Together as one: A strong start to the 52nd Australian Croatian Soccer Tournament

More than half a century has passed, and yet the spirit of the Australian Croatian Soccer Tournament remains as strong as ever.

The 52nd edition officially kicked off in Melbourne on Thursday, 24 September, with a united hosting effort by St Albans Dinamo and Strathmore Split SC, (joined by Melbourne Croatia on Saturday and Sunday). Across the three grounds, the tournament is once again delivering everything that has made it such a special event over the decades – football, food, drinks, music, friendship and, above all, community.

This year’s message is simple but powerful: together, we can achieve more. Community is the driving force behind the tournament, bringing generations together, overcoming challenges and keeping alive a shared sense of Croatian identity and belonging.

The official opening ceremony took place at St Albans Dinamo, where tournament participants, families, guests, sponsors, volunteers and representatives of sporting and local organisations gathered to officially mark the beginning of four days of football and community celebration.

Ceremony host Robert Špoljar welcomed everyone and paid tribute to those whose work, often behind the scenes, makes an event of this size possible. In his opening remarks, he reflected on how the tournament has become part of the lives of generations of Australian Croats.

“Our traditions, our friendships and the enduring spirit of our community have brought together generations of families, united clubs from across Australia and New Zealand and created lifelong memories both on and off the field.”

He spoke of those who remember attending the tournament as children, watching their parents and grandparents volunteer, supporting their clubs from the sidelines and proudly wearing their colours – and who today are returning with their own children and grandchildren.

“That is something truly special and you can’t put a dollar figure on it. It is a powerful reminder that while generations may change, the values of community, respect, pride and unity remain as strong as ever.”

Reflecting on the history of the competition, Špoljar also spoke about the thousands of matches, friendships, rivalries, triumphs and disappointments that have become part of its story.

“Today is not only a celebration of football, it is a celebration of who we are, where we have come from and the legacy we leave for future generations. That legacy belongs to all of us – to the players who take the field, the volunteers who make the tournament possible, the families who have supported our clubs for generations and the young Croatian Australians here today who will carry this tradition forward.”

And perhaps most importantly, he summed up what makes the tournament so much bigger than football:

“That is what makes this tournament so much more than a football tournament. It is our community, it is our heritage and, more so than anything else, it is our family.”

St Albans Dinamo president Ilija Dragičević welcomed the many visitors who had travelled from around Australia and thanked everyone involved in bringing the tournament to Melbourne.

“On behalf of St Albans Dinamo, welcome everybody across Australia who made the effort and put the time in to come down to Melbourne and be part of what is going to be probably the best tournament in the 52 years of its existence.”

He also acknowledged the important role of Strathmore Split, praising the club’s growth and its decision to take on the enormous responsibility of co-hosting such a major event.

“Strathmore Split, amazing, amazing club. Your growth over the last five years is something you will be very proud of because you’ve really contributed to this community and really grown to be a big part of it. Well done for putting your hand up and having the courage to be a part of it.”

One of the most important acknowledgements of the opening ceremony was reserved for the volunteers. With around 300 volunteers involved, their contribution is essential to the running of an event of this scale.

“What doesn’t go unnoticed is that again, like two years ago, we have 300 volunteers. Please, if you get a chance, pat a volunteer on the back and say thank you to them. Without volunteers, it’s almost impossible to have a tournament this size.”

Dragičević also thanked the sponsors and supporters whose contribution helps make the tournament possible, before encouraging everyone to enjoy the weekend and remember the occasion for years to come.

For Ante Stipić (Strathmore Split SC), the joint hosting arrangement represents something particularly significant.

“Thank you everyone for attending. Thank you to Dinamo for doing an unprecedented joint tournament. We’ve also called in our brothers at Melbourne Croatia.”

The cooperation between St Albans Dinamo, Strathmore Split and Melbourne Croatia has given this year’s tournament a particularly strong sense of shared responsibility, demonstrating what can happen when clubs work together towards one common goal.

As the tournament continues across three grounds, that sense of cooperation is visible not only in the organisation but throughout the wider Croatian community.

Jure Dragović, president of the Croatian Soccer Association of Australia (CSAA), also highlighted the extraordinary history behind the tournament.

He reminded those gathered that the competition, now in its 52nd year, is Australia’s oldest national football competition, predating the NRL, AFL and the former NSL.

“This tournament represents being the oldest national football competition in Australia – 52 years, older than the NRL, the AFL and the old NSL. We should be proud of that and we should look to continue to do that for however long we can.”

