Tom Pondeljak

Football player infobox
playername = Tom Pondeljak
fullname = Tomislav Pondeljak


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|1|8
cityofbirth = Melbourne
countryofbirth = Australia
height = height|m=1.77
currentclub = Melbourne Victory
clubnumber = 15
position = Attacking Midfielder
youthyears = 1992–1993
youthclubs = VIS
years = 1993–1995
1995–1999
1999–2001
2001–2003
2003–2004
2004
2005–2008
2008–"present"
clubs = St Albans
Melbourne Knights
Sydney United
Sydney Olympic
Perth Glory
Johor FA
Central Coast Mariners
Melbourne Victory
caps(goals) = 62 (14)
97 (29)
60 0(6)
63 (13)
26 0(7)
14 (8)
48 0(6)
2 0(1)
nationalyears = 2002
nationalteam = Australia
nationalcaps(goals) = 04 0(0)
pcupdate = 26 November 2007
ntupdate = 7 August 2007

Tomislav ("Tom") Pondeljak (born January 8 1976 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) is an Australian football player who currently playing for A-league club Melbourne Victory.

Club career

Pondeljak started his career in the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) before playing for St. Albans making 62 appearances in his 2½ year spell at the lower league Victorian club. He was then brought into the National Soccer League (NSL) by the Melbourne Knights and helping them to victory during the 1995-96 NSL season. After playing another 3½ years and a total of 97 appearances for the Melbourne club he moved to Sydney United.

Not much success was had in his two years at the club, and Pondeljak eventually moved to cross town rivals Sydney Olympic. There he won his second NSL title. He then moved onto Perth Glory where he won his third NSL title. Following the collapse of the NSL at the end of the 2003/04 season to went to Malaysia and played for Johor FC.

When the A-League was formed, Pondeljak was being chased by a number of teams including Sydney FC, Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets and his hometown team Melbourne Victory but it was the Central Coast Mariners who made the best offer and he accepted that offer becoming one of the marquee signings for the Mariners.

The 2005/06 season was not the best for Pondeljak as he was injured for about two months with a fractured and dislocated wrist. He did however produce one of the goals of the season against Sydney FC. He ran into the penalty area, turned three Sydney FC players and slotted the ball past the outstreched arm of Goalkeeper Clint Bolton. He scored the only goal of the Preliminary Final against Adelaide United to send the Central Coast Mariners into the Grand Final.

On 27 February 2008 Pondeljak signed a two year contract with Melbourne Victory although he is unlikely to play in the Asian Champions League in 2008.

Pondeljak was promoted to Victory’s starting 11 following his debut against South Korea’s Chunnam Dragons and proved his worth on four minutes with a cracking shot from outside the penalty area that gave the visitors a perfect start.

A-League career statistics

("Correct as of 10 June 2008")

Honours

With Central Coast Mariners:
* A-League Premiership: 2007-2008With Perth Glory:
* NSL Championship: 2003-2004With Sydney Olympic:
* NSL Championship: 2001-2002With Melbourne Knights:
* NSL Championship: 1995-1996

External links

* [http://www.melbournevictory.com.au/default.aspx?s=mvfc_playerprofile_item&pid=294 Melbourne Victory profile]
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/P/PO.html Oz Football profile]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Football/Its-full-speed-ahead-for-Mariner-Tom/2005/03/09/1110316096411.html Feature Article] on SMH