Keegan Jelacic - AUS (KAA Gent | Belgium)

1 season and he makes a move like that...

I thought he was good, but he didn't hit the back of the net that much. A case of potential, unlike BOS who is ready now to go overseas.

Hoping that he kicks on enough to solidify himself in Europe, but not enough to warrant Socceroos selection. All Whites desperately need more creative midfielders and he’s young enough that he could switch back to us.

He was probably always going to play for Aussie. But this is yet another instance where having a coach on staff would have helped a lot. You never know what conversations could be happening behind the scenes. Some coaches have charisma and can sell a plan/a future to players...

MetalLegNZ

1 season and he makes a move like that...

I thought he was good, but he didn't hit the back of the net that much. A case of potential, unlike BOS who is ready now to go overseas.

Someone who has actual sources reckons $335k (I'm assuming Aussie) and possibly 12.5% sell on fee. So nice earner for the Glory for 6 months commitment.

If it wasn't for the Covid pandemic, he would have broken thru at the Roar a couple seasons earlier & goes to the u20 World Cup with NZ.

No surprises makes final 24 man squad for Olyroos for tourney Aix-en-Provence. Beautiful part of France.

AFC U23 Olympics qualifying is September.

https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/final-olyroos-squad-confirmed-maurice-revello-tournament

New Belgian season is 2 weeks old. Gent with 2 wins to start their league campaign. They are also playing in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers. Jelacic yet to make a match day squad in either comp.

Good chance he'll play for the Olyroos in Paris next year. But who knows after that. He may rediscover his Kiwi heritage, the closer we get to WC 2026.

https://us.soccerway.com/teams/belgium/koninklijke-atletiek-associatie-gent/214/

Been sent on loan to Stabæk in Norway.
https://keepup.com.au/news/keegan-jelacic-transfer-gent-stabaek-norway/

Made his debut on the weeked as a 93rd min sub in a 1-0 loss at Viking (2nd on GD). Stabæk (2nd last) almost held on for a draw, conceding in the 89th minute.

Patrick Yazbek started (ex Sydney FC) & off at 63 mins for Viking, replaced by Nick D'Agostino. No Stensness.
So if Joe Bell returns to Norway, he'll have 3 Aussie team mates.

Jelacic's Stabæk in a battle to avoid relegation with 12 rounds left in the Eliteserien season.

coochiee

New Belgian season is 2 weeks old. Gent with 2 wins to start their league campaign. They are also playing in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers. Jelacic yet to make a match day squad in either comp.

Good chance he'll play for the Olyroos in Paris next year. But who knows after that. He may rediscover his Kiwi heritage, the closer we get to WC 2026.

https://us.soccerway.com/teams/belgium/koninklijke-atletiek-associatie-gent/214/

Does Olly football not lock down your nationality?

Marto

coochiee

New Belgian season is 2 weeks old. Gent with 2 wins to start their league campaign. They are also playing in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers. Jelacic yet to make a match day squad in either comp.

Good chance he'll play for the Olyroos in Paris next year. But who knows after that. He may rediscover his Kiwi heritage, the closer we get to WC 2026.

https://us.soccerway.com/teams/belgium/koninklijke-atletiek-associatie-gent/214/

Does Olly football not lock down your nationality?

I believe it's a "youth" tournament, so can still change nationality

Stensness an obvious example of being able to switch post U23 football and an Olympics 

See that Jelacic is not in the Olyroos squad for U23 Asian Cup, that kicks off this week. He was in the squad that played in a friendly tourney in France in June.

I'm presuming Gent & his new Norwegian club (loan deal) just won't realise him being a non FIFA window. With only 12 league games left 
Stabæk his club in Norway after fighting to avoid relegation and he's only just arrived. If he'd jumped ship back to NZ we would have heard about it??

 https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/subway-olyroos-squad-update-afc-u23-asian-cuptm-qatar-2024-qualifiers-0

coochiee

Stensness an obvious example of being able to switch post U23 football and an Olympics 

Stensness didn't transfer from the Aussie u17's to the NZ u20/u23's first tho. Jelacic has already swapped countries once, I have no idea if you can change multiple times at youth level anymore.

