1. Early Life and Youth Career
Matthew Jurman's formative years in football involved training at various youth development institutions, laying the groundwork for his professional career.
1.1. Early life and education
Matthew John Jurman was born on December 8, 1989, in Wollongong, Australia. He attended Westfields Sports High School, graduating in 2007.
1.2. Youth football development
Following his graduation from Westfields Sports High School in 2007, Jurman continued to refine his football skills at the AIS, a national sports academy and player development center. His youth career also included stints with Wollongong Wolves and Parramatta FC from 2005 to 2006. In 2008, he signed with the Sydney FC youth team. During his inaugural year with the club, Jurman played a crucial role in leading the Sydney FC youth team to their first-ever championship in the competition's initial season. This strong performance led to him earning a senior contract with the club under then-manager John Kosmina.
2. Professional Club Career
Matthew Jurman's professional career began in Australia and has seen him play for several clubs both domestically and internationally. His journey includes multiple stints with Sydney FC, a successful period with Brisbane Roar, and moves to clubs in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Greece, before returning to the A-League.
2.1. Sydney Olympic
Jurman commenced his professional club career with Sydney Olympic FC in 2007, where he made 26 appearances and scored 2 goals before joining Sydney FC.
2.2. Sydney FC (First Stint)
Matthew Jurman made his senior debut for Sydney FC on September 9, 2007, coming off the bench in a match against Perth Glory. Throughout his initial period with Sydney FC, he accumulated 22 appearances in the league. He also featured in the 2011 AFC Champions League, scoring his only goal for the club during a 2-1 away loss to Kashima Antlers.
A notable incident during the 2010-11 season occurred after Sydney FC striker Juho Mäkelä scored a crucial goal against Gold Coast United. Mäkelä celebrated by jumping the fence with the rest of the squad, which then collapsed, pinning Jurman and causing initial fears of a broken leg. Despite moderate swelling and bruising, Jurman was able to continue playing and confirmed no significant damage after the game.
2.3. Brisbane Roar
On February 10, 2011, it was confirmed that Jurman had signed a two-year contract with A-League club Brisbane Roar. He became available for the start of the 2011-12 season. During his time with Brisbane, he made 34 appearances and contributed to winning another A-League Championship. He departed the club after the 2012-13 season as a free agent.
2.4. Sydney FC (Second Stint)
On May 2, 2013, Matthew Jurman returned to Sydney FC, signing a one-year deal. His first appearance in the 2013-14 season was an away match against Melbourne Heart, where he came on as a 64th-minute substitute for Brett Emerton in a 2-0 victory for Sydney FC. On March 8, 2014, Jurman scored his first-ever A-League goal with a 59th-minute header, leveling the Sydney Derby at 1-1 after Shinji Ono's opening goal. Sydney FC went on to win the match 3-1, securing their first-ever home derby victory. During this second stint, he made 74 appearances and scored 2 goals.
2.5. Suwon Samsung Bluewings
On January 3, 2017, Sydney FC announced Jurman's release, enabling his transfer to South Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings in K League 1. His registered name in the K-League was 매튜MaetyuKorean. During his tenure with Suwon, he made 28 appearances and scored 2 goals in his first season. He was recognized for his excellent performance, receiving the K-League Newcomer of the Year Award after a fantastic season with the team. He made 5 appearances in the 2018 season before his departure.
2.6. Al-Ittihad
On July 9, 2018, it was announced that Matthew Jurman would be joining the Saudi Arabian Professional League team Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah) for the 2018-19 season. He made 11 appearances for the club.
2.7. Western Sydney Wanderers
Jurman returned to the A-League to play for Western Sydney Wanderers. During the 2019-20 season, he made 24 appearances for the club.
2.8. Xanthi
In the 2020-21 season, Jurman moved to Greece to join Xanthi in Super League Greece 2. He played 25 matches during his time with the club.
2.9. Newcastle Jets
Jurman later joined Newcastle Jets in the A-League Men. He made 22 appearances in the 2021-22 season and 20 appearances with 1 goal in the 2022-23 season, contributing to 42 appearances and 1 goal in total for the club.
2.10. Macarthur FC
Currently, Matthew Jurman plays as a centre-back for A-League club Macarthur FC. As of the latest records, he has made 16 appearances for the club.
3. International Career
Matthew Jurman has represented the Australian national team at various levels, culminating in his senior international debut and participation in a major global tournament.
He was first called up to the senior Australian squad in August 2017. He made his senior international debut on October 5, 2017, against Syria in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier that ended in a 1-1 draw. In May 2018, he was named in Australia's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia. He has accumulated 8 international appearances for Australia between 2017 and 2019, without scoring any goals. He also participated in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Jurman previously represented Australia at the youth level, making 26 appearances for the Australia U-20 team (2007-2009) and 6 appearances for the Australia U-23 team (2010-2012).
4. Career Statistics
Matthew Jurman's career statistics are detailed in the table below, covering his appearances and goals for various clubs and the national team.
| Club | Season | League1 | Cup | Continental2 | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sydney Olympic | 2007-2008 | NSW Premier League | 26 | 2 | - | - | - | 26 | 2 | |||
| Sydney FC | 2007-08 | A-League | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2008-09 | 6 | 0 | - | - | - | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 2009-10 | 7 | 0 | - | - | - | 7 | 0 | |||||
| 2010-11 | 8 | 0 | - | 6 | 1 | - | 14 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 22 | 0 | - | 6 | 1 | - | 28 | 1 | ||||
| Brisbane Roar | 2011-12 | A-League | 19 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | - | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2012-13 | 15 | 0 | - | - | - | 15 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 34 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | - | 37 | 0 | ||||
| Sydney FC | 2013-14 | A-League | 21 | 1 | - | - | - | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2014-15 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 1 | ||||
| 2015-16 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2016-17 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 74 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 90 | 2 | |||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2017 | K League 1 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 28 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 33 | 2 | |||
| Al-Ittihad | 2018-19 | Saudi Pro League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | 18 | 0 | |
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2019-20 | A-League | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 0 | ||
| Xanthi | 2020-21 | Super League Greece 2 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| Newcastle Jets | 2021-22 | A-League Men | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2022-23 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 42 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 45 | 1 | ||||
| Macarthur FC | 2023-2024 | A-League Men | 16 | 0 | - | - | - | 16 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 275 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 316 | 8 | ||
1 - includes A-League final series statistics.
2 - AFC Champions League statistics are included in season ending during group stages (i.e. ACL 2007 and A-League season 2006-07 etc.); also includes 2005 OFC Club Championship statistics.
5. Honours
Matthew Jurman has achieved several team and individual honours throughout his professional career:
Sydney FC
- A-League Championship: 2009-10
- A-League Premiership: 2009-10
- Sydney FC Player of the Season: 2015-16
Brisbane Roar
- A-League Championship: 2012-13
Australia
- AFF U-19 Youth Championship: 2008