Ivan Zelic

Club career

Ivan Zelic was born to Croatian parents, and began to play football (Soccer) at the age of 7 for club side Canberra FC, a club known as a breeding ground for Australian Croatian footballing talent, with the likes of older brother, Australian international Ned Zelic, and Croatian international Josip Simunic also coming through the same ranks.

He won a scholarship at the illustrious Australian Institute of Sport (A.I.S) at the age of 16. Known for his cultured left foot, it was here that Zelic was picked out by Sydney Olympic in the National Soccer League (NSL), where he began to ply his trade in the professional league at the age of 17, cementing a spot as a defender in David Ratcliffe's side of 1995–96.

After two seasons, he then signed for Canberra Cosmos, and due to his outstanding leadership qualities, in his second year there was to become the National Soccer League's youngest ever captain at the age of 21. With a below par squad recruited by coach Rale Rasic though, the team lacked the ingredients to be seriously competitive, Rasic eventually sacked towards the end of the season as the team struggled to elevate itself from the foot of the table.

He then signed for Adelaide City on a two-year deal with mixed results after succumbing to injury, and infuriating coach Zoran Matic by becoming involved with modeling, which led to him missing a training session to shoot a campaign in 2000. Halfway through the second season in Adelaide, Zelic departed for Melbourne Knights.

After finishing the season, Zelic returned home to play for Canberra FC, being a stand out for the local side as a left sided midfielder as they won the minor premiership, and finally enjoying his football again.

It was at his next NSL side, Sydney United, that Zelic suffered a horrific injury, a Lisfranc fracture, which involved breaking two metatarsals and tearing the ligaments in his right foot whilst playing in Auckland against the Auckland Kingz in the NSL.

He was still only 24.

He was to eventually recover, and after a 9-month lay off through injury, signed for Malaysian club Johor FC, where he spent a season.

Upon returning to Australia, he signed for NSW premier league sides St. George Saints and Blacktown City Demons, and was in possibly the best form of his career, leading the Demons to a minor premiership playing as an attacking left sided midfielder.

With the emergence of the professional A-League on the horizon and his interests outside of football such as writing and acting becoming more prominent, he decided to retire at the age of 28, much to the dismay of coach Aytec Genc, who stated: 'Ivan was a wonderful footballer. I don't know too many guys that are 28 years old, 6-foot-3 and have the technical ability that he has; It's a shame to lose him at what I consider, to be the peak of his talent.'

International career

Zelic was a regular of the Australian Under 20s, or Young Socceroos, starting 11 in the lead up to, and in the World Youth Cup, which was held in Malaysia in 1997. Played out of position at left back though, he struggled to make an impact.

After the World Youth Cup was over, he furthered his international career by becoming the captain of the Australian Olympic team or Olyroos in their lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics, but known for his lack of interest in the game due to interests outside of football, he was to eventually fall out of favor with Australian Olympic team coach Raul Blanco.

Blanco eventually invited Zelic to be part of the Olympic squad for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, but true to form and uninterested in international football, Zelic declined the offer in a storm of controversy, instead opting to concentrate on his club football with Adelaide City, where ironically he was to fall out with coach Zoran Matic a few months later.

In June 1998, Zelic travelled with the Australian National Team Socceroos to San Jose for a friendly fixture against the US.

Modeling career

Zelic started modeling at the age of 22, in Adelaide for the Tanya Powell Modeling Agency, which was to become a sore point for his football career at the time. After finishing up his national football league career, he was to return to Sydney, and at 26, signed with respected modelling agency Chadwick where he has since gone on to shoot several ads over the years including Carlton Draught, Samsung, Kumho Tires and Powerade to name just a few, as well as numerous campaigns and print ads with the likes of Megan Gale for David Jones.

Acting career

In 2005, Zelic was sent to an audition by his modelling agency after they decided that he should give acting a go due to his animated nature. He went along and thrilled the casting agents at Maura Faye with his natural talent, and was recalled from the audition and flown to the US to screen test for Passions, a US soap. He didn't get the role, but was fascinated by acting and decided to compliment his natural ability by receiving training, subsequently graduating from Screenwise in Sydney, before furthering his studies at The Oncamera Studios, as well as studying under Anthony Brandon Wong on the Ivana Chubbuck technique.

He began to write and star in numerous short films which were directed by the accomplished Simon Watts.

Since then, Zelic has gone on to star in hit Australian shows such as All Saints, Home and Away and Packed to the Rafters.

He most recently shot a role on the channel 10 telemovie A Model Daughter: The Murder of Caroline Byrne.

In 2011, Zelic took the stage name Ivan Ford, although having previously toyed with the alias "Ivan Hudson", to further remove himself from his and his brother's past footballing career, and as a homage to one of his favourite actors, Harrison Ford.

Directing career

In 2008, Zelic wrote and directed his first short film, The Sin Bleeder, with accomplished cinematographer Marc Windon. Zelic's style in The Sin Bleeder became known for its long takes and smooth camera movements, the short film eventually going on to play at numerous short film festivals, as well as appearing at the Bondi Short Film Festival.

His follow-up, Ruthless Days, a gritty crime story, was shot in late 2008, and also went on to appear at several short film festivals across Australia, one of them being the Melbourne Underground Film Festival.

Personal life

Zelic is the younger brother of former Australian international footballer Ned Zelić and the older brother of Thursday FC presenter Lucy Zelic.