Kristian Rees

{{Infobox person

| name = Kristian Rees

| image = Kristian Rees.jpg

| image_size = 180

| caption = Rees playing for Gold Coast United in 2010

| birthname = Kristian Rees

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|1|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Adelaide, Australia

| height = {{height|m=1.93}}

| party = United Australia

| module = {{Infobox football biography

| embed = yes

| position = Centre Back

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = Salisbury United

| years1 = 1998 |clubs1 = Salisbury United |caps1 = 21 |goals1 = 5

| years2 = 1999 |clubs2 = Para Hills |caps2 = 21 |goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2000–2003 |clubs3 = Adelaide City Force |caps3 = 40 |goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2003 |clubs4 = Adelaide City |caps4 = 15 |goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2003–2004 |clubs5 = Adelaide United |caps5 = 26 |goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2004 |clubs6 = → Modbury Jets (loan) |caps6 = 15 |goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2005–2007 |clubs7 = Adelaide United |caps7 = 35 |goals7 = 2

| years8 = 2007 |clubs8 = Whittlesea Zebras |caps8 = 26 |goals8 = 2

| years9 = 2007–2008 |clubs9 = Wellington Phoenix |caps9 = 9 |goals9 = 1

| years10 = 2008 |clubs10 = Adelaide City |caps10 = 20 |goals10 = 3

| years11 = 2009–2012 |clubs11 = Gold Coast United |caps11 = 73 |goals11 = 4

| years12 = 2014–2015 |clubs12 = Palm Beach |caps12 = 37 |goals12 = 7

| pcupdate = 19 September 2015

}}}}

Kristian Rees (born 6 January 1980 in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian soccer player who plays as a central defender.

Club career

He made his NSL debut playing for Adelaide City. He was also a member of Adelaide United's minor-premiership winning squad of 2005/06 and of the team that came runners-up in 2006/07.

He played for Adelaide United in the Hyundai A-League for the first 2 seasons of the competition, including during their inaugural foray into the Asian Champions League.

He was released by the club to the surprise of many at the end of the 2006/07 season, and joined Whittlesea Zebras in the Victorian Premier League.[http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22649742-23215,00.html Reds defence stretched][http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/a-league/index.php?pid=st&cid=88969 Adelaide releases trio] He made his debut for the Zebras against Green Gully on 3 June 2007 and has been one of the stand-out players in the league, leading the previously struggling Zebras to a spot in the Grand Final.[http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21869473-12428,00.html The Advertiser][http://www.prestonlions.com/plfc/teams_mens_report_07_021.php Honours shared in inaugural Northern Community Cup] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015082508/http://www.prestonlions.com/plfc/teams_mens_report_07_021.php |date=15 October 2009 }} Such was his impact that despite joining the Zebras after the start of the season, he still won the Club Best & Fairest Award, and though the team could not manage to beat Preston Lions in the Grand Final, Rees capped off a magnificent season by scoring his team's goal in the final, and also hit the crossbar.[http://www.senews.com.au/story/49197 Zebras set for flag clash] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905122849/http://www.senews.com.au/story/49197 |date=5 September 2008 }} He was also selected for the Victorian State Team tour of China but unfortunately work commitments prevented him from taking up the spot.

On 13 November 2007 Rees signed for A-League club Wellington Phoenix until the end of the season where he joined up with former Adelaide United teammate and captain, Ross Aloisi.[http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22733049-12428,00.html Rees looks set to join Kiwis][http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/64948,phoenix-sign-reds-reject-rees.aspx Phoenix Sign Reds Reject Rees][http://sportal.com.au/football-news-display/phoenix-signing-settling-in-well-38841 Phoenix signing settling in well] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804223810/http://www.sportal.com.au/football-news-display/phoenix-signing-settling-in-well-38841 |date=4 August 2011 }}[http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22839074-12428,00.html Rees gives it his all] At the end of the 2007-2008 A-league season, Rees and Phoenix could not agree terms to extend his contract in Wellington, and after turning down the opportunity to join Chinese Super League club, Liaoning FC, he returned to Adelaide City to link up with former teammate, Damian Mori.[http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/62187,exreds-star-rees-off-to-china.aspx Ex-Reds Star Rees Off To China]

On 3 December 2008 he was signed to a two-year contract by Gold Coast United.[http://www.goldcoastunited.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=25247 Six more names confirmed for United] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302001751/http://www.goldcoastunited.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=25247 |date=2 March 2011 }}[http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/07/17/98791_gold-coast-soccer.html Rees grabs chance]

Rees ended his playing career with Palm Beach SC after a successful run in the FFA Cup playing alongside former Wellington Phoenix teammate Karl Dodd. Rees wasn't retired for 6 months before being lured out of retirement by the Sharks.

Political career

Rees is a member of the United Australia Party (formerly known as the Palmer United Party), a right-wing political party founded by billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer in 2013. Palmer was also the owner of Gold Coast United FC, a club that Rees played for before it left the A-League in 2012 (when Palmer's license was revoked by the FFA).

In the 2013 Australian federal election, Rees ran as the party's candidate for the Division of Grey, and in the 2016 Australian federal election, was the lead candidate for the Senate for South Australia.

Rees also ran in the 2015 Queensland state election as the party's candidate for Currumbin.{{cite web |url=http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/queensland-state-election-2015/lnp-expected-to-lose-some-of-its-margin-in-safe-gold-coast-seat-of-currumbin/news-story/962572007c4546a5db69a6c618b9931e |title=LNP expected to lose some of its margin in "safe" Gold Coast seat of Currumbin |date=20 January 2015 |author=Lucy Ardern |newspaper=Gold Coast Bulletin |publisher=News Corp |accessdate=12 May 2016}}

Rees again contested the Senate for South Australia as the party's lead candidate in 2019. He was also appointed to the party's frontbench as the Shadow Minister for Community Services.{{cite web | url=https://www.unitedaustraliaparty.org.au/kristian-rees-appointed-united-australia-partys-shadow-minister-for-community-services/ | title=Kristian Rees appointed United Australia Party's Shadow Minister for Community Services | date=12 April 2019 }}

Honours

With Adelaide United:

{{flagicon|Australia}} A-League Premiership: 2005-2006

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110220062625/http://www.goldcoastunited.com.au/default.aspx?s=aleague_profile&pid=684&tid=282 Gold Coast United profile]
[http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/R/RB.html Oz Football profile]

Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:Soccer players from Adelaide

Category:Men's association football central defenders

Category:Australian men's soccer players

Category:A-League Men players

Category:FFSA Super League players

Category:Salisbury United FC players

Category:Para Hills Knights SC players

Category:Adelaide City FC players

Category:Modbury Jets SC players

Category:Adelaide United FC players