Dragović thanked the two host clubs for taking on such a massive undertaking and acknowledged the sponsors, volunteers and everyone contributing to the event.

He also had a message for the players and visitors: respect the hosts, appreciate the volunteers, support the clubs and enjoy the four days together.

“Not only is this the festival of football, it’s a celebration of our Croatian identity. Hopefully this platform, which was built 52 years ago, is strong enough to survive into the future.”

Football Victoria CEO Dan Birrell welcomed everyone to the 2026 Australian Croatian Soccer Association Tournament and acknowledged the tremendous efforts of St Albans Dinamo and Strathmore Split, as well as Melbourne Knights, who will also play an important role during the weekend.

He described the tournament as one of Australia’s most enduring and unique football traditions.

“We’re so fortunate to have the Croatian community come together annually across Australia and host a tournament of this magnitude.”

Birrell reflected on how the competition has evolved from a gathering of clubs connected through Croatian heritage into a much broader celebration of football, friendship and lifelong connections.

“What began as a gathering of clubs connected through heritage has evolved into a celebration of football excellence, friendship, lifelong connections and, from what I hear, a lot of romance as well.”

He also highlighted the fact that, despite clubs, leagues and administrators changing over the decades, the spirit of the tournament has remained.

“With more than 50 years of hosting, it continues to provide an opportunity for football people across Australia and New Zealand to renew old rivalries and celebrate those connections.”

And as the first day demonstrated, the tournament is enjoyed by all generations – from kids taking part on the field to families and supporters gathering around the grounds to share a meal, a drink and plenty of conversation.

The opening ceremony also carried an important spiritual dimension, with Rev. Mario Ćosić of the Croatian Catholic Centre Sunshine giving a blessing for the tournament and everyone involved.

In his prayer, he asked for God’s blessing upon the organisers, volunteers, clubs and players, as well as all those working behind the scenes to make the event possible.

He prayed that the tournament would continue to unite generations through Croatian pride, faith and community, and that it would remain a strong bond connecting Croatia and Australia.

His words captured another important dimension of the weekend – the idea that thousands of people arriving from different cities and different clubs can still come together as one Croatian family.

Of course, football was only part of the first day’s story.

At St Albans Dinamo, the outdoor grill team was already surrounded by smoke as meat was prepared on the spit, filling the air with the unmistakable aroma of a Croatian gathering.

Inside the club restaurant, visitors could order meals and drinks from the bar, while additional food was served outside under the marquees. With food available across several areas, there was plenty to choose from and, thankfully, no one appeared likely to leave hungry!

Tournament merchandise also proved popular. Shirts and other promotional items offered visitors the chance to take home a souvenir of the 52nd tournament, with some of the designs attracting plenty of attention.

The Hrvatski Vjesnik team was also on the ground throughout the day, following the action both on and off the field. Our new promotional shirts made their debut, including the eye-catching design featuring ‘Luka Modrić with a cigar’, based on an original photograph.

The tournament was also a great opportunity to introduce new readers to Hrvatski Vjesnik and for existing readers to subscribe or renew their connection with the newspaper.

And this is only the beginning. Keep following our updates, photographs, stories and daily coverage throughout the tournament – and become part of the extensive photo gallery and surveys we are preparing from the grounds.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful things about this tournament is that it feels like a reunion.

On the very first day, we met familiar faces and old friends from Canberra, regular visitors from Hobart, friends from Sydney and many others who seem to appear at every tournament.

There were hugs, handshakes, quick conversations that turned into much longer ones and the feeling that, even after months or years apart, friendships simply continue where they were left.

For many, this is one of the most important parts of the tournament – the opportunity to see people who may live hundreds or thousands of kilometres away but who share the same history, friendships and connection to the Croatian community.

With matches taking place across all three grounds, music continuing into the evening and the social atmosphere building, the first day provided a fantastic beginning to what promises to be a very full weekend.

There will be many more minutes of football, which will inevitably turn into hours of conversation, food, drinks, laughter and music – and, for those who have the energy, plenty of dancing too.

The 52nd Australian Croatian Soccer Tournament has begun, and its opening day already delivered the message that stands at the heart of this year’s event:

Together, we can achieve more.

Three clubs, hundreds of volunteers, thousands of visitors and one community – continuing a tradition that has now lasted for more than half a century.

The tournament continues – together.

See related story: Cro Tourney 2026 live blog – Thursday