Dean Fak (born 1 March 1972) is an Australian soccer coach and former player. A defender, he made over 400 senior appearances across the National Soccer League and Victorian state competitions, representing clubs including South Melbourne, Collingwood Warriors, Gippsland Falcons and Green Gully Cavaliers. Fak later transitioned into coaching, serving as player-coach at Whittlesea United and holding senior coaching roles with Newborough-Yallourn United SC and Gippsland United FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1 March 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Rijeka, Croatia | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Essendon Croatia | |||
| South Melbourne | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989 | South Melbourne | 1 | (0) |
| 1994–1995 | Port Melbourne Sharks | 54 | (1) |
| 1996 | Heidelberg United | 27 | (3) |
| 1996–1997 | Collingwood Warriors | 13 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Altona Magic | 49 | (2) |
| 1999 | Port Melbourne Sharks | 24 | (1) |
| 1999–2001 | Gippsland Falcons | 53 | (3) |
| 2003–2010 | Green Gully Cavaliers | 176 | (7) |
| 2011 | Whittlesea United | ||
| 2012 | Gippsland United | 20 | (1) |
| Total | 417 | (17) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011 | Whittlesea United | ||
| 2024 | Newborough-Yallourn United | ||
| 2025– | Gippsland United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Fak began his senior career with South Melbourne as a teenager before establishing himself as one of the National Soccer League’s most consistent defenders during his time with Gippsland Falcons in the late 1990s. At state level, he enjoyed prolonged success with Green Gully Cavaliers, captaining multiple championship-winning sides and becoming one of the club’s most capped players. He also represented Victoria at senior level, captaining the state team in 1995.
Playing career
editEarly life and South Melbourne
editFak was born in the Adriatic city of Rijeka, Croatia, and moved to Melbourne, Australia in his early childhood. In the late 1970s, Fak joined the youth academy of Melbourne Knights, then known as 'Essendon Croatia'.[1]
Despite being a product of the Knights' youth academy, Fak began his senior football career at South Melbourne, making his debut in the National Soccer League on 16 July 1989 - at just 17 years of age - in a 1-1 draw against St George at Middle Park.[2]
Victorian Premier League years
editAfter his brief introduction to the NSL, Fak continued his development in the Victorian Premier League, representing clubs including Port Melbourne Sharks and Heidelberg United. Across multiple seasons in the mid-1990s, he established himself as a reliable and physically strong defender, gaining consistent senior minutes and building a reputation for durability and positional discipline.
Collingwood Warriors
editFak returned to the national stage during the 1996–97 season, signing with Collingwood Warriors in the National Soccer League. Although the Warriors endured a difficult campaign, Fak featured regularly in defence and added valuable top-flight experience to his growing career résumé.[3]
Altona Magic
editIn 1997, Fak joined Altona Magic, where he was appointed club captain. That season proved one of the most successful of his career, as Altona Magic won the Victorian Premier League championship, with Fak playing a central leadership role in defence throughout the campaign. He remained with the club through the 1998 season, continuing as a senior figure within the squad.[4]
Gippsland Falcons
editFak reached the peak of his playing career after joining Gippsland Falcons for the 1999–2000 National Soccer League season. Widely regarded as one of the league’s most consistent defenders during this period, he played his best football at the club, forming a strong central defensive partnership with Manny Gelagotis. Fak spent two seasons with the Falcons and was a mainstay at centre-half as the club competed strongly at national level.[5]
Green Gully Cavaliers
editFollowing his NSL spell, Fak embarked on a distinguished tenure with Green Gully Cavaliers. Between 2003 and 2010, he became one of the club’s most influential figures, winning multiple league championships and serving as championship captain on three occasions, in 2003, 2005 and 2010. His consistency saw him rank sixth on the club’s all-time appearance list, cementing his legacy as one of Green Gully’s most dependable defenders of the modern era.[6][7][8]
Whittlesea United
editIn 2011, Fak transitioned into a player-coach role at Whittlesea United. He led the club to promotion from Victorian State League Division Two, marking a successful first step into senior coaching while still contributing on the field.[9]
Warragul United
editIn 2012, Fak moved to regional Victoria, joining Warragul United. He played across two seasons and was a key figure in the club’s 2012 league championship-winning side. His association with the club would later continue in a coaching capacity in 2025.[10][11]
Representative career
editFak represented Victoria at senior level, earning selection as a first-choice defender 16 times between 1996 and 2006.
He made his debut for the Victorian team in February 1995 in a 2-2 draw again JEF United at JL Muprhy Reserve in Port Melbourne.[12]
Fak captained the Victorian state team in 1995, underlining his leadership qualities.[13]
Career statistics
edit| Club | Season | League | Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| South Melbourne | 1989 | National Soccer League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Port Melbourne Sharks | 1994 | Victorian Premier League | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| 1995 | Victorian Premier League | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| Total | 54 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 1 | ||
| Heidelberg United | 1996 | Victorian Premier League | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| Collingwood Warriors | 1996–97 | National Soccer League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Altona Magic | 1997 | Victorian Premier League | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| 1998 | Victorian Premier League | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| Total | 49 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 2 | ||
| Port Melbourne Sharks | 1999 | Victorian Premier League | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Gippsland Falcons | 1999–2000 | National Soccer League | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | National Soccer League | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | |
| Total | 53 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 3 | ||
| Green Gully Cavaliers | 2003 | Victorian Premier League | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 2004 | Victorian Premier League | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| 2005 | Victorian Premier League | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Victorian Premier League | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2007 | Victorian Premier League | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 3 | |
| 2008 | Victorian Premier League | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| 2009 | Victorian Premier League | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Victorian Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 176 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 7 | ||
| Whittlesea United | 2011 | State League Division Two North-West | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gippsland United FC | 2012 | Victorian Provisional League Division 1 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Career total | 417 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 417 | 17 | ||
Honours
editAltona Magic
- Victorian Premier League: 1997
Green Gully Cavaliers
- Victorian Premier League: 2003, 2005, 2010
Individual
- Victorian state team captain: 1995
- Championship captain (Green Gully): 2003, 2005, 2010
References
edit- ↑ Tonći Prusac (23 May 2025). "HNL season finale to captivate Croatian football fans worldwide". Hrvatski Vijesnik. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "1989 National Soccer League Results". OzFootbll. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Dean Fak – Australian Player Profile". OzFootball. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "1997 Victorian Men's Premier League Results". OzFootball. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Dean Fak – NSL Player Profile". Aussie Players. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Green Gully – Club Profile". Vicfootball. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Tony Persoglia. "The Story of Football in Victoria: Part 8 – VPL: 1991–2013". Football Victoria. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Dean Fak – Victorian Player Profile". Vicfootball. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "2011 Victorian State League Division Two South-East Results". OzFootball. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Dean Fak – Warragul United 2012 Profile". MyGameDay. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "2013 Victorian State League Division Three South-East Results". OzFootball. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Victoria's senior men's team representative 1977-96". Football Victoria. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Victoria's senior men's team representatives 2001-09". Football Victoria. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)