![]()  | |||
| Association | Football Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Most caps | Jim Patikas (9) | ||
| Top scorer | Doug Brown (2) | ||
| FIFA code | AUS | ||
  | |||
| First international | |||
(Melbourne, Australia; 27 May 1984)  | |||
| Biggest win | |||
(Canberra, Australia; 23 September 1985)  | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
(Newcastle, Australia; 7 June 1984)  | |||
Australia B is a secondary soccer team occasionally as support for the Australia national soccer team. The team has only ever played nine matches; winning one, drawing six, and losing two. It has been inactive since 1985.
Concept and history
The national B team was designed to give games to players who were being considered for call-up to the full national squad. Generally, the team played in friendly matches against other international B teams or club sides.
Australia B were one of several teams which entered a "World Series" held in Australia in 1984, which included Rangers, Juventus, Australia A, Nottingham Forest and Iraklis. They were coached in the tournament by Eddie Thomson[1]
In 1985, Australia B played two games against China in the leadup to the 1987 Ampol Cup between China and Australia. They were coached by John Margaritis in both games.[2]
In 2007, then-Australia coach Graham Arnold, himself a former B international, flagged the idea of reviving the national B team.[3]
Statistics
Results and fixtures
1984
| 27 May |  Australia B  | 0–0 |   | Melbourne, Australia | 
| [4] | Stadium: Melbourne Cricket Ground Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Jim Fearn (Australia)  | 
| 31 May |  Australia B  | 1–2 |   | Brisbane, Australia | 
| Egan  | 
Clark  Ferguson  | 
Stadium: Lang Park Attendance: 2,257 Referee: Bill Monteverde (Australia)  | 
| 5 June |  Australia B  | 1–1 |   | Adelaide, Australia | 
| McCulloch  | 
McClelland  | 
Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 4,300 Referee: Jim Rossis (Australia)  | 
| 7 June |  Australia B  | 2–4 |   | Newcastle, Australia | 
| Blair  Brown  | 
Paterson  Burns McCoist Cooper  | 
Stadium: Adamstown Oval Attendance: 6,292 Referee: Jim Reeves (Australia)  | 
| 11 June |  Australia B  | 0–0 |   | Sydney, Australia | 
| Stadium: Sydney Cricket Ground Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Garry Power (Australia)  | 
| 13 June |  Australia B  | 0–0 |   | Brisbane, Australia | 
| Stadium: Lang Park Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Alan Kibbler (Australia)  | 
| 17 June |  Australia B  | 1–1 |   | Melbourne, Australia | 
| Brown  | 
Report | Papadopoulos | Stadium: Melbourne Cricket Ground Attendance: 18,732 Referee: Spiers (Australia)  | 
1985
| 23 September |  Australia B  | 2–0 |   | Queanbeyan, Australia | 
| Petersen  Wade  | 
Stadium: Seiffert Oval Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Richard Lorenc (Australia)  | 
| 25 September |  Australia B  | 1–1 |   | Sydney, Australia | 
| Arnold  | 
Ma  | 
Stadium: St George Stadium Attendance: 1,530 Referee: Garry Power (Australia)  | 
Historical statistics
- Highest attendance: 18,300 vs. 
 Iraklis at Melbourne. - Biggest victory: 2–0 vs. 
 China, 23 September 1985 at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan - Heaviest defeat: 2–4 vs. 
 Rangers, 7 June 1984 at Adamstown Oval, Newcastle 
Player records
Most appearances
| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Years | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Patikas | 9 | 0 | 1984–1985 | 
| 2 | Steve Blair | 7 | 1 | 1984 | 
| Tony Henderson | 7 | 0 | 1984 | |
| Mike O'Shea | 7 | 0 | 1984 | |
| 5 | Charlie Egan | 6 | 1 | 1984 | 
| Peter Katholos | 6 | 0 | 1984 | |
| Peter Lewis | 6 | 0 | 1984 | |
| Richard Miranda | 6 | 0 | 1984–1985 | |
| John O'Shea | 6 | 0 | 1984 | 
Goalscorers
| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Years | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doug Brown | 5 | 2 | 1984 | 
| 2 | Graham Arnold | 2 | 1 | 1985 | 
| Steve Blair | 7 | 1 | 1984 | |
| Charlie Egan | 6 | 1 | 1984 | |
| Tom McCulloch | 3 | 1 | 1984–1985 | |
| Mike Petersen | 2 | 1 | 1985 | |
| Paul Wade | 2 | 1 | 1985 | 
Managers
 Eddie Thomson 1984
 John Margaritis 1985
References
- ↑ Stock, Greg. "Socceroo B Matches for 1984". OzFootball.net. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
 - ↑ Stock, Greg. "Socceroo B Matches for 1985". OzFootball.net. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
 - ↑ Cockerill, Michael (17 March 2017). "Arnold's plan B: Socceroos seconds to nurture the next generation of stars". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
 - ↑ "Franken earns Australia draw". Sydney Morning Herald. 28 May 1984. p. 33.
 
