Robert Zabica

NSL Career: Adelaide City, Perth Glory 203 (0) / 1988 - 1996/97

Socceroos Career: 27 (0) A Internationals / 15 (0) B Internationals

The ever-present Socceroos keeper of the early 1990s, Zabica had the best clean sheets per game ratio (2.67) for keepers with at least 50 clean sheets (still holds the national league record) and was behind only Zeljko Kalac and Jeff Olver in Socceroos A appearances in goals whilst playing in the NSL. With cat-like reflexes that stopped some of the best strikers of his era, Zabica stood out in an era which had many great Australian keepers such as Zeljko Kalac, Mark Schwarzer, Bob Catlin, Tony Franken and David Miller.

Towards the end of the 1980s, Adelaide City coach Zoran Matić went looking for a replacement for veteran keeper Willie McNally and found the then 23 year old Zabica, who was the most promising keeper in Western Australia. Zabica had made his senior debut in the Western Australian State League as an 18 year old with his junior club Spearwood Dalmatinac before becoming the number one keeper at Cockburn United and Stirling Macedonia.

Zabica instantly cemented his spot at Adelaide City in the 1988 season before helping the club win the 1989 NSL Cup. A strong season in goals for City in the 1989/90 season helped the club reach the finals series for the first time since 1986 and earned Zabica a full international debut. 

City reached the preliminary final in the 1990/91 season with the best defensive record in the league - with Zabica keeping 11 clean sheets (including one in the finals series). The 1991/92 season saw City field one of the greatest defensive units in Australian football history, with City team mates Zabica, Milan Ivanović, Alex Tobin and Tony Vidmar forming the national team's defence.

 Zabica was a giant between the sticks as City became the first club to win the NSL Double, with the Socceroos keeper saving a penalty in the NSL Grand Final shoot-out (City won four-two on penalties) against Melbourne Croatia and became the first recipient of the Reusch NSL Goalkeeper of the Year award.

City reached the 1992/93 NSL Grand Final (losing one-nil to Marconi) before finishing fifth in the 1993/94 season on their way to another championship in what would be the end of Zabica's City career. A knee injury forced the star keeper to retire from international football and Zabica moved back to the Western Australian Premier League to join original club Dalmatinac for a season, before joining newcomers Perth Glory during the 1996/97 NSL season. 

Zabica made seven league appearances for the club towards the end of the season before having a short stint back at Dalmatinac. Zabica then had a injury-interrupted stint at English First Division side Bradford before returning to Western Australia where he finished his playing career with Cockburn City (formerly Dalmatinac), Bayswater City, Inglewood United and finally Fremantle City at the age of 38. Zabica was inducted in to the Football Australia Hall of Fame in 2006, becoming just the second Western Australian-born player to do so.