Brendon Santalab

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Brendon Santalab

| fullname = Brendon James Santalab

| image = Brendon Santalab Headshot.jpg

| image_size = 220

| caption = Santalab with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2013

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|9|9}}

| birth_place = Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

| height = 1.73 m{{cite web|title=Brendon Santalab|url=http://www.wswanderersfc.com.au/player/brendon-santalab/mz9sqm7302rz1uwog68avwd14|website=wswanderersfc.com.au|access-date=26 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305173525/http://www.wswanderersfc.com.au/player/brendon-santalab/mz9sqm7302rz1uwog68avwd14|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web |title=Brendon Šantalab |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/brendon-santalab/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=24 April 2019}}

| currentclub = FC Strathmore

| clubnumber =

| position = Left winger, forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Unanderra Hearts

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = South Coast United

| years1 = 2000–2001

| clubs1 = Parramatta Power

| caps1 = 8

| goals1 = 1

| years2 = 2001–2003

| clubs2 = Sydney United

| caps2 = 28

| goals2 = 7

| years3 = 2003

| clubs3 = Geylang United

| caps3 = 22

| goals3 = 23

| years4 = 2003–2004

| clubs4 = Sydney United

| caps4 = 14

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 2004–2005

| clubs5 = Oostende

| caps5 = 22

| goals5 = 3

| years6 = 2005–2006

| clubs6 = Sint-Truiden

| caps6 = 9

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2006–2007

| clubs7 = → Újpest FC (loan)

| caps7 = 0

| goals7 = 0

| caps8 = 23

| years8 = 2007–2009

| clubs8 = Sydney FC

| goals8 = 4

| years9 = 2009

| clubs9 = North Queensland Fury

| caps9 = 0

| goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2009–2011

| clubs10 = Chengdu Blades

| caps10 = 40

| goals10 = 18

| years11 = 2012–2013

| clubs11 = Chongqing Lifan

| caps11 = 35

| goals11 = 15

| years12 = 2013–2018

| clubs12 = Western Sydney Wanderers

| caps12 = 97

| goals12 = 35

| years13 = 2018–2019

| clubs13 = Perth Glory

| caps13 = 18

| goals13 = 2

| years14 = 2019

| clubs14 = Dandenong City

| caps14 = 13

| goals14 = 8

| years15 = 2020

| clubs15 = Caroline Springs George Cross

| caps15 = 0

| goals15 = 0

| years16 = 2021–

| clubs16 = FC Strathmore

| caps16 = 19

| goals16 = 6

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 =

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| pcupdate = 5 December 2022

}}

Brendon James Santalab ({{langx|hr|Šantalab}}; born 9 September 1982) is an Australian professional football player who plays as a striker for Victorian State League Division 1 side FC Strathmore.

Club career

Santalab originally started out as an apprentice at Parramatta Power before moving to Sydney United under the tutelage of Branko Culina. At the end of the 2003–04 National Soccer League season, he moved to K.V. Oostende in the Belgian First Division. After a brief stint, he moved to another Belgian First Division club, Sint-Truidense V.V. before moving to Hungary for a six-month period with Újpest FC. On 23 June 2007, Santalab was signed by A-League club Sydney FC on a two-year contract, thus reuniting him with Branko Culina.

Santalab made 23 appearances for Sydney FC between 2007 and 2009, scoring four goals. During a game against Adelaide United, Santalab scored a goal from outside the box, that curled into the top corner – a goal that was later ruled the 2007–08 season A-League goal of the year.{{cite news|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&docID=SMH080228IJLTB7S2L57|title=Loophole to shut as Griffiths nets awards|last=Prichard|first=Greg|date=28 February 2008|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|access-date=3 February 2017}} {{Dead link|date=February 2018}} He scored another goal against Adelaide in the 2008–09 season at the Sydney Football Stadium, when he took a shot from 35 metres out, that slammed into the top corner. Sydney won the match 3–0. His fourth goal came during Sydney's 2–1 upset loss against Perth Glory.

On 14 November 2008, it was announced that Santalab had signed a two-year contract with then-new A-League side the North Queensland Fury for the 2009–10 season. It was announced by North Queensland, that Chinese Super League club Chengdu Blades may make an offer to him, before the start of the season.[https://archive.today/20121230154540/http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25783972-5017987,00.html David Williams' coincides with Brendon Santalab's likely departure] North Queensland accepted an offer from Chengdu on 21 July.[https://archive.today/20120914093357/http://www.tribalfootball.com/north-queensland%E2%80%99s-santalab-signs-chengdu-blades-258281 North Queensland’s Santalab signs with Chengdu Blades] He scored 9 goals during his 12 appearances with the Chengdu Blades.

