John Kosmina

NSL Career: West Adelaide, Adelaide City, Sydney City, Sydney Olympic, APIA 289 (133) / 1977 - 1989

Socceroos Career: 60 (25) A Internationals / 40 (17)

The Socceroos captain for most of the 1980s, John Kosmina was a prolific striker who thrived during a physical era of Australian football. Well balanced and strongly built, Kosmina liked to get in the face of his direct opponent... but when the goal scoring chance came, he made no mistake. Kosmina possessed excellent ball control and used his frame well to hold the ball up for team mates to enter the 18 yard box. The centre-forward's ability to force his way in to the box and swivel around defenders saw him score on a regular basis

Kosmina began his playing career for Polonia in the South Australian State League as a 16 year old, after coming up through the club's junior ranks. After a successful period with Polonia, where he won the State League and SA Federation Cup in 1975, Kosmina made his Socceroos A debut on the eve of his 20th birthday.

The talented striker joined South Australian club West Adelaide in the newly formed Phillips Soccer League in 1977 and made an instant impact, helping the side reach the PSL Cup Semi-Finals and scored 12 goals in 23 games (including the league's first ever goal) to become the first recipient of the NSL U-21 Player of the Year award. 

Kosmina was set to join Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League but instead moved to England after impressing Northern Irish coach Terry Neill, who had coached against the striker in South Australian and Socceroos B representative games against Tottenham and Arsenal respectively.

The Socceroos striker became the first PSL player to earn an overseas contract when he joined Arsenal from Adelaide City (short stint in the 1978 season), becoming just the seventh Australian to play in England's top flight after Jimmy Jackson, Frank Mitchell, Ken Grieves, Joe Marston, John Roberts and Craig Johnston.

The Australian striker struggled with the level of professionalism required in England, making just one league and three UEFA Cup appearances for the club and had a short stint at Adelaide City before returning to the PSL with West Adelaide. Kosmina spent two seasons at West Adelaide before making a big money move ($28,000) to Sydney City in 1981. 

At City, Kosmina became the most clinical striker in the league - scoring 90 goals in 152 league games - and helped the club win back-to-back championships, an NSL Cup and a Play-Off Series. Kosmina scored in the 1986 NSL Cup Final against former club West Adelaide and the 1982 Play-Off Series Grand Final against St George.

Kosmina moved to Sydney Olympic in 1987 when City's time in the national league came to an end and the experienced striker's goal scoring form started to slow down. Kosmina left Olympic at the end of the 1988 season after scoring 14 goals in 44 league games for the club and retired from the national team as it's greatest goal scorer with 25 goals in 60 appearances (later surpassed by Damian Mori).

The NSL legend finished his career with APIA in 1989, scoring six goals in 24 league appearances. Kosmina retired as the all-time goal scorer in the NSL, holding the record for eight years until it was broken by Rod Brown. Kosmina had a short stint with NSW Division One side Sutherland before hanging up his boots at the age of 34. Kosmina was selected as captain of FFA's Socceroos Team of the 1980s.

Following his playing career, Kosmina became an NSL analyst and commentator while beginning his coaching career at state league level. Kosmina was also a co-founder and inaugural vice president of the PFA in 1993 and went on to have head coaching roles in the NSL and A-League with Newcastle Breakers, Brisbane Strikers, Adelaide United and Sydney FC - leading Breakers to the final of the NSL Cup and United to the A-League Grand Final.