Mateo Poljak
 Poljak with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mateo Hrvatsko Poljak[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 September 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2008 | Dinamo Zagreb | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | Lokomotiva Zagreb | 26 | (8) |
| 2010–2012 | Dinamo Zagreb | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | → Lokomotiva Zagreb (loan) | 60 | (4) |
| 2012–2015 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 66 | (3) |
| 2015–2017 | Newcastle Jets | 50 | (3) |
| 2017 | Astra Giurgiu | 3 | (0) |
| 2018 | Marconi | 15 | (2) |
| 2019 | Sutherland Sharks | 18 | (1) |
| 2020 | Mt Druitt Town Rangers | 2 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2005–2008 | Croatia U19 | 8 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 4 December 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 11 September 2009 | |||
Mateo Hrvatsko Poljak (Croatian pronunciation: [matěo poʎaːk]; born 10 September 1989) is a Croatian footballer who last played as a defensive midfielder for Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
Club career
[edit]Croatia
[edit]After going through the youth ranks of Dinamo Zagreb, Poljak was moved to their feeder team Lokomotiva Zagreb, then playing in the Druga HNL. After a season there he signed a 7-year contract with the club, which was taken over by Dinamo at the beginning of 2010. He spent the next two and a half seasons on loan at Lokomotiva, however, before his contract was terminated in the summer of 2012.
Western Sydney Wanderers
[edit]On 13 August 2012 it was announced that Poljak had signed with the newly formed A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers.[2] He signed an initial two-year contract, set to expire in July 2014. In his first season with Western Sydney, he made 25 appearances, a mainstay of the side's midfield, scoring one goal and helping the Wanderers win the A-League premiership in the club's first season. On 5 September 2013, Poljak signed a two-year extension with the club, the new contract ending mid 2016.[3]
Poljak again in his second season with Western Sydney was a constant starter throughout with his side finishing the league in second position. He was also a part of the side that won the 2014 AFC Champions League, later going on to compete in the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup.
Newcastle Jets
[edit]In 2015, Poljak was not retained by the Wanderers and joined Newcastle United Jets FC.
Personal life
[edit]Poljak is married to Katarina, and has a daughter, Mia.[4]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lokomotiva Zagreb | 2008–09 | Druga HNL | 26 | 8 | — | — | — | 26 | 8 | |||
| 2009–10 | Prva HNL | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | 13 | 2 | ||||
| 2010–11 | Prva HNL | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | Prva HNL | 24 | 2 | — | — | — | 24 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 86 | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 86 | 12 | ||||
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2012–13 | A-League | 25 | 1 | — | — | — | 25 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | A-League | 22 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | |||
| 2014–15 | A-League | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6[a] | 1 | 2[b] | 0 | 28 | 2 | |
| Total | 66 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 75 | 4 | ||
| Newcastle Jets | 2015–16 | A-League | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | A-League | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 1 | |||
| Total | 50 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 51 | 3 | ||||
| Astra Giurgiu | 2017–18 | Liga I | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| Marconi | 2018 | NPL NSW | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 2 | ||
| Sutherland Sharks | 2019 | NPL NSW | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| Mt Druitt Town Rangers | 2020 | NPL NSW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 240 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 252 | 22 | ||
- ↑ Appearances in AFC Champions League
- ↑ Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
Honours
[edit]- Western Sydney Wanderers
References
[edit]- ↑ "FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 15 December 2014. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2015.
- ↑ "Wanderers sign Croatian duo - Football Australia 2011". Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ "Poljak Pledges Future With Wanderers". Football Federation Australia. 5 September 2013. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013.
- ↑ Gardiner, James (26 April 2017). "A-League: Poljak future uncertain after hold up with Australian citizenship". The Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ↑ "Mateo Poljak career statistics". Nogometni Magazin.
- ↑ "Mateo Poljak (Western Sydney Wanderers)". Ultimate A-League.
- ↑ Mateo Poljak at Soccerway
External links
[edit]- Western Sydney Wanderers profile
- Mateo Poljak at the Croatian Football Federation
- Mateo Poljak at Soccerway
- 1989 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Zagreb
- Men's association football midfielders
- Croatian men's footballers
- Croatia men's youth international footballers
- NK Lokomotiva Zagreb players
- Western Sydney Wanderers FC players
- Newcastle Jets FC players
- FC Astra Giurgiu players
- Marconi Stallions FC players
- Sutherland Sharks FC players
- Western City Rangers FC players
- Croatian Football League players
- A-League Men players
- Liga I players
- Croatian expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia
- Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- Expatriate men's footballers in Romania
- Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Romania
- AFC Champions League Elite–winning players
