There is excitement amongst the Croatian Community of South Australia as Adelaide
Croatia welcomes Cooks Hill United from Northern New South Wales in the Hahn Australia Cup.
Clubmen Michael Paleka & David Carosi have shared their thoughts of the Hahn Australia Cup and the season so far.
The Australia Cup grants the players an opportunity to forge a new legacy and the community a chance to relive its glory days.
Adelaide Croatia are no strangers to the main stage, having participated in the inaugural edition of the Australia Cup back in 1962.
They would then go and compete again in the following years, 1963 & 1964.
Adelaide Croatia competed in the National League Cup in 1981 & 1985 as State League Champions from the previous season.
It was in 1985 that Adelaide Croatia achieved its best result, making the quarter finals.
Giant killers Adelaide Croatia defeated both West Adelaide Hellas & Adelaide City at Hindmarsh Stadium to then draw Sunshine George Cross in the Quarter Finals where they were defeated 1-0 in extra time at Hanson Reserve.
To qualify for the Australia Cup, Adelaide Croatia needed to defeat arch-rivals FK
Beograd in the Semi Finals of the Cup.
A spectacular 1-0-win courtesy of a last minute Donatien Niyonkuru ensured Croatia would end as victors.
Both teams have hit some form heading into the Australia Cup, Cooks Hill United have won 3 of their last 5 games, whereas Adelaide Croatia have recorded 2 wins in the last month to keep them only 1 point off safety, with 4 games to go.
To understand the gravity of the game, Michael Paleka and David Carosi have offered their insights into the atmosphere and culture.
Michael Paleka is a life member of Football South Australia, having played over 300 NPL games.
With 13 seasons at Adelaide Croatia, Michael won the NPL Championship in 2002, Errea Cup in 2007 and capped off his career winning the State League 1 Championship in 2018 as captain.
Michael has given back to the club since his playing days, having coached the juniors for the past 9 years and between 2019-2021, he was the senior team assistant coach.
Michael sees the big picture, the collective work done in the background for Adelaide Croatia to be in this position.
“Australia Cup means a lot to me personally, because it represents the journey and
pride of everyone who’s been part of this Club over the years — players, coaches,
families, and volunteers.
Having grown up playing majority of my life here, this Club is like a second home, and to see it on a national stage through the Australia Cup is incredibly special.
It’s a reward for all the hard work and sacrifices that people behind the scenes have made to keep the Club going and growing, and it’s a chance to showcase our history, culture, and passion to the wider football community.
For me, it’s also about inspiring the next generation — showing them that no matter where you start, you can achieve big things with dedication and love for the game.”
Adelaide Croatia runs deep in the Paleka family. Michael’s father Boris was a Championship Winner in 1984 and the captain in Adelaide Croatia’s famous 1985 NSL Cup Run.
“I’ve been lucky to have a dad who’s been such a big part of our club, as a championship-winning player, a coach, and a volunteer.
Over the years he’s shared so many stories about his time on the pitch, as well as a coach, and all the success he was proud to achieve wearing the Red, White, and Blue.
Now my son Marko gets to hear those stories firsthand from his Dida, see the old photos up around the club, and wear the club shirt with the same pride we both have.
It’s really special to have three generations connected to the club’s history and spirit”
The community has been in eager anticipation of the fixture since Croatia’s fateful qualification victory over FK Beograd.
“The feeling in the community is really special, there’s a real buzz around the club
and everyone’s excited and proud to see us perform on the National Stage.
For a community club like ours, moments like this mean so much because they’re not just
about the players on the field, but about everyone who’s contributed over the years to get us here.
There’s a lot of pride, anticipation, and belief that we can go out there and make history for the club and the community and hopefully progress to the Round of 16”.
Adelaide Croatia’s assistant coach David Carosi is as loyal as they come.
In what will be 10 seasons at the club David embodies what it means to be part of the Club, his unwavering loyalty through good and bad has made him a club favourite.
David Carosi signed at the club in 2016 as a player and after playing close to 100 NPL
games, he has since been assistant coach since 2021.
David Carosi cites Justin Bralic & Nik Kuzman as his mentors – who at the formative stages of his career, set the standards and conveyed what it meant to represent Adelaide Croatia.
The key learnings he has taken out of his tenure at the club is “The importance of doing extra to maximise your performance” & “building culture within the team and how much impact it can have”.
What makes the club special to David is the culture within the community, “I have loved seeing the people here come together year after year to continue the legacy that so many left behind.
The history of the club is powerful and it is not until you experience things such as the Gala Nights, Anniversaries, have conversations with people around the club that you really get the sense of how rich the history is and the amazing work the people of the Croatian Community have done to get the club where it is today”.
David summarises this season, praising the players ability to adapt to change and
staying professional in the process.
“It has been a season full of challenges and change. But I guess that’s what makes
life great, getting through tough times and then also being open minded with change.
The boys are doing their best to front up each week and give their all. With many
players missing, it has been incredible opportunity for younger players/other players
to take with both hands. Some of the youth we have are exciting, but as we know it’s
the mindset of them to either continue the journey and want to keep learning and
getting better”.
With key personnel out, Croatia will look to rely on its youth to get the job done.
“Wednesday night, out first time in the Australia Cup you can expect a squad that is
going to be quite raw.
You will continue to see an energetic, aggressive style in possession and then an organised unit without the ball”
It’s a momentum game and a win could be the confidence boost Croatia needs to
ensure survival in NPLSA with 4 games to go.
Adelaide Croatia face Cooks Hill United this Wednesday 7pm at the Croatian Sports
Centre, Tickets available here
Watch: Full Australia Cup Round Of 32 Preview Show | Vjesnik TV