Jelacic has had 5 appearances for his loan club Stabæk (14th/3rd last) in the Norwegian Eliteserien. 1 start & 4 games he's come off the bench. Stabæk were bottom when he arrived.

https://us.soccerway.com/players/keegan-jelacic/595542/

Not selected for the Olyroos for some friendlies in Saudi Arabia, Nov window.
https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/subway-olyroos-squad-saudi-arabian-friendlies-confirmed

He may have been unavailable as his concentrates on helping his Norwegian loan club Stabæk, avoid relegation. They are 1 spot above the drop zone with 3 games left.

But one to keep an eye on, if the Australian international pathway doesn't work out for him.
https://us.soccerway.com/players/keegan-jelacic/595542/

Stabæk (13th) had a dramatic 2-1 win over Sandefjord (14th) on the weekend. Winner in the 97th min, after the initial pen was saved. Relegation 6 pointer. Jelacic an unused sub. Stabæk (13th, 29 pts) 1 point above the relegation zone with 1 round left. Basically another relegation 6 pointer away to Haugesund (12th, 30 pts).

I presume Jelacic will return to parent club Gent in Belgium once the Norwegian season is over. Again still wouldn't rule him out of returning to NZ colours, if Aussie doesn't work out for him, and the FIFA regulations allow it.

Stabæk lost their last game of the season 3-0 away to Haugesund, and Stabæk were relegated. Jelacic came on at 86 mins (2-0). He got 8 games (1 start) in the Norwegian top flight, without scoring.

Can only guess he will return to parent club Gent in Belgium (currently 3rd). Be interesting to see if he makes the Olyroos for April next year's AFC WC qualifiers. He hasn't been in the last few Aus U23 squads from what I can see.

ClubOranje

carlind wrote:

Well, if we're being honest, Reid might be the only 'foreign' call up ever for the AWs that would have had any chance at playing for the other country. I can't think of any others. So it's possibly a case of we win the ones when the opposition doesn't show up and lose when they do.

What is meaning of ‘foreign’ here?
And ‘ever’?
Jock Aird, Ken Armstrong, Ken Hough, Bill Hume all actually played for their respective ‘home’ countries.
Wynton Rufer would have been a decent shout for Switzerland had he not committed to New Zealand.
Jeram, Roux, Kalua, Singh even, who knows whether they may have had a call up had they not committed to NZ. Bound to be a few with Aussie claims too.

Greg Brown played for both NZ and then Australia

Doesn't make Aussie Olyroo squad. Maybe he should stick with NZ.
Class player.

Ranix

Doesn't make Aussie Olyroo squad. Maybe he should stick with NZ.
Class player.

Too late I think now. Someone smarter than me (RR?) said you can only ever do one switch. Ex NZ U17s, Jelacic has already done that switch. Shame.

Saw him talking to Paulsen post match on the weekend.
They played at the U17 WC in Brazil 2109, together. Old & OVH also in that U17 squad. Matt Garbett as lone striker.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2019/10/30/world/u17-world-cup/brazil-under-17/new-zealand-under-17/3070638/

Article 9 Paragraph 5 https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/ccab990abf45fcf6/original/ro8mje8vw98yp3rvfbmi-pdf.pdf

As far as I can tell, he had to be granted a change of association to play those 4 games for the Aussie u23's & those lock him in to play only for Aussie now.

RR

5. A player that was:

a) granted a change of association; and

b) was not fielded in a match in any (official or unofficial) competition in
any kind of football by the new association,

may request a change of association back to his former association provided
he continues to hold the nationality of such association.

Article 9 Paragraph 5 https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/ccab990abf45fcf6/original/ro8mje8vw98yp3rvfbmi-pdf.pdf

As far as I can tell, he had to be granted a change of association to play those 4 games for the Aussie u23's & those lock him in to play only for Aussie now.

Ok so because Jelacic played some games for Aus U23 he is now tied to them.
Unrelated to Jelacic, but reading those rules. Maya Hahn could still potential change allegiance back to NZ. Although we seem to have quite a few ball playing midfielders coming through the ranks in the NZ womens game.

