Kristian Sarkies

Adelaide United On 30 March 2007, Sarkies signed a one-year deal with Adelaide United, linking up with his Australian U23 teammates Bruce Djite, Nathan Burns and Robert Cornthwaite. Days after his arrival, captain Ross Aloisi signed with new team Wellington Phoenix, paving the way for Sarkies to become a key player in the Reds midfield brigade. On 28 December after Adelaide's loss to Sydney 3–1 at Adelaide Oval in which Sarkies scored a goal; he complained of a sore arm during the game and was later hospitalized then diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his arm at the end of December.

Sarkies signed a new deal with United in May 2008 that kept him at the club until the end of the A-League 2009-10 season. Sarkies set up Sasa Ognenovski from a well taken free kick to score a goal in his 50th A-League game in Adelaide's 2–0 win over Sydney FC Despite an inauspicious start to his Adelaide career Sarkies influence on the team began to show with the injury to fellow playmaker Diego culminating with his first goal of the 2008–09 season which turned out to be the only goal of the round 17 clash against Perth Glory at Members Equity Stadium. He followed it up a week later providing assists for both goals in the 2–0 win over Sydney FC at Adelaide Oval on 3 January 2009.

Melbourne Heart After a mixed year with injuries, and not having cemented himself in Adelaide's first XI, he was heavily linked with a move to the new A-League club Melbourne Heart, coming into the competition in the 2010–11 season. The move was confirmed on 24 November 2009 with Sarkies becoming the club's first signing. On 6 April 2012 it was announced that he would be leaving the club.

Goulburn Valley Suns After spells in the then Victorian Premier League with Heidelberg United, Port Melbourne Sharks, and Bulleen Lions, Sarkies signed for Shepparton-based Goulburn Valley Suns' inaugural year in the new state top-level league, the National Premier Leagues Victoria, as Bulleen Lions had been placed in the lower NPLV1 Division. Sarkies scored on his debut in a 2–3 home loss against fellow regional side Ballarat Red Devils on 29 March 2014.

International career Sarkies was called up by coach Guus Hiddink to be part of the "train-on" squad leading up to Australia's appearance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He won his first cap in the dying minutes of Australia's 3–1 friendly win against Liechtenstein on 8 June 2006. He was then kept in Germany with the Socceroos after he was given a personal invitation from Guus Hiddink to stay with the team until after the first group match with Japan.

Sarkies has represented his country at all youth levels and was involved in Australia's qualifying campaign for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The first game of this campaign was against Chinese Taipei at Hindmarsh Stadium on 7 February 2007. Australia won the match 11–0, with Sarkies scoring four goals.

Career statistics

Honours Melbourne Victory A-League Championship: 2006–07 A-League Premiership: 2006–07

Adelaide United Asian Champions League runner-up: 2008

Australia U20 OFC U-20 Championship: 2005

Australia U17 OFC U-17 Championship: 2003