Football Victoria is saddened to learn of the passing of 1974 World Cup representative and one of Victoria’s finest goalkeepers, Jim Milisavljevic.
Jim Milisavljevic was born in Melbourne on 15 April 1951, merely a year after his parents migrated from post-war Yugoslavia. He grew up playing Australian Rules football at Princes Hill Primary School in Carlton and junior soccer with Footscray JUST.
Milisavljevic’s multi-skilled talent was recognised by both sports. He received Victorian state team honours at junior level playing in a variety of positions in soccer, while Carlton were so impressed with his exploits on the footy field that they offered him a place in their Under 19s squad.
But the round ball became his sole focus and by the time he had become captain of Victoria’s Under 21 team, he had already cemented himself in his renown position of Goalkeeper. His debut in the Footscray JUST seniors came on his 17th birthday and he provided solid backup to established gloveman Marko Fode throughout the 1968 and 1969 seasons.
As his career began to flourish at JUST, Milisavljevic featured in multiple Victorian senior squads, mainly as a backup to Jack Reilly. He made his debut in July 1973, playing the full match in a 2-1 loss to Cruzeiro from Brazil. He also played against Hungarian giants Ferencvaros the following year and Poland’s Legia Warsaw in 1975. In an era that boasted goalkeepers of the calibre of Reilly, Lou Kastner and Nick van Egmond, his three caps at state level belied his impeccable talent.
This was recognised by his selection in the 1974 FIFA World Cup squad, after a string of impressive performances as a substitute for Australia, with three clean sheets in four non-A internationals. He was one of only three players outside of New South Wales to be selected in Australia’s inaugural squad, serving again as understudy to Jack Reilly and alongside JUST team-mate Branko Buljevic.
Remarkably, after seven years in goals for JUST and a trifecta of Championships, a recurring hand injury (he broke his left wrist for a third time in early 1975) changed his fortunes as a player. He was brought on as a substitute in that year’s Ampol Cup final, claiming the solitary goal and ultimate winner against South Melbourne Hellas in extra time.
Milisavljevic continued to play for JUST as an outfielder for a few more seasons, before dropping down multiple divisions to join Carlton Serbia in 1980, where he played the odd match in goal and enjoyed a long stint as playing coach as they later became Ringwood United.
Post-playing career, Milisavljevic picked up the whistle and enjoyed a few years as a referee before age restrictions forced a move into administrative ranks. He served with the Victorian Soccer Federation (VSF) on the State League Management Committee between 1993 and 1999, the final year as Chairman, and was a VSF Commissioner for three years between 1998 and 2000.
Jim Milisavljevic passed away this week, aged 70.
The FV Board of Directors, Executive and staff send our sincere condolences to the Milisavljevic family.
Jim Milisavljevic Funeral Details
Following the release of this tribute, the Milisavljevic family have passed on the details of Jim's funeral and welcomed any member of the football community to attend.
Friday, 11 March 2022, 10.30am. Holy Trinity Church, 1 Noel Street, Brunswick East
Then followed by burial at Springvale Botanical Cemetery, The Rise. E2. Please refer to the Springvale Botanical Cemetary map for further guidance.