Connor Chapman

1.1. Early Life and Development

Chapman grew up in South Western Sydney and began playing organized football at the age of five with his local club, Moorebank Sports. At age ten, he successfully trialed for the Westfields Sports High School football program, simultaneously beginning representative football with Southern Districts within the Football NSW metropolitan representative competition. At age eleven, he represented NSW Primary Schools (NSWPSSA) at the Australian School Sports football carnival held in Darwin. By age thirteen, he represented Football NSW at the Football Federation Australia National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour.

When he was 14, Chapman received his first national team call-up, attending a Joeys (Australia U17 national team) training camp in Canberra and subsequently playing in two friendly matches against Japan. In the same year, he was awarded a scholarship to the then-nascent Central Coast Mariners Academy, facilitated through the Mariners' development partnership with Westfields Sports High School. He was also invited to the United Kingdom to train with Sunderland A.F.C. Reserves and Academy at their Academy of Light. Following two separate visits to the Academy of Light, Chapman was offered a position at the club's academy, but the deal ultimately fell through due to visa regulations.

1.2. Youth Academy and National Team Call-ups

At 15 years old, Chapman left his home in Sydney to embark on a two-year live-in football scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (A.I.S.) in Canberra. During his time at the A.I.S., he participated in a total of 32 A-League National Youth League matches across the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. He notably captained the A.I.S. National Youth League team for 23 of these matches. His leadership qualities were also recognized internationally, as he captained the Australian U17 national team at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico.

2.1. Newcastle Jets

Chapman joined the Newcastle Jets from the A.I.S. on January 15, 2012, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. He made his professional A-League debut at the age of 17 on February 18, 2012, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute against Perth Glory. He made a second substitute appearance later in the 2011-12 A-League season, during the Newcastle Jets' final match of the season against Sydney FC.

The 2012-13 A-League season marked Chapman's breakthrough into the Newcastle Jets' first team, where he made fifteen starts and two substitute appearances across their twenty-seven-match A-League season. His commitments with the Australian U20 national team, particularly in preparation for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, meant he was unavailable for a number of Newcastle Jets matches during this period.

2.2. Melbourne City

On May 20, 2014, Melbourne Heart officially announced that Chapman had been signed on a two-year contract. It was speculated that he was the first signing under the new CFG ownership structure, which later rebranded the club to Melbourne City FC.

Within days of joining Melbourne City for pre-season training, Chapman was diagnosed with glandular fever. This debilitating illness caused him to miss the entire 2014-15 A-League pre-season, along with the first eight matches of the season. Despite this significant setback, he displayed impressive performances once he became available for selection, aiming to justify the club's confidence in him. His contributions led to a nomination for the NAB Young Footballer of the Year award for the month of February 2015.

Chapman began the 2015-16 A-League season in solid form as a regular starter for Melbourne City. However, in December 2015, he suffered a medial cruciate ligament tear during a match against Newcastle Jets, which sidelined him until the final few matches of the season.

During the 2016-17 season, Chapman was a key member of the Melbourne City team that became 2016 FFA Cup Champions. However, at the start of the 2016-17 A-League season, his first-team appearances became limited. Despite this, Melbourne City remained undefeated in all matches Chapman played during both the 2016 FFA Cup competition and the 2016-17 A-League season. During the January 2017 international transfer window, Incheon United submitted a transfer bid for Chapman, and after several weeks of negotiations, the transfer was accepted by Melbourne City.

2.3. Incheon United

Chapman's international transfer to the South Korean K League 1 club Incheon United was finalized in January 2017, ahead of the 2017 K League Classic season.

2.4. Pohang Steelers

Chapman signed with another K League 1 club, Pohang Steelers, in January 2018, prior to the 2018 K League 1 season. Following a successful 2018 season where Pohang finished 4th in the K League 1, Chapman signed a two-year contract extension, committing him to the club until the end of the 2020 season.

In February 2019, Korean media reported that Chapman was attempting to force a move to Europe and had reportedly been infected by a brain parasite. Chapman vehemently denied these reports, stating they were false. He clarified that he had suffered a stomach bug during the 2019 pre-season. Following prolonged discussions between the club and the player, Pohang Steelers expressed dissatisfaction with Chapman's recovery plan, leading the club to ultimately terminate his contract.

2.5. Western United

On March 7, 2019, Chapman signed with the newly formed A-League team Western United, marking his return to Australian football.

2.6. Daejeon Hana Citizen

On January 4, 2020, Chapman transferred to the South Korean K League 2 club Daejeon Hana Citizen. His contract with the club was terminated on February 24, 2021.

2.7. FC Seoul

On July 12, 2021, Chapman joined FC Seoul on a free transfer, signing an 18-month contract. He made several appearances for the club during the 2021 season.

2.8. Brisbane Roar

On February 11, 2022, Chapman returned to Australia again, joining Brisbane Roar on an 18-month contract. He made his first start for the club on May 3, 2022, against Central Coast Mariners. Brisbane Roar announced Chapman's departure on February 7, 2023. During his tenure with the club, the team achieved its first-ever semi-final appearance in the Australia Cup.

2.9. Melbourne Victory

On the same date as his departure from Brisbane Roar, February 7, 2023, Melbourne Victory announced the signing of Chapman on a contract set to run until the end of the 2023-24 season. He continues to play for the club.

3.1. Under-17 National Team

Chapman captained the Australian U17 team at the 2010 AFC U-16 Championship in Uzbekistan. He further led the team as captain in all four of Australia's matches at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico. In the tournament, Australia was drawn into a group with Ivory Coast, Brazil, and Denmark. They successfully advanced from their group to the knockout phase, where they were eventually eliminated by Uzbekistan. Chapman's performances at the tournament were highly regarded, with the FIFA Technical Study Group identifying him as one of Australia's two standout players.

3.2. Under-20 National Team

Chapman was a member of the Australian U20 national team that progressed undefeated through the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualification tournament held in Malaysia. He was also selected for the U20 team that competed in Group E at the inaugural 2013 AFC U-22 Asian Cup qualification tournament in Indonesia, successfully qualifying for the finals. Furthermore, he was part of the U20 team that secured qualification for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup by reaching the semi-finals of the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship.

In June 2013, Chapman was selected for the Australian U20 team that was drawn into Group C at the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup, alongside Colombia, El Salvador, and the tournament hosts Turkey. Although Australia was eliminated at the group stage of the tournament, this particular team was widely praised in the Australian media for demonstrating an exciting style of football, a quality that had not been consistently seen from Australia's youth teams for some time. Chapman was recognized as one of Australia's outstanding players throughout the tournament, having started all three group matches.

3.3. Under-23 National Team

In December 2013, Chapman was selected for the Australian U23 team that participated in the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship in January 2014 in Muscat, Oman. Serving as the team's vice-captain, he notably captained the U23 team for their first match of the tournament against Kuwait, due to the absence of the designated team captain. Despite finishing at the top of their group, which also included Syria and Japan, Australia was eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the tournament following a 2 goals to 1 goal loss against Saudi Arabia.