One of the most gifted playmakers to have played in Australia’s top flight, midfield ace Pondeljak is one of a handful of Mariners players to have worn the green and gold of Australia at senior international level. A perennial Grand Finalist in both the National Soccer League (NSL) and the Hyundai A-League, Pondeljak’s consistent form for then NSL Champions Sydney Olympic earned him four Socceroo caps in 2002. Pondeljak, born in Melbourne, first turned heads while starring as a 19-year-old for one of the most dominant NSL outfits of the nineties – the Melbourne Knights, before departing the NSL with a Championship medal to boast after leading the Perth Glory to the once ultimate prize in Australian football. Pondeljak’s time on the Central Coast has been somewhat interrupted by injury, but has been highlighted by some of the most spectacular individual goals in Mariners history – not least a memorable solo effort against Sydney FC in season one and a deft back heel against his former club, the Glory, in season two.