There is a proud list of Australian sporting legends: Don Bradman, John Eales, Dawn Fraser, Herb Elliott, Betty Cuthbert, Cathy Freeman, Rod Laver, Greg Norman, Ian Thorpe.
But to that august list you can now add another name – Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak.
With his long, bushy beard, reminiscent of another Australian legend – Ned Kelly – Jedinak was on fire at Stadium Australia, the sight of Freeman’s heroics 17-years previously.
If Australia had simply won, Jedinak would have been lauded for leading the nation to a fourth World Cup in succession. But to do it scoring a hat-trick (denied by a curious own-goal ruling) elevates him to the likes of Thorpe and Laver, if not perhaps Bradman.
There were even doubts the 33-year-old would even take the field last night in Sydney.
Jedinak’s year has been plagued by a persistent groin injury for which he had surgery in June.
He has only just recently got back on the park for his club, Aston Villa in England’s second tier, but played a valiant and crucial 90-minute role in Australia’s 0-0 draw with the Hondurans in San Pedro Sula on Saturday.
But having only played one other full game since April, the Socceroos qualifier against Saudi Arabia in Adelaide in June, doubts were high over his capacity to back up, especially given the long haul flight from Central America and the dodgy pitch upon which both teams played on the weekend. (Although it must be noted Sydney’s pride and joy didn’t look much better).
Australia have qualified for their fourth consecutive World Cup finals. Hat-trick hero Mile Jedinak!🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/e6zOf27PPe
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) November 15, 2017
The fact that regular starter Mark Milligan, who was suspended for the first leg, was available would also have given Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou pause over whether to play “The Beard to be Feared”, as he is known by the Villa Park faithful.
But Postecoglou made the call – Jedinak got the start – and the rest, as they say, is history.
It all adds to the growing legend. Aussie sporting immortals don’t have to just do great things on the field they have to have the back story as well.
Bradman used to practice with a golf ball and stump against a water tank in the back-yard. Freeman overcame family tragedy losing a brother and a sister before winning Olympic gold.
Jedinak also has his own tale to tell. For starters his name isn’t even Mile – it’s Michael, but he shortened it because of his Croatian heritage.
“I was named ‘Michael John’ by my parents,” explains Jedinak, “but being of a Croatian heritage and growing up with grandparents who didn’t really speak a lot of English, everyone called me ‘Mile’.
“I just went with it. In football I played for Croatian background clubs, I just stuck with it.”
He started playing football in a competition between Catholic schools in Parramatta, in Sydney’s inner-west, and began his senior career playing for semi-pro Sydney United, formerly Sydney Croatia.
He played briefly for Croatian club Varteks, making one appearance in a 2003/04 UEFA Cup qualifier, before joining Central Coast Mariners in the A-League where worked his way into the international set-up.
In 2009 he moved to Turkish club Genclerbirligi before joining Crystal Palace, where he became a club legend leading them back to the Premier League in 2013.
Villa fans now hope he will keep his legendary status going when he gets back on the field for them.
