Mehmet Duraković

NSL Career: Brunswick, Footscray, South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic, Morwell 363 (9) / 1985 - 2003/04

Socceroos Career: 44 (4) A Internationals / 20 (2) B Internationals

Successful teams require dependable players who will give their all for the team. Mehmet Duraković was that type of player - small and stocky but strong, quick, uncompromising and possessed a wicked shot. Committed to his teams cause like few others, Duraković was a saviour on many occasions as he ran down some of the best forwards in the game and had a knack for making goal-line clearances.

Duraković immigrated to Australia from Montenegro as a five year old and began his junior career with Port Melbourne at the U-10 level. After progressing through the junior ranks, Duraković made his first team debut as a 16 year old in the Victorian Metropolitan League Division Three. Duraković returned to Montenegro with his family where he spent time in the junior ranks with his local club Budućnost Podgorica, who played in the Yugoslav First League at the time, before returning to Australia where he rejoined Port Melbourne.

NSL club Brunswick signed Duraković for the 1985 season and the defender made his debut in the qualifying final against Heidelberg as a 19 year old before playing in the first leg of their grand final victory over Sydney City, winning the NSL Championship in his first season. Playing mostly as a right full-back, Duraković had to make the most of his opportunities in the reigning champions' defence and started in each of the club's finals matches in 1986 as they lost the Southern Conference Preliminary Final to Footscray.

As Brunswick slid down the ladder in the 1987 and 1988 seasons, Duraković cemented his spot in the side, but couldn't help the club avoid relegation to the Victorian State League at the end of the 1988 season. Duraković remained with the club, but accepted a loan to Footscray in order to continue playing in the NSL where he was unable to help the club avoid relegation despite being a standout player.

Duraković joined former Port Melbourne and Footscray team mate Joe Palatsides at South Melbourne for the 1989/90 season under the tutelage of Hungarian football icon Ferenc Puskás. Playing as a sweeper next to club veteran Steve Blair, Duraković's work-rate and toughness made him a star, and helped the club win the NSL Cup before reaching the minor semi-final in the final series.

A successful season at South saw Duraković make his first full international debut for Australia, becoming an ever-present member in the process along with South team mate Paul Wade. In the 1990/91 season, Duraković became the premier sweeper in the league, along with Adelaide City's Milan Ivanović, and was part of the South side that went on to win the championship, defeating Melbourne Croatia in the grand final in a penalty shoot-out. 

The formidable South defence with Duraković regularly making crucial tackles and goal-line clearances finished no lower than third between the 1991/92 and 1993/94 seasons and reached three consecutive preliminary finals. During Australia's 1994 World Cup qualifying campaign, the diminutive defender scored a late header in the CONCACAF–OFC play-off against Canada to take the second leg in to extra time before Australia went on to win the play-off in a penalty shoot-out. 

The victory took Australia to the OFC-CONMEBOL play-off against Argentina where Duraković did a commendable job marking Abel Balbo, despite the Roma star striker scoring in the first leg via a brilliant Diego Maradona cross. During the 1994/95 season, Duraković played in some exhibition matches in Malaysia and left South halfway through the season to join Liga Perdana side Selangor. 

Duraković played for Selangor between 1995 and 1998, becoming one of Selangor's best players and helped the club win three consecutive Malaysian Cups between 1995 and 1997. Duraković returned to the NSL for the 1998/99 season, joining Sydney Olympic before moving to Gippsland Falcons the following season.

The experienced defender then returned to South Melbourne for the 2000/01 season where he helped the side reach the grand final, losing to reigning champions Wollongong. The experienced and consistent defender was called up for international duty at the age of 36, as part of Australia's 2002 Oceania Nations Cup squad (his first call-up since 1997).

Following the ONC campaign, in which Duraković's international career came to an end, the veteran defender continued playing for South until the demise of the NSL, hanging up his boots at the age of 38. Following his playing career, Duraković began his coaching career in Victoria before becoming a youth team and head coach of A-League club Melbourne Victory.

Duraković returned to Malaysia as a coach in 2014 and in stints at Selangor and Perak, won a Malaysian Cup with both sides as well as finishing runner-up in the Malaysia Super League three times. Duraković was selected as centre-back/sweeper in South's Team of the Century and at right-back in FFA's Socceroos Team of the 1990s.