Jim Milisavljevic
Respected and admired among his peers, Jim Milisavljevic dedicated a lifetime to football as a player, coach, match official and administrator, in a career embodied by sustained excellence.
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 Football Club 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 talent 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 several seasons as a referee, rising through the ranks in a discipline few players dare through their hand at let alone achieve any form of success. Despite talent to the contrary, age restrictions prevented him making the grade at the top level, and he ultimately moved into coaching and administration, when he was more commonly known as Jim Mills.
Mills’ passion for the Victorian jersey was symbolised by his many crucial roles post playing career, firstly as Goalkeeping Coach for the Victorian Senior State squad for several representative matches in the 1980s, then as Team Manager in matches against touring clubs West Ham United (1994) and JEF united (1995).
His influence extended to the game’s administration, serving with the Victorian Soccer Federation (VSF) on the State League Management Committee between 1993 and 1999, the final year as Chairman. Mills was a VSF Commissioner for three years between 1998 and 2000, playing an instrumental role in the restructure of the Victorian State League, with the introduction of a semi-professional second tier underpinning the Premier League, and the regionalisation of the Men’s football pyramid.
An avid supporter of the game and ever-present at Socceroos functions throughout the turn of the century, Jim Milisavljevic was a passionate advocate for football until his passing in March 2022, aged 70.
A gracious and humble ambassador of the game, Jim Milisavljevic excelled in multiple disciplines at the highest level, and is duly recognised with induction into the Football Victoria Hall of Fame.
A snapshot of Jim Milisavljevic’s playing career
Playing record:
- 1968-1976 – Footscray JUST (Victorian State League)
- 1977-1986 – Carlton Serbia, Ringwood United (Victorian Metropolitan Leagues)
State representative career:
- Victorian state representative 1973-1975 - 3 appearances.
- 1973 – Cruzeiro (Brazil)
- 1974 – Ferencvaros (Hungary)
- 1975 – Legia Warsaw (Poland)
- Victorian Youth Representative (Under 21 Captain)
Personal honours:
- 3x Victorian State League Champion (1969, 1971, 1973)
- Dockerty Cup Winner (1976)
- Ampol Cup Winner (1975)
- 3x State League Cup Winner (1974, 1975, 1976)