Football - Men - Achievements
The AIS Men's Football program has a reputation for producing world-class players who go on to represent Australia at both youth and senior levels. AIS graduates also play in some of the top leagues in the world. Current examples include:
- The English Premier League has four ex-AIS scholarship holders who will be playing in 2004. Mark Viduka is with Leeds United, Lucas Neil with Blackburn, Haydon Foxe is with Portsmouth and Luke Wilkshire will play with Middlesborough.
- The Italian Serie A has Vince Grella at Empoli and Marco Bresciano playing with Parma. Nathan Coe and Carl Valeri are with Inter Milan, presently playing in the second team.
- The Dutch League contains Brett Emerton at Feyenord and Mark Tsiorlas at FC Utrecht.
- Mile Sterjovski is with Lille in France.
Ned Zelic is with the Japanese J League and has also played in the German League.
John Aloisi plays for Athletico Osasuna in the Spanish La Liga. - Eddy Bosnar currently plays with Sturm Graz in the Austrian League.
- Josip Skoko is captain of Racing Genk in Belgium.
- Michael Curcija is a striker with Sporting Braga in Portugal.
- Ljubo Milicevic is with FC Basel in Switzerland.
- Craig Moore and Kevin Muscat are with Glasgow Rangers, Scottish Premier League.
The AIS plays in the Northern Division of the National Youth League. In some years the average age of the AIS players is much younger than that of their opponents. Following are a few program highlights.
2001
- The Australian Senior Football squad that competed against Uruguay in the World Cup qualifier contained ten ex-AIS athletes, with six of those in the starting line-up.
- In 2001 Currently have 8 players in the Youth Team who compete in WYC in Argentina in June/July. Currently 6 AIS players in National Under 17 Joeys Team World Cup in September in Trinidad/Tobago.
1999
- In 1999 AIS won NYL Northern Division and won NYL Title - toured in South America.
- In 1999 Australia had 9 players in the National Youth Team.
1998
- The Australian Football squad which narrowly missed qualifying for the 1998 World Cup in France when beaten by Iran on the away goals rule, contained 11 ex-AIS players, of whom five were in the starting line up.
- 1998 AIS won NYL Northern Division and won NYL Title - toured in Malaysia
1997
- Australia reached the second round at the 1997 World Youth Cup in Malaysia. Eleven players with an AIS background were included in the team including keeper Danny Milosevic who was named captain of the side.
- The AIS finished on top of the NYL Northern Division in 1997 but in the playoff series were beaten in the grand final.
1996
- The AIS were runners up to Marconi in the NYL Northern Division in 1996 and again toured South America.
1995
- Won the Northern Division title and grand final in 1995, after which the team toured South America.
- Australia reached the quarter finals of the 1995 World Youth Cup in Qatar. The team included captain Mark Viduka, and 10 other former or current AIS scholarship holders.
1994
- Won the Northern Division title in 1994
1993
- AIS were runners up in the 1993 NYL
1991 - At the 1991 World Youth Cup in Portugal, Australia achieved its greatest result in international Football (soccer) at any level, winning the play-off for third in front of 120,000 people. The final squad included 10 players who had come through the AIS program.
- The AIS reached the NYL grand final in 1991 and the following year won the NYL Northern Division grand final with a squad of players on average two years younger than opposing teams.
1990 Y - The young 1990 team finished third in the NYL, but 11 players from this squad were subsequently selected in the final team for the 1993 World Youth Cup.
1989
- In 1989 nine AIS players were selected in the national youth team. Seven ex-AIS players signed with National Football (soccer) League (NSL) teams and four Warren Spink, Jason Polak, Paul Trimboli and Andrew Bernal moved from youth to senior international level.
- Although beaten in the grand final of the NYL in 1989, the AIS defeated St George to win the NYL Cup knockout competition.
1988 - In 1988 the AIS played in the NSW State League against senior opposition but, under the same arrangements as in the previous year, were ineligible for points; had they been eligible the AIS would have won the league title.
1987
- The AIS was invited to play against senior opposition in the Victorian State League in 1987, although they were not credited with competition points. The AIS would have won the league had they been eligible for points.
- The 1987 Australian youth side included 12 players who had come through the AIS. In addition, three scholarship holders were selected in the Australian Joeys U16 side.
1986
- The AIS were 1986 Northern Division champions in the NYL by 10 points and went on to win the NYL title.
1985 - In 1985 the AIS won the National Youth League (NYL).
- The 1985 Australian youth team included six AIS players and two former AIS players.
1983 - Five AIS players represented Australia in the 1983 World Youth Cup.
- Tony Franken and Frank Farina were the first AIS players selected in the Australian senior team.