GARY JULIUS

Garry Julius

An Illustrious Sporting Career

From Stephen Bowes

Garry Julius

GARY JULIUS was born in South Africa in September 1964, during the Apartheid era. At the age of six, he joined the junior ranks of the Aston Villa Soccer Club of Johannesburg, South Africa, where he played all his early soccer football.

In 1978, the Julius family migrated to Perth, where Gary, now a teenager, joined the Gosnells Soccer Club. Whilst playing in the amateur ranks, his skills with the round ball and his fast-developing athletic strength inevitably came to the attention of senior coaches of the Gosnells club. At this time, Gosnells resided at the top level of the game in WA, playing (with semi-professional status) in the First Division of the Soccer Federation of WA.

Gary Julius enjoyed three years of regular selection in the Gosnells first team during the mid-1980s. The consistent quality of performances in his position, mostly as a right wing player, led to his selection in the Western Australia State squad for its 1984 tour to India. Here WA played its way into the Final of the DCM Tournament, losing by the narrowest margin 1-0 to Liaoning FC of China.

Marriage to Debbie Blyth in 1988 brought Gary to Katanning and with it an apprenticeship in the building industry. He continued his soccer playing career in the Katanning Islander Soccer Association. In 1991, Gary joined the working group from which emerged the Katanning Rams Soccer Club, and he served on every committee throughout the lifetime of the Club from 1991 to 1998.

As a player, mostly in the ‘engine room’ mid-field positions of the Katanning line-up, Gary Julius was the club’s Best and Fairest Player in 1992, 1993 and 1994. In 1992, Gary was recognised as the best player in the League when awarded the Albany Soccer Federation Player of the Year. In 1997, he was selected in the squad to represent the Federation in their match against Perth Glory FC. He retired from competitive soccer football at the conclusion of the 1997 season.

Craig Naven (Perth Glory) and Garry Julius (Katanning)