Founded in 2017, four of the Sydney Street Crew's rising stars (Junior Tbe Mushaba, Daniel Khodani, Zayne Gray and founder Tomislav Bazdaric) are showing their hunger to offer something unique to the game which they believe needs an injection of life.

The group perfectly encapsulates the ever-changing and evolving nature of the game with an immensely diverse roster of all cultures including Croatian, Ukrainian, African and Chilean Australians.

They brought with them many incredible stories that typify the enthusiasm of young footballers as Bazdaric explains how the ‘Street Crew’ was born.

“Whenever I visit family in Croatia, the fields are open. You play until the morning, but when we come back to Sydney, there’s nothing," he said. "Where do you find young kids playing in the streets anymore?

“I didn’t want to wait around anymore. I was playing in a national tournament in Adelaide and sat on the bench the whole time and simply thought, 'I’m going to make a street football team and see if it catches on'.”

Luckily for Bazdaric, it did. Within a few months the Sydney Street Crew had recruited eleven young and hungry street footballers sharing a common goal towards the advancement of the game.

It culminated in their invitation to join the Adidas Tango League in March 2017.

“A spot wasn’t guaranteed and these events are huge in Europe," Bazdaric said. "I was sending three emails a day until they finally said yes. Our team had only been together for three weeks and it was a scrap to get the players we needed, but, we couldn’t let the opportunity slip.

“We entered the tournament and made it to the final and it was a great taste of what was to come and we wanted more.”

Their reputation began to rise prompting an invitation to the Nike No Turning Back event.

Bazdaric recalls the nervous weeks leading up to their biggest event.

“I got an email from Nike, they had an event and they wanted us to join," he said. "I was panicking and sent an essay back to him. He didn’t get back to me for days.

“Eventually we got a call from him and said we’re invited to the event in Melbourne and that the Nike Academy, the Futsalroos, A-League All-Stars and D10 would be our opponents. I couldn’t believe it. It was our big break!”

They were the rookies, the underdogs, the smoky group of youngsters who were unpredictable and ready for a fight. Their first match didn’t go to plan and they went down 2-1 to D10.

And things weren’t going to get any easier for the Crew, coming up against the A-League All-Stars which included the likes of Olyroos Panos Armenakas and Daniel De Silva and former Golden Generation Socceroos Brett Emerton and Marco Bresciano.

The Crew triumphed 4-3 and were in the semi-finals.

“Next thing you know the announcer calls up the semi-finalists, 'Nike Academy versus the Sydney Street Crew'," Khodani ​said. 

“The Nike Academy trial thousands of kids a year and we were seriously up against it.”

Against the odds, the Sydney Street Crew put themselves on the map, defeating the Nike Academy 4-1 and advancing to the final where they were humbled 10-0 by the Australian Futsal National Team, the Futsalroos.

“First thing we thought was we couldn’t be disappointed with our effort. We came top four we couldn’t believe it," Bazdaric said. "We felt like the Nike event was what seriously triggered our growth.”

Their reputation as a growing force was recognised in mid-2017 when they went pro, joining the Series Futsal NSW First Division as Camden FC.

“None of us had actually played futsal before. To be asked to play in NSW best completion it was an honour," Bazdaric said. 

“I had a serious talk with Junior (Tbe Mushaba) and he changed our tactics. At the beginning of the season we were losing pretty badly, but things picked up once we hardened ourselves and went about things like it was seriously professional.”

It was a wake-up call to the professionalism of the football community and a lesson the Crew took in their stride as they continue to aim for promotion.

Despite the glitz and the glamour, it’s more than just the big events that make the Sydney Street Crew and it’s future both prestigious and exciting.

It’s a close-knit bunch of passionate people who see the greater endeavour than just street football.

“We’re basically a family," Gray said. "It’s important we stick together. "We always hang out and try to give back whether that be improving our chemistry off the park or interacting with fans through our social media.”

Giving back to the football community, The Crew were assured of their objective of including and improving the amount of football played across Sydney and hopefully, Australia.

“A potential academy for young players is definitely a goal," Bazdaric said. "Kids don’t play enough these days and you see it on the pitch. This is why social media is so important. Everything starts somewhere.

“We’re seeing the playing style of Australian football change and we want to change with it. Especially for small-sided football. Things like close control and agility and physicality are seriously becoming more important in the game."

Bazdaric and the crew are aiming for the skies as they tackle the new year, riding on the wave of their success in the Adidas and Nike events. 

Among personal goals, the Crew are focusing on working with more pro footballers, looking to play matches abroad in Europe or the United States and capitalising on the success of the women’s game in Australia via recruitment for a Sydney Street Crew women’s team.