Sources: Soccer World, Soccer Action and Daily Newspapers.

Friendly Matches
Sunday February 4 1979 Sydney Sports Ground, Moore Park, Sydney, Australia Referee: Tony Boskovic (Australia) Attendance: 7,271
AUSTRALIA Alan Maher, Steve Perry, Steve O'Connor, Tony Henderson, Paul Degney, John O'Shea, Murray Barnes, Joe Picioane (Ian Souness 75), Peter Sharne (Phil O'Connor 85), Mark Jankovics, Hilton Silva (Ken Boden 62) Coach: Les Scheinflug Goal: Jankovics 43	1	-	3	Wisla Krakow (Poland) Stanislaw Gonet, Marek Motyka (Kazimierz Gazda 70), Henryk Maculewicz, Zbigniew Plaszewski, Krzysztof Budka, Adam Nawalka, Kazimerz Kmiecik, Zdzislaw Kapka, Leszek Lipka, Piotr Skrobowski (Michal Wrobel 46), Janusz Krupinski (Andrzej Targosz 63) Coach: Orest Lenczyk Goals: Kmiecik 13, 79, Kropinski 55
Polish First Division club side Wisla Krakow made a tour of Australia in 1979. The touring squad contained a number of Polish internationals and one match was played against the Australian national side in Sydney. The Australian side was coached for the game by Les Scheinflug before he handed over the reins to Rudi Gutendorf later that year.
Wednesday May 30 1979 Perry Park, Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Australia Referee: Col Amos (Australia) Attendance: 2,700
AUSTRALIAN XI Nigel Lowndes, Paul Degney, Ivo Prskalo, Stuart Baxter, Alan Niven, Tony Henderson, Gary Byrne (John Coyne 70), Peter Boyle (Ian Hunter 70), John Coyne (John O'Shea 52), Mark Jankovics, Duncan Cummings Coach: Rudi Gutendorf	0	-	0	Queensland XI Tony Scanlan, Steve Perry, Jim Hermiston, Colin Bennett, George Potter, Steve Dolan, Phil Thompson, Larry Gaffney, Tony Brennan (Billy Wilkinson 58), Barry Kelso, Ron Millmann (Bryan Kathage 14) Coach: Not Recorded
In May 1979 an Australian XI played an exhibition match against a Queensland based representative side. This match was purely a friendly game which gave national coach Rudi Gutendorf the oppurtunity to look at a few more Queensland based players ahead of the tour of Asia at the end of the year. The Queensland side was based around the Brisbane Lions and Brisbane City squads while the selection of the Australian XI side was also featured some players from Queensland.
Friday June 29 1979 Newcastle International Sports Centre, Newcastle, Australia Referee: Jim Reeves (Australia) Attendance: 5,067
AUSTRALIA Greg Woodhouse, Peter Wilson, Stuart Baxter, Jim Tansey, Ken Boden, Steve Perry, Arno Bertogna (John Yzendoorn 57), Tommy Cumming, Agenor Muniz (Paul Tredinnick 66), Murray Barnes (John Davies 55), Gary Cole Coach: Rudi Gutendorf Goal: Cole 44 pen	1	-	1	Partizan Belgrade (Yugoslavia) Rade Zalad, Miodrag Radovic (Zvonko Varga 46), Borislav Djurovic, Aleksandar Trifunovic, Nenad Stojkovic (Tomislav Kovacevic 46), Vlada Lazicic, Nikica Klincarski, Slobodan Pavkovic, Slobodan Santrac (Arandjel Todorovic 66), Milan Djordjevic, Dzevad Prekazi Coach: Milutin Soskic Goal: Trifunovic 16
