SEASON 2020 | Michael Curcija returns to Essendon Royals as Community and Miniroos Technical Director

Essendon Royals are delighted to announce the return of Michael Curcija as the club’s Community and Miniroos Technical Director.

The former Royals senior coach’s return to the club in such an important role will ensure the club continues its provision of high standard community and miniroos football programs for its juniors.

Curcija is no stranger to Essendon Royals having served the club so well as senior coach between 2013 and the start of 2019, taking the club’s senior men’s side from State League 4 upon his arrival to its current position in State League 1.

After a short break from football at the tail end of 2019, Curcija was delighted to return to the Royals in a role in which he will oversee the club’s crucial community and miniroos programs.

Catering for juniors from under-8s all the way through to under-18s, Curcija will work with community coaches and teams to ensure the programs being delivered to the club’s community teams remains at an exceptionally high level.

“The great thing about Essendon Royals is that it places equal importance on every aspect of the club,” he said.

“Be it the senior men, the senior women, the community and now the NPL teams, no one is more important than the other.

“My role specifically will be to concentrate on the community teams. With the NPL now, we have a pathway for those who aspire to play at a higher level, but equally important is the community program which caters for those who want to try football and those who want to participate in football.

“With the community teams, I’m here to support the coaches. A lot of coaches are parents, so it’s important we support them with ideas and education to ensure that the football program is enjoyable but also offers opportunities for development and progression from players of all ages and levels.”

Curcija is also the Royals’ top goalscorer in Victorian top-flight football, having scored 32 goals in 42 Victorian Premier League appearances during the 2004 and 2005 seasons, before going onto win back-to-back Victorian Premier League titles with Altona Magic in 2008 and 2009.

Before his goalscoring exploits in Royals red, Curcija enjoyed an outstanding career, representing Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and twice in senior Socceroo internationals. 

He won back-to-back National Soccer League championships at South Melbourne before heading overseas to play in Serbia and Portugal.