Ivan Kelic (born 29 December 1968) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a striker. He is best known for his prolific goal-scoring in the National Soccer League (NSL), primarily with Melbourne Knights, where he scored 78 goals across two stints with the club.
Personal information
Kelic was born on 29 December 1968 at sea during his family's voyage from Croatia to Australia. He holds Croatian heritage. He stands as a former striker.
Club career
Kelic began his senior career with St Albans Saints in the Australian lower leagues before signing with Melbourne Knights (then known as Melbourne Croatia) ahead of the 1989 NSL season. In the 1990/91 season, he was the league's joint top goal-scorer with 17 goals. He notably scored six goals in a single match during an 8–1 victory over Wollongong Macedonia.
After four seasons at Melbourne Knights, Kelic transferred to Sydney Olympic for the 1993–94 season. He then moved to South Melbourne FC midway through 1994, where he led the club's scoring charts with 13 goals in the 1994–95 regular season and finished third overall in the NSL top scorers list.
In 1996, Kelic had a brief overseas stint with Tanjong Pagar United (then known as Tiong Bahru United) in Singapore's newly formed S.League. He returned to South Melbourne for the 1996–97 season, making 25 appearances and scoring 4 goals, helping the club reach the grand final.
Kelic returned to Melbourne Knights in 1997 for his final professional stint, playing until 2000. Over his NSL career, he accumulated approximately 116 goals in 272 appearances, ranking among the top goal-scorers in Australian top-division history.
Post-retirement
After retiring from professional football, Kelic transitioned into property development. He serves as head of the property development division at Parkside Group, a Melbourne-based firm. He owned a landmark renovated mansion in Moonee Ponds, Victoria, which he purchased in 2010 and sold in May 2025 for A$12.5 million, setting a new house price record for the suburb.