Yugoslavian First Division club side Partizan Belgrade made a tour of Australia in 1979 playing two games against the Australian team in Newcastle and Sydney. This match was marred when Tommy Cumming was decked by a Partizan player, and the refree Jim Reeves decided to abandon play for 15 minutes after the Partizan bench stormed onto the pitch at half-time to confront the referee. It took some persuasion from the ASF officials to convince Mr Reeves to continue play and the second half concluded without any further incident. This match was also the last appearance for Socceroo captain Peter Wilson after 114 appearances for his country. Match Day Programme
Sunday July 1 1979 Sydney Sports Ground, Moore Park, Sydney, Australia Referee: Tim Davies (Australia) Attendance: 9,605
AUSTRALIA Greg Woodhouse, Gary Byrne, Steve O'Connor (Joe Watson 46), Ivo Prskalo, Tony Henderson, Paul Degney (John Yzendoorn 60), Ian Souness, Eddie Krncevic (John Davies 55), Mark Jankovics, John Stevenson (Gary Cole 72), Peter Sharne Coach: Rudi Gutendorf	0	-	1	Partizan Belgrade (Yugoslavia) Rade Zalad, Aleksandar Trifunovic, Borislav Djurovic, Nikica Klincarski, Nenad Stojkovic, Vlada Lozicic, Miodrag Radovic, Milan Pavkovic (Arandjel Todorovic 70), Slobodan Santrac, Dzevad Prekazi (Tomislav Kovacevic 46), Milan Djordjevic (Zvonko Varga 46) Coach: Milutin Soskic Goal: Varga 47
Match Day Programme
Wednesday October 24 1979 Royal Agricultural Showground, Moore Park, Sydney, Australia Referee: Tony Boskovic (Australia) Attendance: estimated 50,000
AUSTRALIAN XI Greg Woodhouse, Kevin Mullen (Bobby Russell 51), Ivo Prskalo, Tony Henderson, Jim Tansey, Ken Boden (Eddie Krncevic 83), Steve Perry (Joe Picioane 88), Jimmy Rooney, Tommy Cumming, Mark Jankovics, John Nyskohus Coach: Rudi Gutendorf Goals: Rooney 20, Henderson 84	2	-	1	New York Cosmos (United States) Hubert Birkenmeier, Greg Ryan, Nelsi Morais, Carlos Alberto, Andranik Eskandarian, Franz Beckenbauer, Vladislav Bogicevic, Antonio Carbognani, Gary Etherington (Santiago Formoso 65), Giorgio Chinaglia, Seninho Coach: Ray Klivecka Cautions: Carbognani, Eskandarian Goal: Chinaglia 75
The glamour American club side the New York Cosmos visited Australia in rather spectacular fashion for one match against the Australian side. The crowd of 43,000 was swelled by thousands when fans desperate to see the match jumped the fences and crammed every vantage point to see the match. Match Day Programme
Saturday November 10 1979 Workers Stadium, Peking, China Referee: Not Recorded Attendance: 80,000
Shandong Province (China) Li Chong Wai (Wai Chi-Hong 68), Li Won-Chien, Ziang Hongchien (Chou Shinguang 68), Yang Pai-Huang, Wang Bau-Cheng, Chang Low-Di, Dai Ren-Chen (Low Chi-Chen 46), Ying Tis Son (Gai Yo-Chien 85), Au Chen, Chiong Sheng-Yuang, Chang Tsong-Fa (Fang Ha-Ling 80) Coach: Not Recorded Goal: Au Chen 55	1	-	3	AUSTRALIA Martyn Crook, Kevin Mullen (Gary Cole 46), Tony Henderson, Ivo Prskalo, Jim Tansey, Ken Boden, Jimmy Rooney, Steve Perry, Tommy Cumming (Peter Sharne 81), Mark Jankovics (Eddie Krncevic 75), John Nyskohus (Phil O'Connor 46) Coach: Rudi Gutendorf Goals: Boden 56, Cole 67, O'Connor 67
Australia embarked on a six week tour of Asia following the completion of the domestic season. The main purpose was to foster footballing relationships in the area and to give coach Rudi Gutendorf the oppurtunity to start looking at players who would be involved in World Cup qualifiers over the next two years. The side played a number of club sides in China, the first being the Shandong Province.
Tuesday November 13 1979 Peking, China Referee: Not Recorded Attendance: 40,000
Peking (China) Wang Juing-Sen, Chang Dong-Pint (Ma Jin-Ping 65), Wen Yuang, Sha Bau Chu, Liu Li-Fu, Hong Yuang-Shu, Li De-Li, Li Huai, Li Wai-Shiao (Yo Jing-Liang 67), Shung Shiang-Fu (Li Fu-Bao 46), Yu Jing-Lian (Liu Chi-Chien 79) Coach: Not Recorded Goals: Henderson 21 Own Goal, Li Fu-Bao 48	2	-	2	AUSTRALIA Martyn Crook, Bobby Russell (Kevin Mullen 46), Ivo Prskalo, Tony Henderson, Jim Tansey, Steve Perry, Ken Boden (John Coyne 77), Jimmy Rooney, Tommy Cumming, Mark Jankovics (Gary Cole 46), Phil O'Connor (John Nyskohus 70) Coach: Rudi Gutendorf Goals: Boden 40 pen, Cumming 66
Friday November 16 1979 Shanghai, China Referee: Not Recorded Attendance: 40,000
Shanghai (China) Liu-Wen-Bing (Gao Wai-Ping 46), Chiang Bin-Rao, Chu Ming Liang, Chang Wai-Shing, Lu Ly-Shing, Shi Chi-Kang, Chu Be-Ling, Li Chong-Hua, Lu Miao-Sen (Suong Huang-Ming 65), Chu Yu-Hong, Chang Chi-Gang (Lu An-Kang 38) Coach: Not Recorded Goals: Chu Yu-Hong 4, Li Chong-Hua 82	2	-	3	AUSTRALIA Greg Woodhouse (Martyn Crook 83), Steve Perry, Ivo Prskalo, Arno Bertogna, Jim Tansey, Tony Henderson (John Coyne 70), Ken Boden, Mark Jankovics (Phil O'Connor 46), Peter Sharne, Gary Cole (Eddie Krncevic 46), Tommy Cumming (John Nyskohus 67) Coach: Rudi Gutendorf Goals: Boden 13, Henderson 55, Sharne 66
Sunday November 18 1979 Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China Referee: Not Recorded Attendance: 35,000
Tiajin Province (China) Li Gi-Ming (Wan Jien-an 28), Fong Tian-Bao, Shung Chi-Tai, Wan Guan-Tai, Ji Yu-Bo, Wan Chuing-Fa (Lu Hong-Shian 65), Chuong Shu-Sen, Wu Tse-Ming, Wan Yu Jien, Chen Jing-Gang, Chang Guai-Lai Coach: Not Recorded	0	-	3	AUSTRALIA Martyn Crook, Kevin Mullen, Ivo Prskalo, Bobby Russell, Jim Tansey, Tony Henderson (Mark Jankovics 46), John Coyne, Jimmy Rooney (Gary Cole 70), Tommy Cumming, Eddie Krncevic, Phil O'Connor (Peter Sharne 46) Coach: Rudi Gutendorf Goals: Krncevic 5, 23, 54
Friday November 23 1979 Canton, China Referee: Not Recorded Attendance: 30,000
Canton Army (China) Chu Sha-Jin, Yi Tso-Juang, Luong Huao, Ching Yiang-Chao, Her Wei, Chen Yi-Min, Chang Shu-Ren (Ma-Shen 68), Tsen Jing-Shing, Chang Ji-Chang, Wan Gao-Luong (Yiang Wei-Shang 72), Tsen Shiang-Luer Coach: Not Recorded	0	-	1	AUSTRALIA Greg Woodhouse, Steve Perry, Ivo Prskalo, Arno Bertogna, Jim Tansey, Tony Henderson, Ken Boden (Gary Cole 59), Jimmy Rooney (Peter Sharne 46), Eddie Krncevic, Phil O'Connor (John Nyskohus 38), Tommy Cumming (John Coyne 65) Coach: Rudi Gutendorf Goal: Krncevic 61
Monday November 26 1979 Taipei, Taiwan Referee: Not Recorded Attendance: 1,500
Taipei Bank (Taiwan) Hen-Kon Chen (Chen-Hsing Lee 30), Sheu-Chi Wu, Ming Chun Shen, Yun Cheng Wa, Ting Tsia Tsai (Pu Ping Hurn 80), Chen Wu Chung, Den Sen Du, Gin Ying Wu, Chen Jen Yu, Sen-Ur Cheung, Den Chen Du Coach: Not Recorded Goal: Sen-Ur Cheung 60	1	-	7	AUSTRALIA Greg Woodhouse, Kevin Mullen, Ivo Prskalo, Arno Bertogna, Jim Tansey (Steve Perry 65), Jimmy Rooney (Peter Sharne 46), Tony Henderson (John Coyne 35), Gary Cole, Ken Boden, Mark Jankovics, Eddie Krncevic Coach: Rudi Gutendorf Goals: Krncevic 8, 23, 33, 53, 55, Henderson 25, Cole 59

Last updated: 17 December 2021.