Dominic Longo

As a youngster in Hobart, Dominic Longo discovered a love for soccer and, as a schoolboy, honed his skills at the aptly named Dominic College in Glenorchy. His first representative game for Tasmania, at the national under-14 titles, came in 1984 while he was playing with Hobart's Juventus club, with selection in older age groups over the following three years.

His prodigious talent was recognised in 1988 with a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. There Dominic excelled both on and off the field, successfully combining soccer training with matriculation. Dominic's domestic playing career then took him to Sydney and the National Soccer League, where he played for Blacktown City, St George Budapest, Newcastle Breakers, and finally Marconi, where he played 200 games. In between he took time out from the NSL, playing professional football in Belgium with Cercle Brugge from 1993-1995.

Dominic's international career is equally long and colourful, starting as captain of the Australian Joeys for the under-16 World Cup in 1986. From 1989-1990 he was captain of the Australian under-20 team before serving as vice-captain of the Olyroos from 1990 to 1992. Playing with this team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, he helped guide Australia to the semi-finals, finishing fourth.

In all Dominic played 13 times for the Socceroos, including the 1994 World Cup qualifying matches in the USA, playing against the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Diego Maradona's fearsome Argentina.

Dominic's stellar soccer career shows that with hard work and dedication talented Tasmanians can certainly make it to the top of their sport, and makes him a worthy addition to the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame