Steve Mautone
An Australian football coach who shaped a generation of elite goalkeepers from the training ground up.
Born 1970 (age 56)·Australian association footballer·Birthday: August 10·Generation X
Biography
Steve Mautone's story in football is one of quiet influence. As a player, he had a solid career as a goalkeeper in Australia's National Soccer League, but his lasting impact came after he hung up his gloves. Melbourne Victory, a new A-League franchise, saw his potential as a developer of talent and brought him on to train their keepers. In that role, Mautone proved to be a master craftsman. His hands-on coaching and analytical eye were instrumental in the rise of shot-stoppers who would define the league's early years, like Michael Theoklitos and Mitch Langerak. He didn't seek headlines; instead, he built a reputation as the essential figure who could turn raw talent into reliable, match-winning professionals. His tenure at Victory created a pipeline of goalkeeping excellence that helped establish the club as a domestic powerhouse.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Steve was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the inaugural goalkeeping coach for Melbourne Victory, helping build the club's foundation.
- Coached and developed future Australian national team goalkeepers Mitch Langerak and Eugene Galekovic during their formative years.
- Played over 100 professional matches in the Australian National Soccer League as a goalkeeper.
Did You Know?
He was born in Italy before moving to Australia as a child.
He played for the Australian youth national teams at the U-20 level.
His work with young goalkeepers is often cited by players as crucial to their professional development.
“A good goalkeeper coach sees the game through the shooter's eyes.”