File:Brendon Santalab -11.jpg

In 2012, Santalab signed with Chongqing Lifan for one season before signing with the A-League Western Sydney Wanderers.[http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/wswanderersfc/news-display/BRENDON-SANTALAB-JOINS-WANDERERS/71907 BRENDON SANTALAB JOINS WANDERERS] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906125659/http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/wswanderersfc/news-display/BRENDON-SANTALAB-JOINS-WANDERERS/71907|date=6 September 2013}}

Santalab scored his first goal for Western Sydney Wanderers in the 7th round of the 2013–14 A-League season, losing to Brisbane Roar 3–1 at Suncorp Stadium.

On 14 May 2014, in the Asian Champions League game against Sanfrecce Hiroshima with 5 minutes to go, Santalab scored the equalising goal that sent Western Sydney Wanderers into the quarter finals of the AFC Champions League.{{cite news|url=http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/afc-champions-league/news/1189297/Wanderers-reach-ACL-quarter-finals|title=Wanderers reach ACL quarter-finals|author=Philip Micallef|work=The World Game|agency=SBS|date=14 May 2014|access-date=27 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514180101/http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/afc-champions-league/news/1189297/Wanderers-reach-ACL-quarter-finals#|archive-date=14 May 2014|url-status=dead}}

In the 16th round of the 2014–15 A-League season during a home game at Penrith Stadium against Wellington Phoenix, Santalab scored the second goal in a 2–0 win for his first of the season.

During Santalab's five seasons with the Western Sydney Wanderers he was awarded the Western Sydney Wanderers Player of the Year in the 2016/17 and received two of the Club's Golden Boot Awards in 2015/16 and 2016/17. He is also the Western Sydney Wanderers highest goal scorer of all time.

In June 2018, Santalab signed a one-year deal with Perth Glory, reuniting with former coach and mentor, Tony Popovic.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/brendon-santalab-to-perth-glory-club-legend-moves-on-after-wanderers-snub/news-story/485ab89dc2224cf61eabbc410ee6f3db|title=Brendon Santalab to Perth Glory: Club legend moves on after Wanderers snub|work=Fox Sports|date=19 June 2018|access-date=19 June 2018}} Santalab won the minor premiership with the Glory, but missed a penalty in the shoot-out in the 2019 A-League Grand Final and subsequently lost the final.

In May 2019, Santalab signed for semi-professional side Dandenong City who compete in the National Premier Leagues Victoria.{{Cite web|url=https://www.a-league.com.au/news/exhyundai-a-league-stars-valeri-santalab-join-victorian-npl-club|title=From the Finals Series to the NPL: Valeri and Santalab join new club|website=Hyundai A-League|language=en|access-date=2019-05-24}} When he joined City, they were in 13th place. Santalab ended the season with 8 goals in 13 games,{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?pID=206531102|title=Brendan Santalab - Player Statistics|website=SportsTG|language=en|access-date=2019-09-16}} propelling the club to 7th place.{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/comp_info.cgi?c=1-10178-0-513758-0&a=LADDER|title=Ladder for NPL VIC Men|website=SportsTG|language=en|access-date=2019-09-16}}

In September 2019, Caroline Springs George Cross FC announced that Santalab would be joining the club for the 2020 season, also appointing him as the "Commercial & Football Sales Manager".{{Cite tweet|user=georgecrossfc|number=1173494310685163520|title=Former A-League star Brendon Santalab signs with George Cross / In an ambitious move for both Brendon and the club, Brendon will wear the George Cross colours in 2020 and will also embark on a new career as Commercial & Football Sales Manager. / #georgiescourgagepic.twitter.com/6fmVDWVQ6L|author=George Cross FC|date=2019-09-16|language=en|access-date=2019-09-16}}

Honours

Western Sydney Wanderers

AFC Champions League: 2014

Perth Glory

A-League Premiership: 2018–19

Individual

Western Sydney Wanderers Golden Boot Winner: 2015–16
Western Sydney Wanderers Player of the Year: 2016–17
Western Sydney Wanderers Golden Boot Winner: 2016–17

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20180420073833/https://www.brendonsantalab.com.au/ Brendon Santalab's Official Website]
[https://www.playersvoice.com.au/athletes/brendon-santalab/ Brendon Santalab writes on PlayersVoice]
[http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/SAA.html#BrendonSantalab Brendon Santalab] at Aussie Footballers

Category:Living people

Category:1982 births

Category:Soccer players from Wollongong

Category:Men's association football wingers

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Australian men's soccer players

Category:Australian people of Croatian descent

Category:A-League Men players

Category:Western Sydney Wanderers FC players

Category:Australian expatriate men's soccer players

Category:National Soccer League (Australia) players

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Singapore