Football Victoria congratulates legendary Socceroo and dual Hall of Famer Jimmy Rooney, who was recognised in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours list for his services to football, receiving the Order of Australia in the General Division.
A celebrated member of the Australian football family, Rooney is a former Socceroo who represented Australia at the 1974 FIFA World Cup and is a proud inaugural inductee into both the Football Australia Hall of Fame (1999) and the Football Victoria Hall of Fame (2010). Beyond his decorated playing career, Rooney has dedicated himself to coaching and mentoring young players in Victoria, fostering generations of football talent and upholding the values of the game.
Born in Dundee Scotland, Jimmy Rooney played with Lochee Harp, Peterborough United and Montrose before he migrated to Australia and joined the Victorian club U.S.C. Lions in 1968, where he played alongside Aston Villa legend Peter Aldis. A move to Sydney was rewarded by Rale Rasic, who gave Rooney his first Australian cap against the touring English team in 1971. He became a fixture in the national side leading up to the World Cup in 1974, playing in midfield alongside another Scot, Jimmy Mackay. The pair were the engine room of the Socceroos, combining huge work-rates with incisive distribution and the ability to transform a game with an act of brilliance when it was needed. In all, Rooney would play 102 matches for his adopted country, with 57 A Internationals.
Rooney's club career peaked in the early seasons of the National Soccer League season, where he played for Marconi and Fitzroy United Alexander (now Heidleberg United). He continued to play at club level and set up an innovative coaching academy at Springvale with Gus McLeod, combining that with turning out for Hamlyn Rangers who played in Geelong. His adopted state was also a beneficiary of his immense talent, and Rooney was capped 17 times for Victoria, famously scoring against New York Cosmos in 1979 at a packed house at Olympic Park.A testament to his reverence in Victoria, the player adjudged to be the best in the NPL Men's Grand Final every season is awarded the Jimmy Rooney Medal in his honour.
Football Victoria once again congratulates Jimmy Rooney (OAM) on his recognition in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours.