Brisbane Knights Football Club
Brisbane Knights Football Club is an Australian-Croatian hybrid club based out of Carrara in Queensland and competing in National Premier Leagues Queensland; Queensland’s highest level of soccer.
On Sunday evening, one of Australia’s storied clubs will face off in what may be their biggest match in nearly 30 years – KEEPUP examines their history ahead of their 2023 Australia Cup semi-final clash against Brisbane Roar.
Table of Contents
History
HNK Croatia Brisbane was initially formed in 1952 but initially struggled to field an adequate squad. Reformed later that year, however, and playing their inaugural match as HNK Croatia Brisbane.
The Knights enjoyed their finest moments during the 1990s when they won back-to-back NSL Championship titles in 1994 and 1995. These teams featured future Socceroos such as Mark Viduka, Steve Horvat and Andrew Marth as well as Josip Simunic and Tom Pondeljak – an era which marked by success for The Knights.
Knights made four attempts in Australia Cup competition but failed to break through at any level, though Socceroos goalkeeper Mirko Bazic won two National Soccer League (NSL) Golden Glove awards (1994 & 1995), and in 2021 his coaching work at Knights was recognized when he received Football Victoria NPL Coach of the Year honors.
In 2022, the club made waves when Englishman Ben Cahn arrived fresh off an impressive stint at NPL Queensland side Olympic FC. Cahn immediately made an impactful mark on the field by leading them back into finals contention and onto an NSL playoff semifinal before ultimately succumbing to eventual champions Avondale FC.
Squads
The Knights Football Club is widely recognised for its commitment to junior development and providing young players with a pathway into senior football, evidenced by the high number of Knights players who have gone on to play professionally both within Australia and overseas. Furthermore, this club has played a pivotal role in developing many Australian national team players such as Mark Viduka, Joe Caleta and Zeljko Adzic.
The Knights have an intense rivalry with South Melbourne FC that was intensified during their time in the NSL. These clubs would meet 10 times in finals; one match being remembered by fans for Bobby Despotovski making a three fingered salute after scoring against them in an elimination semi-final match.
The Knights have established strong rivalries with local sides Preston Lions, Green Gully, Heidelberg United and Sunshine George Cross at both state and city levels. Furthermore, in 2007 VPL season an exciting new rivalry developed against Serbian-backed Springvale White Eagles – giving rise to yet another rivalry that remains competitive today.
Coaches
As the club prepared to start its second season in the NPL, Dr Jones passed away and left them a bequest of $40,000. Cox Architects designed Perry Park Stadium so as to accommodate 1569 spectators at any one time.
The Strikers finished second on the league ladder with only goal difference separating them from Sydney United, then beat United in their semi-final to earn an in-house grand final date – an important achievement during an era when Australian football only recently began garnering mainstream acceptance and legitimacy.
Englishman Cahn had become one of the country’s brightest young coaches while coaching Sunshine Coast and Central Coast Mariners, so Olympic FC hired him as their NPL Queensland manager. Under Cahn’s tutelage, Olympic FC made their first NPLM Queensland Finals since 2009 while making it all the way through to Victoria semi-finals – all without one loss in eight years!
Results
Over the years, this club has had great success. They won the inaugural 1982 Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament and competed in the FFA Cup tournaments; these achievements led to them garnering an ever-growing fan base while they are widely known for their exciting attacking style of play.
Brisbane Knights currently compete in the Brisbane Premier League – Queensland state football’s second tier league – having played there for several years and attracted top talent to this competition.
This season, the team has had an exceptional home and away record: one win, no draws, and no losses with an outstanding scoring percentage of 68%.
Click any player from the squad to reveal his personal data and statistics, such as total and started matches played, minutes played and goals scored. Additional statistics can also be found by using the tabs at the top of this page or downloading AiScore App for iPhone/iPad/Android phones free.
