Jason Kato Geria (born 10 May 1993) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defender for A-League club Melbourne Victory, and the Australia national team.
 Geria with Melbourne Victory in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jason Kato Geria[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 May 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Canberra, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Right back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Melbourne Victory | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Weston Creek SC | |||
| Woden Valley | |||
| 2009–2011 | AIS | ||
| 2011–2012 | Brisbane Roar | ||
| 2012–2013 | Melbourne Victory | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2018 | Melbourne Victory | 107 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | JEF United Chiba | 57 | (2) |
| 2021 | Perth Glory | 13 | (0) |
| 2021– | Melbourne Victory | 70 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011–2013 | Australia U20 | 20 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | Australia U23 | 8 | (0) |
| 2016– | Australia | 2 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 Oct 2024 | |||
Born in Canberra, Geria played youth football with the Australian Institute of Sport and Brisbane Roar youth before joining Melbourne Victory in 2012, where he made his professional debut and played for five years. He then joined Japanese club JEF United Chiba in 2018.
Geria is Melbourne Victory's most capped defender, with 215 appearances in all competitions.[3]
Early life
editGeria was born in Canberra to Ugandan parents.[4]
Club career
editYouth
editGeria's first youth club was Weston Creek SC in Canberra.[5] He also played in Woden Valley's youth sides.[6] Geria was a member of the Australian Institute of Sport football program before joining Brisbane Roar's youth team in 2011.[7] He eventually became captain of the side in the National Youth League.[8]
Melbourne Victory
editOn 29 November 2012, Geria was signed for Melbourne Victory by ex-Roar coach Ange Postecoglou.[9] Despite often missing A-League games due to national youth team commitments, Geria became a regular first team player and was awarded the number 2 shirt, although it took him almost three years to score his first senior goal for the club, against Hume City in the 2015 FFA Cup Semi Final on 28 October 2015.[10]
JEF United Chiba
editIn March 2018, Geria left Melbourne Victory and transferred to J2 League club JEF United Chiba for a $800,000 transfer fee.[11]
Perth Glory
editIn March 2021, 3 months after leaving JEF United Chiba, Geria returned to Australia, joining A-League club Perth Glory on a contract for the remainder of the 2020–21 A-League season.[12] In June 2021, he left Perth Glory at the conclusion of his contract.[13]
Return to Melbourne Victory
editIn July 2021, Geria re-joined Melbourne Victory, ahead of the 2021–22 A-League season.[14]
International career
editGeria was eligible to represent Uganda (as both of his parents had Ugandan nationality) and also the country of his birth, Australia. Prior to October 2024, he had only represented Australia in friendlies, so was still eligible to represent Uganda.
Geria played for Australia numerous times at youth level, including participating in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship.
Geria was first called up to the Socceroos by Ange Postecoglou (with whom he had played for at club level) in March 2016 for two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches that month against Tajikistan and Jordan, but he didn't play any match.[15]
Geria was called up for the Socceroos for two home friendlies against Greece in June 2016, and played in the first match in a 1–0 win on 4 June.[16]
In October 2024, Geria was called up by Tony Popovic ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan. On 10 October, he make his first international return after eight years in a 3–1 win over China.
Career statistics
edit- As of 11 January 2024[17]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Melbourne Victory | 2012–13 | A-League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2013–14 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Total | 107 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 135 | 1 | ||
| JEF United Chiba | 2018 | J2 League | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2019 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| Total | 57 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 2 | ||
| Perth Glory | 2020–21 | A-League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Melbourne Victory | 2021–22 | A-League Men | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 |
| 2022–23 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 51 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 2 | ||
| Total | 228 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 261 | 5 | ||
Honours
editMelbourne Victory
Individual
References
edit- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 List of Players: Australia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 June 2013. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Jason Geria". melbournevictory.com.au. Melbourne Victory FC. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
- ^ "Melbourne Victory". ALeagueStats. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ David Polkinghorne (16 October 2014). "Melbourne defender Jason Geria hopes to inspire Canberrans like Carl Valeri". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
- ^ "Five minutes with Jason Geria". Melbourne Victory. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- ^ "WVSC Club History". Woden Weston FC. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
- ^ "Geria finds comfort in Brisbane". Brisbane Roar FC. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
- ^ "Roar announce NYL squad". Brisbane Roar FC. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- ^ Jim Morton (29 November 2012). "Postecoglou swoops on Roar youngster". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- ^ Victory into FFA Cup final as brave Hume exit melbournevictory.com.au, John Greco, 28 October 2015
- ^ Lynch, Michael (3 March 2018). "Melbourne Victory get mojo back with derby win as Jason Geria farewells A-League". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Morgan, Gareth (22 March 2021). "Glory snap up A-League title-winning defender". Perth Glory.
- ^ Morgan, Gareth (22 June 2021). "Nine A-League players depart club". Perth Glory.
- ^ "Melbourne Victory signs Jason Geria". Melbourne Victory. 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Caltex Socceroos squad for March WC qualifiers". Football Federation Australia. 9 March 2016.
- ^ "Leckie's late goal wins it for Caltex Socceroos". Football Federation Australia. 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Jason Geria". ALeagueStats.com. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
- ^ "2021 FFA Cup Final". keepup.com.au. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ "PFA reveals player-voted Austraffic A-League Men Team of the Season on eve of Grand Final". Professional Footballers Australia. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
External links
edit- Jason Geria profile MelbourneVictory.com.au
- Jason Geria at Soccerway
- Jason Geria – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Jason Geria at National-Football-Teams.com
- Jason Geria at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)
