Michael Curcija
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Dragan Curcija | ||
| Date of birth | 27 June 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Adelaide, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
|
Current team
|
Essendon Royals | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995 | AIS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1995 | Heidelberg United | 2 | (0) |
| 1995–2000 | South Melbourne | 114 | (43) |
| 2000–2001 | Partizan | 1 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Braga | 8 | (1) |
| 2003–2004 | South Melbourne | 25 | (13) |
| 2004–2005 | Essendon Royals | 26 | (15) |
| 2005–2006 | Kingston City | 26 | (17) |
| 2006–2010 | Altona Magic | 78 | (34) |
| 2010 | Oakleigh Cannons | 19 | (7) |
| 2011 | Shepparton United | 6 | (3) |
| 2012 | Cairnlea FC | ||
| 2013– | Essendon Royals | 50 | (14) |
| National team | |||
| 1996–1997 | Australia U20 | 13 | (6) |
| 1997–2000 | Australia U23 | 25 | (9) |
| 2000 | Australia | 2 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 April 2016. |
|||
Michael Dragan Curcija (Serbian: Мајкл Драган Ћурчија, Majkl Dragan Ćurčija; born 27 June 1977 in Adelaide) is a retired Australian football striker.
Curcija's first taste of senior football came in the lower levels of the Victorian State League, where as a 16-year-old, he made his debut for Diamond Valley United, scoring in three matches before securing a move to Heidelberg United in the National Soccer League. Curcija made his NSL debut in a 1–0 home loss to Adelaide City in 1994. Another substitute appearance followed before he transferred to rivals South Melbourne the following season.
It was at South Melbourne that Curcija established himself as one of Australia's most prolific young strikers. He helped the club to successive championships in 1998 and 1999, and scored a personal best of 19 goals in the 1999–2000 season. His career highlight for South Melbourne was representing the club in the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil.
At the age of 23, Curcija secured a dream move to Serbian giants FK Partizan, but he struggled to settle or win a first team spot, and after three months, moved to Portugal where he signed a contract with the ambitious SC Braga in the Portuguese Liga. His first season was restricted to bench appearances as the club finished fourth, but he secured his first starts with the senior squad along with his debut goal the following year. However, throughout his time at the club, he was largely a feature of the club's reserves team who competed in the Portuguese Third Tier.
Curcija ultimately returned to South Melbourne for what was the final NSL season in 2003–04, picking up where he left off in domestic football, scoring 13 goals in 25 appearances. With the league disbanded, Curcija returned to the Victorian Premier League, playing with Essendon Royals in 2004, where he scored at better than a goal a game. His form in 2005 was just as impressive, playing every match of the season for 15 goals.
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