Position: Forward
Age: 19
Joined Victory: 2018
Youth teams: Bentleigh Greens, Dandenong Thunder
Duratovic has emerged as one of the most promising players in the Club’s academy this year.
A striker with a real thirst for goals, the 19-year-old is a constant threat to the opposing defence.
“I think my runs in from behind and one-touch finishing in the box are my strengths,” he said.
YOUTH CAREER / JOINING VICTORY
Duratovic joined Victory’s under-18 squad as a 16-year-old in 2018 after impressing as a winger and then striker in his youth days.
“I started off playing as a winger at Bentleigh then got moved to a striker at Dandenong,” Duratovic said.
“My old Bentleigh coach knew one of the assistant coaches in Victory’s under-18 program, who got me a trial and I got in.”
VICTORY CAREER
Duratovic quickly climbed the ranks to joining the senior NPL squad, where he has spent the last 18 months.
“I started in the under-18’s and towards the end of that season I got put up into the under-21’s squad,” he said.
“I started training with the seniors then covid hit but since covid I’ve been in the senior squad full-time.”
2022 has seen the striker reach new heights, providing a constant scoring threat, highlighted by his two-goal outing in the top-of-the-table win over Melbourne City in Epping.
“I feel like I’m reaching my full confidence now and how I’ve been playing this season is how I should be playing,” he said.
“I was on the bench at the start of the year and it was really hard to find my feet to be honest, but after I started to get more minutes, it just came naturally.”
Duratovic plays a similar style to Victory striker Nick D’Agostino and says he loves how the Socceroo attacks the game.
“I look up to Nick D’Agostino, being the main man,” he said.
“I like his aggression, he just never stops running.”
ASPIRATIONS
A lifelong football lover, Duratovic hopes to make a career out of his passion.
“Short-term, I want to hopefully get into the A-League Men’s team pre-season and long-term, hopefully stay there as long as I can.”
