Ivan Franjic

1.1. Early Life and Education

Born on 10 September 1987 in Melbourne, Victoria, Ivan Franjic spent his formative years in the region. Before fully committing to a professional football career, he was undertaking a carpentry apprenticeship.

1.2. Local League Career

Franjic's football career began at the junior level, playing for clubs such as Meadow Park Eagles, Melbourne Knights, and St Albans Saints. He made his senior debut for St Albans Saints during the 2005 season, where he played 39 times and scored 5 goals. Following his time with the Saints, he returned to his former youth club, Melbourne Knights, making 50 appearances and scoring 9 goals. After the 2008 season, he moved to Oakleigh Cannons, where his impressive performances ultimately led to his move to the A-League.

2.1. St Albans Saints

Franjic made his senior debut for St Albans Saints in the Victorian Premier League during the 2005 season. In his tenure with the club, he accumulated 39 appearances and scored 5 goals before moving on to further his career.

2.2. Melbourne Knights

After his initial spell with St Albans Saints, Franjic returned to Melbourne Knights FC, a club where he had previously played at the junior level. During this period, he made 50 appearances and scored 9 goals, contributing significantly to the team in the Victorian Premier League.

2.3. Oakleigh Cannons

In 2009, Franjic joined Oakleigh Cannons FC. His performances during his time at the club, where he made 17 appearances and scored 2 goals, were instrumental in attracting the attention of A-League clubs and securing his move to the professional league.

2.4. Brisbane Roar FC (First Stint)

Franjic signed with Brisbane Roar FC on 31 August 2009, initially as a short-term injury replacement for Andrew Packer. His strong performances quickly led to him being offered and signing a long-term contract with the club. In his debut A-League season, he made a combined 20 appearances.

He scored his first goal for Brisbane Roar in a pre-season friendly against the Newcastle Jets on 2 July 2010, an 85th-minute penalty that secured a 1-0 victory. His first A-League goal came in Round 10 against Central Coast Mariners at Suncorp Stadium, a powerful volley from outside the box, which was famously celebrated with his team's "human kayak" routine. Brisbane won that match 2-0. In Round 17, Franjic scored an equalizing goal against North Queensland Fury in the 85th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw and extending the Roar's undefeated streak to 12 matches.

Franjic played a crucial role as a wing-back for Brisbane Roar. In the 2011 A-League Grand Final, he played at right-back when the Roar were trailing 2-0 in extra time against the Central Coast Mariners. Brisbane scored two goals in under four minutes to force a penalty shootout, where Franjic successfully converted the first penalty for the Roar, who ultimately won 4-2. For his outstanding performance in the 2010-11 season, he was one of six Brisbane Roar players selected for the A-League All-Star Team. In 2011, he was involved in a humorous incident when he committed a foul throw against Sydney FC, which drew laughter from the home fans.

In the 2012 A-League Grand Final against Perth Glory, Franjic unfortunately scored an own goal, giving Perth an unexpected lead. However, Brisbane Roar managed to recover and secure the lead with a late penalty, becoming the first A-League team to win the championship in two consecutive years. His contributions were recognized when he was named Brisbane Roar Player of the Year for the 2012-13 season. In the 2013-14 season, he achieved his highest single-season league goal tally with 5 goals, contributing significantly to another league championship for the team. During his first stint, he made 115 league appearances, scoring 11 goals, and also played in 7 continental matches.

2.5. FC Torpedo Moscow

In August 2014, Franjic made a move to Europe, joining newly promoted Russian Premier League side FC Torpedo Moscow on a three-year contract. He made his debut for Torpedo on 25 October 2014, coming on as a half-time substitute in a 0-0 home draw against FC Kuban Krasnodar.

In January 2015, Torpedo Moscow reportedly blocked a potential loan move for Franjic back to the A-League. He was later linked with a transfer to GNK Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2015. However, his tenure with Torpedo Moscow was brief; he departed the club on 23 April 2015, citing unpaid wages as the reason for his contract termination. During his time in Russia, he made 4 league appearances and 1 cup appearance, without scoring any goals.

2.6. Melbourne City FC

Just over a month after leaving Russia, Franjic was announced as Melbourne City's first signing of the summer in June 2015, on a three-year deal. He expressed his satisfaction at returning to his hometown and highlighted the opportunity for regular first-team football as a key factor in his decision, particularly in light of his ambition to maintain his position in the Socceroos squad. However, his two seasons with Melbourne City were largely hampered by injuries. Despite these challenges, he was part of the squad that won the 2016 FFA Cup. He made a total of 39 appearances and scored 1 goal for the club.

2.7. Daegu FC

Following two injury-plagued seasons at Melbourne City, Franjic was released from the final year of his contract, allowing him to join South Korean club Daegu FC in July 2017. His registration name in the K League was 프라니치_Peuranichi^Korean. However, his stint in South Korea was short-lived. In October 2017, Franjic announced his departure from the club, having made only two K League Classic appearances due to adaptation issues and difficulties securing regular playtime.

2.8. Brisbane Roar FC (Second Stint)

Franjic returned to Brisbane Roar FC on a one-season contract in November 2017. In only his second appearance after rejoining the club, he scored a left-foot curled effort just two minutes after coming onto the pitch, contributing to a 2-0 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers. At the conclusion of the season, he opted not to re-sign with Brisbane Roar despite an offer from the club. During this second spell, he made 16 appearances and scored 2 goals.

2.9. Perth Glory FC

On 31 May 2018, after his departure from Brisbane Roar, Franjic signed a two-year deal with fellow A-League club, Perth Glory FC. He played a significant role in the team, contributing to Perth Glory winning the A-League Premiership in his first season. He made 53 appearances and scored 4 goals for the club.

2.10. Macarthur FC

In September 2020, Franjic joined Macarthur FC for their inaugural A-League season, strengthening the club's defense.

2.11. Melbourne Knights FC (Return)

On 3 November 2022, Ivan Franjic, alongside his brother Joseph, agreed to rejoin Melbourne Knights FC for the 2023 season. This marked his return to his former club and the final stage of his playing career in the NPL Victoria.

3.1. National Team Debut and Appearances

Ivan Franjic made his international debut for the Socceroos in December 2012 under then-coach Holger Osieck. Throughout his international career, which spanned from 2012 to 2015, he earned a total of 20 caps for Australia, though he did not score any goals.

3.2. Major Tournaments

Franjic played a key role in Australia's campaigns in both the FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup.

In the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, he started at right-back in Australia's opening match, a 3-1 loss to Chile. In the 35th minute of that match, he provided a crucial cross that led to Tim Cahill scoring Australia's only goal of the game. However, Franjic later suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted in the second half, subsequently being ruled out of the remainder of the tournament, which was a significant disappointment for him.

Franjic was also named as part of Australia's squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, hosted in Australia. He started in Australia's first match of the tournament against Kuwait, playing the full 90 minutes and assisting Massimo Luongo for Australia's second goal. He also started in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final. However, he sustained an injury in the middle of the second half and was substituted for Matt McKay. Australia went on to win the final 2-1, securing the championship.

6.1. Club Honours

Brisbane Roar

• A-League Premiership: 2010-11, 2013-14
• A-League Championship: 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14

Melbourne City

• FFA Cup: 2016

Perth Glory

• A-League Premiership: 2018-19

6.2. Individual Honours

• PFA A-League Team of the Season: 2010-11, 2013-14
• PFA A-League Team of the Decade: 2005-15
• Brisbane Roar Player of the Year: 2012-13

6.3. International Honours

Australia

• AFC Asian Cup: 2015