Matthew's Story
Matthew Spiranovic was born in Geelong but lived in Germany playing football in the German Bundesliga in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Games. To complicate matters, Spiranovic was eligible to play at a senior level for Croatia, England and Australia due to his parents’ heritage. Spiranovic made his senior debut for Australia in 2008, confirming his choice. Spiranovic played for the Socceroos in World Cup qualification matches in 2008 before joining the U/23 Olympic Team. Australia finished 11th in football at the Beijing Olympic Games.