The Joe Marston medal and the Melbourne and Olympic Parks precinct, where AAMI Park is housed, evokes mixed memories for Melbourne Knights legend Josip Biskic.
The club’s games record holder played the last of his 282 matches midway through the 1994/95 season, in what proved to be the Knights’ drought-breaking National Soccer League season.
The 1990/91 grand final, when Biskic claimed his Joe Marston medal, was also the scene of a dramatic 5-4 penalty shoot-out loss to South Melbourne, after Joe Palatsides’ late equaliser sent the game into extra-time when Andrew Marth’s goal looked destined to secure victory.
By the time Biskic made the heartbreaking decision to leave NSL leaders Knights midway through the 1994/95 season to sign a lucrative deal with Selangor FC, the Knights had lost three grand finals at Olympic Park.
“Nice memories. I was voted best player in the grand final and I am very satisfied with the medal, it was an honour,” said Biskic, who will present Sunday’s Joe Marston medal to the man of the match.
“But I would give it away for a championship. I played in three grand finals and lost all three.
“That’s how it panned out, it was very disappointing. We were two penalties ahead and we hit the post twice.”
Melbourne Knights midfielder Josip Biskic in action for Melbourne Knights in the 1990/91 grand final against South Melbourne, when he won the Joe Marston medal.
Thirty years on from winning the Marston medal, Biskic will present the man of the match from the Melbourne City-Sydney FC clash with the medal in the post-match ceremony at AAMI Park.
Biskic, who also won the Johnny Warren medal in 1991/92, revealed that he received the winner’s medal from the Knights’ 2-0 triumph away to Adelaide City at Hindmarsh Stadium in 1994/95, when Andrew Marth and Joe Spiteri scored.
Kresimir Marusic, who was signed from Croatia to replace Biskic, played in the grand final and went on to win a Warren medal in 1996/97 while playing with Sydney United.
“I received that medal, they kept one for me which was really nice. I was part of that team for half of that season – I left in January for Malaysia,” he said.
“When I went to Malaysia, we secured the Malaysian Cup for Selangor for the first time in 10-12 years, we played in front of more than 100,000 fans. It was special.”
Melbourne Knights midfielder Josip Biskic in action for Melbourne Knights in the 1990/91 grand final against South Melbourne, when he won the Joe Marston medal.
Australian Professional Leagues (APL) Commissioner Greg O’Rourke was delighted that Biskic would be part of grand final festivities.
“We are honoured that Josip has accepted our invitation to present the Joe Marston medal, 30 years after he won it himself, virtually next door to where Sunday’s grand final is being played,” O’Rourke said.
“We are eager to honour the past as we move into an exciting future and celebrating the contribution of legends like Josip is integral to that.”
Biskic has retired from coaching – for now – after an illustrious state league coaching career, which included stints with Knights, Dandenong City, Doncaster, Fawkner and Preston Lions, after coaching Knights in the NSL.
“I’m a grandfather now, I play with my grandkids and I still work,” said Biskic, 62.
JOE MARSTON MEDALLISTS
SEASON SCORE VENUE MEDALLIST
NSL ERA
1990 Marconi Stallions 0–2 Sydney Olympic Parramatta Stadium Abbas Saad (SO)
1991 Melbourne Knights 1(4p)–1(5p) Sth Melbourne*Olympic Park Josip Biskic (MK)
1992 Melbourne Knights 0(2p)–0(4p) Adelaide City* Olympic Park Alex Tobin (AC)
1993 Marconi Stallions 1–0 Adelaide City Parramatta Stadium Milan Ivanovic (AC)
1994 Melbourne Knights 0–1 Adelaide City Olympic Park Alex Tobin (AC)
1995 Adelaide City 0–2 Melbourne Knights Coopers Stadium Steve Horvat (MK)
1996 Melbourne Knights 2–1 Marconi Stallions Olympic Park Andrew Marth (MK)
1997 Brisbane Strikers 2–0 Sydney United Suncorp Stadium Alan Hunter (BS)
1998 South Melbourne 2–1 Carlton Olympic Park Fausto De Amicis (SM)
1999 South Melbourne 3–2 Sydney United Olympic Park Goran Lozanovski (SM)
2000 Perth Glory 3(6p)–3(7p) Wollongong Wolves* Subiaco Oval Scott Chipperfield (WW)
2001 Wollongong Wolves 2–1 South Melbourne Parramatta Stadium Matthew Horsley (WW)
2002 Perth Glory 0–1 Sydney Olympic Subiaco Oval Ante Milicic (SO)
2003 Perth Glory 2–0 Sydney Olympic Subiaco Oval Simon Colosimo (SO)
2004 Parramatta Power 0–1 Perth Glory# Parramatta Stadium Ahmad Elrich (PP)
A-LEAGUE ERA
2006 Sydney FC 1–0 Central Coast Mariners Allianz Stadium Dwight Yorke (S)
2007 Melbourne Victory 6–0 Adelaide United Marvel Stadium Archie Thompson (MV)
2008 Central Coast Mariners 0–1 Newcastle Jets Allianz Stadium Andrew Durante (NJ)
2009 Melbourne Victory 1–0 Adelaide United Marvel Stadium Tom Pondeljak (MV)
2010 Melbourne Victory 1(2p)–1(4p) Sydney FC* Marvel Stadium Simon Colosimo (S)
2011 Brisbane Roar FC 2(4p)–2(2p) Central Coast* Suncorp Stadium Mat Ryan (CCM)
2012 Brisbane Roar FC 2–1 Perth Glory Suncorp Stadium Jacob Burns (PG)
2013 Western Sydney Wanderers 0–2 Central Coast Allianz Stadium Daniel McBreen (CCM)
2014 Brisbane Roar FC 2–1 Western Sydney* Suncorp Stadium Thomas Broich (BR), Iacopo La Rocca (WSW)
2015 Melbourne Victory 3–0 Sydney FC AAMI Park Mark Milligan (MV)
2016 Adelaide United 3–1 Western Sydney Adelaide Oval Isaias (AU)
2017 Sydney FC 1(4p)–1(2p) Melbourne Victory* Allianz Stadium Daniel Georgievski (MV)
2018 Newcastle Jets 0–1 Melbourne Victory Hunter Stadium Lawrence Thomas (MV)
2019 Perth Glory 0(1p)–0(4p) Sydney FC* Optus Stadium Milos Ninkovic (S)
2020 Sydney FC 1–0 Melbourne City FC AET Bankwest Stadium Rhyan Grant (S)
*After Extra-Time
#After Sudden Death Extra-Time
