Joel Porter

Joel William Porter (born 25 December 1978) is an Australian former football (soccer) player.

Porter began his playing career with Croydon Kings before going on to play for West Adelaide, Melbourne Knights FC and Sydney Olympic.

Porter was Melbourne Knight's top scorer in the 2001–02 season which saw him linked with moves to Feyenoord and Sunderland. In March 2002, Porter said: "I would love to play in Europe, of course, and I am trialling with a couple of teams hopefully when the season ends."

After turning down a new contract with Melbourne Knights, he joined Sydney Olympic. During his final season at Sydney Olympic, Porter managed to score 6 goals in 19 starts having played many of those matches as a midfielder. It was during his spell with Sydney Olympic that he received a call up for the Australia men's national soccer team.

Porter decided to look in Europe in a bid to find a club. He almost signed for Rayo Vallecano but the Spanish La Liga club were unprepared to take a gamble by signing him after doubts arouse over his fitness. After previously having trials in England with Wigan Athletic and Sunderland, before visa problems prevented them, Porter finally signed for Hartlepool in November 2003, as manager Neale Cooper added the Aussie to his ranks.

Porter made his Hartlepool debut against Swindon Town and scored his first goal against Burton Albion shortly afterwards during a live televised FA Cup match, a victory that secured a third round tie at neighbours Sunderland. Hartlepool manager Neale Cooper decided to offer him an 18-month contract at the end of 2003. However, Porter struggled to score in his first season and only notched up 5 goals in 31 appearances. Porter's fifth goal for the club was perhaps one of the most important as it earned Hartlepool a draw in the first leg of the playoff semi-final against Bristol City. They lost the second leg 2–1.

During the following 2004–05 season, Porter became a huge fan favourite and was a massive success. After a slow start he forced his way into the team after coming on as a substitute against Doncaster Rovers and scoring two late goals to secure a dramatic 3–2 win. This earned him a place alongside Adam Boyd in the Hartlepool line-up and the pair formed a legendary strike partnership. He then went on to notch 14 goals in 37 appearances. Porter's performances earned him the Fans' Player of the Year award.

In the 2005–06 season, Porter struggled with a long-term knee injury that lasted 10 months and prevented him from playing for the majority of the season. Porter returned to Hartlepool squad and came on as a substitute against Huddersfield, scoring after 6 minutes to mark his return. However, his return could not prevent Hartlepool from being relegated from Football League One. He helped Hartlepool win promotion back to the Football League One the following season under Danny Wilson and helped Pools survive in the third tier the following two seasons.