Mile Jedinak: an exemplary leader for Australian sport

The beauty of football – and sport in general – is its ability to reflect humanity. A mere game can reveal both individual and collective strengths and flaws in character, as well as overall philosophy and outlook.

In the moment, there was already something patently echoic about Mile Jedinak’s penalty against Denmark at the World Cup in June.

Looking back, with Jedinak having announced his retirement from international football on Monday, it takes on an added gravity.

Incensed over a VAR decision to give the Socceroos a penalty and lifeline in a crucial match, there stood Kasper Schmeichel, doing everything he could to impose himself – his father’s son.

Yet across from him, Jedinak maintained composure and focus. The Australian captain converted, as he had done every time he was tasked with penalty duties for the national team.

The perfect penalty record for the Socceroos tells a story on its own, but that moment was particularly illustrative. 

That glare back at Schmeichel after restoring parity highlighted that, beneath that composure and focus, laid a relentless passion and determination.

When one puts into context everything that had transpired in his career leading to that moment, it was a perfect encapsulation of Mile Jedinak the footballer, captain and person.

Making an impression at the prestigious Kvarnerska Rivijera youth tournament, he signed for Varteks Varaždin in Croatia at the age of 18.

Within the first few months of the 2003-04 season however, Varteks coach Dražen Besek was replaced by the erratic Miroslav Blažević, who almost immediately banished Jedinak.

Then, the homecoming to Sydney United, the New South Wales Premier League title and the regular commute from Western Sydney to Gosford to simply earn a contract with the Central Coast Mariners.

The story is now well-known. What remains worth noting, though, is Jedinak has earned everything along the way since that return to Australia.

His career path – including the return from a European move that has stagnated many a career in Australian football – reflects Jedinak’s irrepressible drive.

The 34-year-old is a model not only of dedication, but of respect and belief – in oneself and others.

Emerging from that kind of setback to be a part of the 2015 Asian Cup triumph – arguably the Socceroos’ greatest achievement to this point – makes for one of the best stories in Australian sport, let alone lifting the trophy as captain.

Then again, that mix of drive, focus and poise is exactly why Jedinak was captain of the Australian national team to begin with – an exemplar of the “when he speaks, everyone listens” theory.

His selection as the Socceroos’ skipper is only more important when held up in contrast to Australian football and sport as a whole.

Following the fractious episode of Lucas Neill vs the Australian Public, what the Socceroos needed was a leader like Jedinak, especially in the midst of sweeping generational transition. 

His selection as captain under Ange Postecoglou represented a significant departure from what is the norm in Australian sport, because if seniority and talent solely formed the criteria, Tim Cahill would likely have succeeded Neill.

Despite Cahill’s public profile, what Jedinak helped provide to players coming through like Trent Sainsbury, Matthew Leckie and most recently Daniel Arzani, was a steady grounding.

Jedinak was not necessarily the best player whenever he pulled on the Australian shirt, but he was without doubt the best character, and the Socceroos were instantly better for his presence.

When you compare him to talented but flawed leaders in recent Australian sporting history – from Ricky Ponting and Ben Cousins, to Michael Hooper and David Warner – Jedinak is as distinct as his beard.

There has been a visible physical decline in recent years, but Jedinak’s positional awareness was something the Socceroos always needed, so much so that playing him as a central defender was potentially a logical adjustment.

Though he definitely has talent, Jedinak’s defining characteristic as a footballer and how that manifested within the framework of a national team squad was his intelligence, in both tactical and interpersonal senses.

The Socceroos are arguably the greatest sporting reflection of this country and Jedinak handled the role of captain with wisdom and dignity – even in the most testing of moments when he was dubbed Aussie Mike.

His exit before this January’s Asian Cup, instead of pushing on for another major tournament, is only a continuation of that.