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Frank Farina
Frank Farina OAM (born 5 September 1964) is an Australian football (soccer) coach and former player who played as a forward.
His playing career spanned Australia, Belgium, France, Italy and England, and was a major player for the Australian national team in the late 1980s and 1990s, as well as managing the national team in the early 2000s. He was the first Indigenous Australian to manage the national team. As of November 2021[update] he is a member of the inaugural National Indigenous Advisory Group of Football Australia.
Born in Darwin, Northern Territory, Farina spent part of his childhood in Papua New Guinea and grew up in Cairns, north Queensland and went to school at St Augustine's College. While in Cairns, he played youth soccer with Stratford United and Edge Hill United FC. He won a prestigious position and scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1982 and played in the National Soccer League for the Canberra Arrows the following year.
When he was 16, one of his school teachers suggested he try out for Mareeba United of the semi-professional Queensland State League, with whom he played four games towards the end of the season, which was his first paid soccer experience.
Farina's early playing career was spent in Australia, playing the National Soccer League. He played for the Canberra Arrows, Sydney City and Marconi-Fairfield.
His early seasons were solid, scoring just under ten goals a season for Canberra in the 1983 and 1984 season. He earned the Most Entertaining Player award for the National Soccer League from SBS-TV in 1984. He made his full international debut as a substitute in Australia's 2–3 loss in China in 1984. Farina moved to Sydney City in 1985, and that season City made the 1985 NSL Grand Final, losing 2–0 over two legs to Brunswick, as well as winning the 1986 National Cup.
With the demise of Sydney City a few weeks into the 1987 season when owner Frank Lowy pulled out of funding the team, Farina moved to Marconi Fairfield for 1987 and 1988. His form flourished, scoring 16 and 17 goals respectively. In both years he won the Golden Boot Award, the Players' Player Medal (equivalent of Johnny Warren Medal) and, in 1988, the Most Entertaining Player award again from SBS-TV and the 1988 Oceania Player of the Year awards. He cemented his place in the Australian national team, the Socceroos, until his retirement from international competition in 1995, as well as attracting overseas interest.
This interest led to him leaving Australia, for Belgium, and Club Brugge in the latter half of 1988. His finishing ability was well regarded, and he played over 70 games for Brugge, scoring 43 goals and playing a major role in the club winning the Belgian First Division title in 1989/90 as well as the Belgian Cup in 1990/91 and Belgian Supercup in 1990 and 1991. Farina won the Belgian Golden Boot and Best Foreign Player awards in Club Brugge's successful 1989/90 season.
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Frank Farina
Frank Farina OAM (born 5 September 1964) is an Australian football (soccer) coach and former player who played as a forward.
His playing career spanned Australia, Belgium, France, Italy and England, and was a major player for the Australian national team in the late 1980s and 1990s, as well as managing the national team in the early 2000s. He was the first Indigenous Australian to manage the national team. As of November 2021[update] he is a member of the inaugural National Indigenous Advisory Group of Football Australia.
Born in Darwin, Northern Territory, Farina spent part of his childhood in Papua New Guinea and grew up in Cairns, north Queensland and went to school at St Augustine's College. While in Cairns, he played youth soccer with Stratford United and Edge Hill United FC. He won a prestigious position and scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1982 and played in the National Soccer League for the Canberra Arrows the following year.
When he was 16, one of his school teachers suggested he try out for Mareeba United of the semi-professional Queensland State League, with whom he played four games towards the end of the season, which was his first paid soccer experience.
Farina's early playing career was spent in Australia, playing the National Soccer League. He played for the Canberra Arrows, Sydney City and Marconi-Fairfield.
His early seasons were solid, scoring just under ten goals a season for Canberra in the 1983 and 1984 season. He earned the Most Entertaining Player award for the National Soccer League from SBS-TV in 1984. He made his full international debut as a substitute in Australia's 2–3 loss in China in 1984. Farina moved to Sydney City in 1985, and that season City made the 1985 NSL Grand Final, losing 2–0 over two legs to Brunswick, as well as winning the 1986 National Cup.
With the demise of Sydney City a few weeks into the 1987 season when owner Frank Lowy pulled out of funding the team, Farina moved to Marconi Fairfield for 1987 and 1988. His form flourished, scoring 16 and 17 goals respectively. In both years he won the Golden Boot Award, the Players' Player Medal (equivalent of Johnny Warren Medal) and, in 1988, the Most Entertaining Player award again from SBS-TV and the 1988 Oceania Player of the Year awards. He cemented his place in the Australian national team, the Socceroos, until his retirement from international competition in 1995, as well as attracting overseas interest.
This interest led to him leaving Australia, for Belgium, and Club Brugge in the latter half of 1988. His finishing ability was well regarded, and he played over 70 games for Brugge, scoring 43 goals and playing a major role in the club winning the Belgian First Division title in 1989/90 as well as the Belgian Cup in 1990/91 and Belgian Supercup in 1990 and 1991. Farina won the Belgian Golden Boot and Best Foreign Player awards in Club Brugge's successful 1989/90 season.