Yes Niche Cache in passing mentioned Hahn could maybe look to switch back to NZ. Playing for Turbine Potsdam in Frau Bundesliga II. Potsdam currently 2nd and good chance of being promoted, though it's tight with 4 teams within a point of each other.
https://us.soccerway.com/national/germany/2-bundesliga-women/20232024/regular-season/r76370/

Ex Fern Jana Radosavljević is meanwhile playing for last placed MSV Duisburg in Frau Bundesliga and they look doomed for relegation with only 4 pts from 17 games! 

https://us.soccerway.com/national/germany/frauen-bundesliga/20232024/regular-season/r76159/

Hahn is 23 now, and highly unlikely in the frame for German honours. She's scored 3 goals in 18 Liga II games this season.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/03/31/germany/2-bundesliga-women/germany-eintracht-frankfurt-ii/1-ffc-turbine-potsdam/4154681/

I don't get all these kiwis who are only borderline good enough to play for other nations throwing away solid international football to play in kids sides or make up team numbers.

Fallon did it (was saved by a Fifa rule change), Stensness and Boyd are stuck in "no man's land" and Jelacic may never play a single game of international football.

So glad that Reid and to a lesser extent Smith didn't fall into that trap. Reid the most important, as he was clearly good enough to have captained Denmark, not just make the wider squad.

In Boyd's defence the AWs scene was a bit grim, when he played in a white shirt. The team was hardly playing, midfield stocks were bare, and seems him & Huddo may have clashed.

Stensness was pretty honest, and basically said after the Tokyo Oympics he just didn't feel that Kiwi. Something about mumbling the Australian National Anthem rather than the NZ one. If it doesn't feel right, then I guess it just doesn't feel right.

Both him and Jelacic have been raised in Aussie, so Australia is obviously more of what they know. I live in Australia now, but get back to NZ every 6 mths minimum. But I've met Kiwis here who haven't flown the Tasman in 20 years. Some of them have kids. Personally I just don't get it. But everyone's different.

Then you get Champness who feels different, and leaves the Aus youth system for NZ. Win some lose some.

Stensness had a number of coffees with Arnie ahead of his decision to swap.

Smeltzy is Jelacic's agent, so would have been a more balanced voice in his ear. It is too late now anyways.

coochiee

In Boyd's defence the AWs scene was a bit grim, when he played in a white shirt. The team was hardly playing, midfield stocks were bare, and seems him & Huddo may have clashed.

Stensness was pretty honest, and basically said after the Tokyo Oympics he just didn't feel that Kiwi. Something about mumbling the Australian National Anthem rather than the NZ one. If it doesn't feel right, then I guess it just doesn't feel right.

Both him and Jelacic have been raised in Aussie, so Australia is obviously more of what they know. I live in Australia now, but get back to NZ every 6 mths minimum. But I've met Kiwis here who haven't flown the Tasman in 20 years. Some of them have kids. Personally I just don't get it. But everyone's different.

Then you get Champness who feels different, and leaves the Aus youth system for NZ. Win some lose some.

even though I've been US/UK based since late '06 I try and get home often, so find it odd to read of kiwis just across the ditch who've not been home in 20 years.

In saying that, I work for an airline and I have English colleagues who do not own a passport, haven't been to Wales or Scotland, never mind France, Europe or further afield.

Congratulations to @brisbaneroar's Keegan Jelacic & @NewcastleJetsFC' Lucas Mauragis who are off to Doha to link up with the Olyroos! 🇦🇺

Full details: https://t.co/A7rt3ysJ3u pic.twitter.com/ykRclP3F0B

— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) April 9, 2024

Well he got a call up in the end, with players getting hurt/pulled by their clubs

RR

Congratulations to @brisbaneroar's Keegan Jelacic & @NewcastleJetsFC' Lucas Mauragis who are off to Doha to link up with the Olyroos! 🇦🇺

Full details: https://t.co/A7rt3ysJ3u pic.twitter.com/ykRclP3F0B

— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) April 9, 2024

Well he got a call up in the end, with players getting hurt/pulled by their clubs

Nestory Irankunda had been informally sounded out in the last 24 hours over whether he would be prepared to join the Olyroos squad to replace Marco Tilio, but declined a late approach after deciding that he was better off staying put with Adelaide. [@smh]https://t.co/6MwqWS9Ny0

— A-League Hub (@AleagueHub) April 9, 2024

Reckon he was still behind this fella in the pecking order. Irankunda sticking to his guns though.