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Shooting for excellence: CommBank Socceroos on sacrifice and legacy

Four members of the CommBank Socceroos share the love, sacrifice and vision that landed them in the green and gold jersey ahead of football’s biggest tournament.

  • Four CommBank Socceroos reflect on the personal journeys that led them to represent Australia.
  • From family tradition and childhood obsessions to years of sacrifice abroad, each player’s path to the green and gold tells a story of resilience and belief.
  • With the next major tournament approaching, the squad is united by a shared determination to fight for their nation and leave everything on the pitch.

It takes a lot to break through as a world-class athlete. When the CommBank Socceroos step out onto the pitch, fans get to witness their skill, camaraderie and passion. But those 90 minutes on the clock are just the tip of the iceberg. What we don’t see is the many hours of grueling training, the time spent away from home, and the unshakable focus needed to survive at the top.

Four players from the CommBank Socceroos – Aziz Behich, Paul Izzo, Deni Jurić and Harrison Devenish-Meares – sat down ahead of the team’s North American campaign to reflect on the winding journeys that led them to the green and gold, and what their love of the beautiful game has truly asked of them along the way. 

Veteran defender Aziz Behich has had a love of the game since he can remember.

The road to the CommBank Socceroos squad

For each of these four CommBank Socceroos, the spark was family. “My dad played overseas,” says Behich, a veteran defender who has been part of the squad since 2012. “My parents are immigrants. They were born and raised in Northern Cyprus and my dad was pretty well known there. Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a love of the game just purely because of my old man.”

Devenish-Meares, who joined the national team as a train-on goalkeeper in March 2026, was the kid who played until the sun went down. “I grew up in Western Sydney in an immigrant family from South America. Football has always been a strong part of our family culture so I was obsessed. I’d come in from lunch at school, drenched in sweat, covered in dirt.”

Harrison Devenish-Meares joined the national team as a train-on goalkeeper in March 2026.

The hidden challenges of a professional football career

Passion and talent can only get someone so far. For these players, reaching the elite meant making choices that hurt. Jurić, who joined the CommBank Socceroos camp in 2026 as a forward, says that many people overlook the cost of the climb. “My parents left everything here in Australia and took my brother and I to Europe to give us a chance at football. I was 10 years old,” he says. “That’s courage and dedication.”

Izzo, a goalkeeper who joined the national team in 2025, doesn’t sugarcoat the reality. “It gets tossed around a lot, the word ‘sacrifice’,” says Izzo. “We’re in a very, very privileged position but we also do sacrifice a lot in terms of seeing family, friends and being there for birthdays, weddings, christenings, even funerals.”

“Putting on your national team jersey is like winning a trophy,” says goalkeeper Paul Izzo.

What it means to wear the green and gold

At the end of the day, these players stay the course because representing Australia is the ultimate “I made it” moment. "Putting on your national team jersey is like winning a trophy every time,” explains Izzo. “It’s a way of saying thanks to the people that helped you on your journey.”

That pride doesn’t fade with time. “It’s so much larger than myself,” says Devenish-Meares. “I idolised this jersey,” Behich adds, “With international football, you could be in the team today and then you might not get called up ever again. When I put on the green and gold, I always have the same feeling as I did the first time, more than 10 years ago.”

Deni Jurić joined the CommBank Socceroos camp as a forward in 2026.

The story this team tells

When asked what mark the CommBank Socceroos hope to leave, the players return to grit and heart. Put simply, Behich says, “I just want us to be remembered as a team that fought for our nation on the biggest stage and left everything out there.” 

Watch the CommBank Socceroos take on the world in North America this June.

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Published: 26 May 2026

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