Jason Polak

NSL Career: Sydney Olympic, Newcastle Breakers, South Melbourne, Brisbane Strikers, Canberra Cosmos 244 (21) / 1988 - 1999/00

Socceroos Career: 28 (2) A Internationals / 9 (0) B Internationals

One of Australia's classiest midfielders during the late 1980s and 1990s despite an injury-interrupted career - Jason Polak was an elegant playmaker who could operate anywhere in midfield and was one of the best Queenslanders to have played in the NSL.

Hailing from Townsville in North Queensland, Polak began his junior career at Pine Rivers where he made the reserve grade at the age of 15 before moving to England where he spent a year as an apprentice with English First Division side Watford. Polak returned to Australia and earned a scholarship to the AIS Soccer Program where he was one of the most naturally talented footballers to come through the system. Following his time at the AIS, Polak signed for Sydney Olympic and made his NSL debut at the age of 20, becoming a regular in the side during the 1988 season.

The talented youngster made his full international debut against Fiji during Australia's 1990 World Cup qualifying campaign before playing a big part in Olympic's quest for glory during the 1989 season where he set up team mate Abbas Saad for the winning goal in the preliminary final. 

Polak's trickery with the ball wasn't enough to help Olympic get over the line in the grand final against Marconi (lost one-nil) before missing out on Olympic's NSL Cup Final against Adelaide City a week later after turning down various offers from Europe to join Greek giants Panathinaikos.

Polak played in three European Cup Winners' Cup matches for Panathinaikos and was set to become a regular in the side but made just five league appearances in the first half of the season as the club won the 1989/90 Alpha Ethniki Championship. In search of regular game time, Polak moved to Belgian side Kortrijk for the 1990/91 season where he made 15 league appearances before joining Eredivisie side De Graafschap, where injuries kept him to just eight league appearances towards the end of the 1991/92 season.

Returning to Australia, Polak played in three international friendlies against Croatia (his first Socceroos appearances since 1989) and joined NSL franchise club Newcastle Breakers for the 1992/93 season. Polak returned to form during the season and played in a series of B internationals before being part of Australia's 1994 World Cup qualifying campaign. Polak joined a star-studded South Melbourne side for the 1993/94 season and became a star player for the club over the next two seasons: playing in back-to-back preliminary finals and NSL Cup Semi-Finals and became a Socceroos regular. 

The playmaker returned to his native Queensland for the 1995/96 season, joining NSL side Brisbane Strikers and helped the club qualify for the finals series for the first time. Polak returned to South for the 1996/97 season where he played in a third preliminary final for the club and played his last game for the Socceroos in their 1996 OFC Nations Cup decider against Tahiti (Australia won 11-nil on aggregate).

Polak missed the entire 1997/98 season with a serious knee injury as South won their first championship since the 1990/91 title under coach and former championship captain Ange Postecoglou. The experienced midfielder returned in the 1998/99 season and was a regular in the side, but missed out on selection for the grand final as South won back-to-back championships. Polak moved to franchise club Canberra Cosmos for the 1999/00 season, playing in all but two league games as the club finished third-to-last before hanging up his boots at the age of 32.