 17, 2009, it was announced that Covic was leaving the Jets. He signed a three-year contract with the Swedish club IF Elfsborg.
Playing for Melbourne Victory
On October 4, 2011, Covic signed a one-year deal with Melbourne Victory. He joined as a temporary replacement for Tando Velaphi, who was injured. Covic played his first game for Melbourne Victory in the first match of the A-League season against Sydney FC. He became a hero to the fans right away. He saved a penalty kick from Emerton in the 33rd minute. Covic was named the best player of the match, which ended in a 0–0 draw. He was again named man of the match two weeks later in the Melbourne Derby.
In a game between Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory in 2011, Covic and his teammate Matthew Foschini were sent off the field. The referee, Ben Williams, made this controversial decision. This meant Melbourne Victory had to play with only nine players.
On May 1, 2012, the new Melbourne Victory coach, Ange Postecoglou, decided not to keep Covic. He chose to work with younger goalkeepers instead. This decision came after Covic won the Player's Player of the Year award at the Melbourne Victory Awards Dinner.
Playing for Western Sydney Wanderers
On July 2, 2012, Covic joined the new A-League team, Western Sydney Wanderers. He joined them for free. The Wanderers played much better than expected in their first season. They won the Premier's Plate, which is like winning the regular season. Covic was chosen for the first-ever A-League All-Star team. He helped his team win the 2014 AFC Champions League in 2014. He kept 8 clean sheets in 12 matches. The Wanderers beat Al-Hilal in the final. After the game, Covic was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.
Playing for Perth Glory
On July 8, 2015, Covic joined Perth Glory.
Playing for Rockdale City and Retirement
In June 2016, Covic's contract with Perth Glory ended. He decided to move back east to be closer to his family. In January 2017, he joined Rockdale City Suns. He stopped playing professional football at the end of the 2018 NPL season in November 2018. He had played two seasons with Rockdale City. After retiring, he became a goalkeeper coach for Marconi Stallions. In December, he briefly joined Wellington Phoenix to help out when their main goalkeeper, Filip Kurto, was injured. Covic was on the bench for their 3–1 win against Sydney FC.
Ante Covic's International Career
Covic was part of the Australian squad for the 2006 World Cup play-offs against Uruguay. He was Australia's third-choice goalkeeper for the finals in Germany. The main goalkeepers were Mark Schwarzer and Zeljko Kalac.
He played his first game for Australia against Bahrain on February 22, 2006. This was an Asian Cup qualifying match. On March 22, 2008, he played his second and last game for Australia against Singapore in a friendly match. He was the captain for part of the second half after Harry Kewell and Jade North left the field.
Career Statistics
CS = Clean Sheets (games where the goalkeeper prevents the other team from scoring)
| Club | Season | Division | League1 | Cup | International2 | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | CS | Apps | CS | Apps | CS | Apps | CS | |||
| Marconi Stallions | 1997–98 | National Soccer League | 25 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 14 |
| 1998–99 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 7 | ||
| Total | 46 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 21 | ||
| PAOK | 1999–2000 | Alpha Ethniki | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
| 2000–01 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 4 | ||
| Kavala (loan) | 1999–2000 | Alpha Ethniki | 15 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Total | 15 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2001–02 | Prva HNL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Hammarby IF | 2002 | Allsvenskan | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 2003 | 26 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 12 | ||
| 2004 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 10 | ||
| 2005 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 | ||
| 2006 | 23 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 9 | ||
| Total | 121 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 127 | 39 | ||
| Newcastle Jets | 2006–07 | A-League | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| 2007–08 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 10 | ||
| 2008–09 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 5 | ||
| Total | 54 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 64 | 18 | ||
| IF Elfsborg | 2009 | Allsvenskan | 29 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 14 |
| 2010 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 7 | ||
| 2011 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 8 | ||
| Total | 59 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 76 | 29 | ||
| Melbourne Victory | 2011–12 | A-League | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| Total | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2012–13 | A-League | 29 | 11 | – | – | – | – | 29 | 11 |
| 2013–14 | 28 | 10 | – | – | 12 | 8 | 40 | 18 | ||
| 2014–15 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 28 | 5 | ||
| Total | 78 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 97 | 34 | ||
| Career Total | 405 | 121 | 13 | 4 | 42 | 21 | 460 | 145 | ||
1 – includes A-League final series statistics
2 – includes continental tournaments and FIFA Club World Cup; AFC Champions League statistics are included in season ending during group stages (i.e. ACL 2014 and A-League season 2013–14 etc.)
National Team Statistics
| Australia national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Clean sheets |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 1 |
Honours and Achievements
Club Achievements
- PAOK
- Greek Football Cup: 2000–01
- Newcastle Jets
- A-League Championship: 2007–08
- Western Sydney Wanderers
- A-League Premiership: 2012–13
- AFC Champions League: 2014
Individual Awards
- Melbourne Victory Victory Medal: 2011–12
- A-League Goalkeeper of the Year: 2012–13
- PFA A-League Team of the Season: 2012–13
- A-League All Star: 2013
- AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player: 2014
Records
- Oldest Western Sydney Wanderers player: 39 years, 326 days
- Oldest Perth Glory player: 40 years, 309 days
See also
In Spanish: Ante Covic para niños
