Steve Maxwell, who was a great legend in the sport of Australian football and wore the number 339 football cap for the Socceroos, passed away not too long ago. The news of his departure has left Football Australia in a state of deeply deep sorrow.
Maxwell’s legacy will be forever etched into the annals of our sport’s history since he was a forward who was recognized for his prolific play and who was held in high esteem across the football community. His legacy will be indelibly etched.
During a match against Czechoslovakia on August 6, 1986, Maxwell made his debut for the senior men’s national team of Australia. At the time, he was 21 years old. This was his very first time representing Australia in a situation like this. Following the conclusion of that, Maxwell would go on to take part in a total of four senior international matches over the course of a period of six years. In Maxwell’s debut game, he played with notable players such as Graham Arnold, who is currently the head coach of the senior men’s national team, and John Kosmina, who is also a well-known South Australian player. Maxwell’s teammates included both of these individuals.
As a result of his long-standing commitment to the sport and his status as a well-respected member of the community as both a player and a coach, “Maxi” has been inducted into the Football South Australia Hall of Fame and is a part of the Player Life program. This South Australian city of North Adelaide is where he was born. During the course of his career, Maxwell played for Adelaide City FC (1983-1986 and 1988-1994) and Marconi Stallions FC (1987). During his time with these two teams, he participated in 321 National Soccer League (NSL) and Cup matches, scoring a total of 82 goals.
The National Soccer League (NSL) Cup and the NSL trophy were both won by Maxwell while he was a member of Adelaide City FC. During his time with the club, Maxwell was able to win both of these trophies on three separate occasions. Maxwell was the player who scored the most goals for Adelaide City FC in the National Soccer League (NSL) on five separate occasions, proving his propensity to find the back of the net. This accomplishment was accomplished across the league. During this trying time, Football Australia and the families of the Socceroos would want to sincerely express their condolences to those individuals who were closest to Steve.
Taking into consideration the major impact that Maxwell had on the sport of football in Australia, Anter Isaac, who serves as the Chair of Football Australia, offered the following sentiments: Steve Maxwell was not only an outstanding football player, but he was also a beloved member of our football community. He will be much missed. The repercussions that his achievements, both on and off the field, have had on the sport in Australia are so significant that it is impossible to overestimate their significance.
Steve’s family, friends, and anybody else who had the wonderful fortune to be able to witness his excitement and devotion to play the beautiful game are the recipients of my most heartfelt sympathies on behalf of Football Australia. I would like to send our deepest condolences to you all. They will remember him with fondness, and he will be greatly missed by those who knew him.
