Frank Farina
A fierce striker who became the first Australian to score in a World Cup, then shaped the nation's soccer future as a national team coach.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Australian soccer player and coach·Birthday: September 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born in Darwin in 1964, Frank Farina’s journey from the sun-baked pitches of Queensland to the world stage defined a generation of Australian soccer. His playing career was marked by a powerful, direct style; he terrorized defenses in Belgium’s First Division and became a talisman for the Socceroos. The pinnacle came in 1988 when his goal against Argentina etched his name as Australia’s first World Cup scorer. After hanging up his boots, Farina transitioned to coaching with the same intensity, taking the helm of the national team during a transitional period and later guiding A-League clubs. His legacy is that of a trailblazer who lived the sport’s evolution from amateur struggles to professional respect.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Frank was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Frank Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Frank's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored Australia's first-ever goal in a FIFA World Cup finals tournament during the 1988 match against Argentina.
- Won the Johnny Warren Medal as the best player in Australia's National Soccer League in 1987 while with Sydney Croatia.
- Served as head coach of the Australian national team from 1999 to 2005, leading them through World Cup qualifying campaigns.
- Led Brisbane Roar to an A-League Premiership in the 2010-11 season as head coach.
Did You Know?
He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2000 for his service to soccer.
Before his professional soccer career, he was a promising cricketer in his youth.
He played club soccer in five different countries: Australia, Belgium, France, Italy, and England.
“You play for the badge on the front, not the name on the back.”
