Andy Vargas (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Patricio Andres Vargas | ||
| Date of birth | 3 July 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Melbourne, Australia | ||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1992 | East Bentleigh | ||
| 1993 | Victorian Institute of Sport | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993 | Brunswick Juventus | 1 | (0) |
| 1996 | Springvale City | 16 | (2) |
| 1997 | Port Melbourne Sharks | 1 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Carlton | 1 | (0) |
| 1998 | Port Melbourne Sharks | 18 | (5) |
| 1998–2000 | Gippsland Falcons | 57 | (6) |
| 2000–2002 | Melbourne Knights | 49 | (4) |
| 2003–2004 | Melbourne Knights | 22 | (0) |
| 2003–2014 | Green Gully Cavaliers | 272 | (49) |
| 2016 | Melbourne City | 0 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 1993 | Australia U17 | 4 | (0) |
| 1996–1998 | Australia U23 | 11 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015–2016 | Green Gully U18 | ||
| 2018 | Dandenong Thunder | ||
| 2023–2025 | Avondale FC (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Patricio Andres "Andy" Vargas (born 3 July 1977) is an Australian former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
He is the older brother of former Socceroo Rodrigo Vargas and is known for his decorated career in both the National Soccer League (NSL) and Victorian Premier League (VPL), as well as his representative career for Australia and Victoria.
Playing career
Early career
Vargas began his youth career at East Bentleigh before joining the Victorian Institute of Sport in 1993, where he was regarded as one of the state's most promising attacking midfielders of his age group.[1]
On 5 June 1993, Vargas made his senior debut for Brunswick Juventus in a 2–0 loss against North Geelong in Round 15 of the Victorian Premier League. He appeared as a substitute at the age of 15 years and 337 days, making him one of the youngest players to feature in the competition at the time.[2]
During the mid-1990s, Vargas established himself across several Victorian Premier League clubs, including Springvale City and Port Melbourne Sharks. His performances at state level saw him regularly polling recognition in end-of-season awards, including the Weinstein Medal, which honours the league's best and fairest player.[1]
In the 1997–98 season, Vargas made his lone appearance in the National Soccer League with Carlton SC, marking his top-flight debut. He featured once during the campaign before returning to Victorian competition.[1]
Gippsland Falcons (1998–2000)
Vargas joined the Gippsland Falcons ahead of the 1998–99 NSL season and quickly became a central figure in the club's attacking structure. Over two seasons, he made 57 league appearances and scored six goals, contributing significantly to the Falcons’ most competitive period in the national competition.[3]
In the 1999–2000 season, Vargas finished as the club's equal leading goalscorer alongside Brian MacNicol, underlining his influence despite operating primarily as an attacking midfielder rather than an out-and-out forward.[4]
Melbourne Knights (2000–2002, 2003–2004)
Following his time at Gippsland, Vargas signed with Melbourne Knights, where he enjoyed multiple stints across four NSL seasons. Between 2000 and 2002, and again in 2003–04, he made more than 70 league appearances for the club, providing creativity and experience during a period of transition for the Knights in the latter years of the NSL.[1]
His return to the Knights in 2003–04 coincided with the final season of the National Soccer League, after which the competition was disbanded and replaced by the A-League.[5]
Green Gully (2003–2014)
Following the collapse of the NSL, Vargas joined Green Gully Cavaliers in 2003, where he would spend the remainder of his senior career. Across more than a decade at the club, he made 272 league appearances and scored 49 goals, placing him among Green Gully's all-time leaders for both matches played (second) and goals scored (third).[6]
Vargas captained multiple championship-winning sides and played a key role in Green Gully's sustained success in the Victorian Premier League, including the club's 2013 Dockerty Cup triumph.[6]
Return from retirement
In 2016, Vargas briefly came out of retirement to play for Melbourne City in Victorian State League 3. He featured prominently during the club's FFA Cup campaign, notably assisting Melbourne City's only goal in a fourth-round match against NPL side Dandenong City.[7]
Representative career
Vargas represented Australia at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Japan, playing in all group matches and the quarter-final against Ghana.[8]
He also played for the Olyroos side from 1996 to 1998, participating in a series of matches against South Africa, Argentina, Chile and China.[9][10][11]
Between 2003 and 2005, Vargas represented Victoria's senior men's team, including matches against Fiji, Tianjin Teda, Shanghai Shenhua, and Nanjing Yoyo.[12]
Coaching career
Following his retirement from top-flight football, Vargas moved into coaching, taking charge of Green Gully's U18 side in 2015–2016.[5]
He was appointed head coach of Dandenong Thunder for the 2018 season.[13]
Following this, he served as assistant coach at Avondale FC for two seasons from 2023 to 2025.[14]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brunswick Juventus | 1993 | Victorian Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Springvale City | 1996 | Victorian Premier League | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| Port Melbourne Sharks | 1997 | Victorian Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Carlton SC | 1997–98 | National Soccer League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Port Melbourne Sharks | 1998 | Victorian Premier League | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 5 |
| Gippsland Falcons | 1998–99 | National Soccer League | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| 1999–2000 | National Soccer League | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 6 | |
| Total | 57 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 6 | ||
| Melbourne Knights | 2000–01 | National Soccer League | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 |
| 2001–02 | National Soccer League | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| 2003–04 | National Soccer League | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| Total | 71 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 4 | ||
| Green Gully | 2003 | Victorian Premier League | 24 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 11 |
| 2004 | Victorian Premier League | 19 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 7 | |
| 2005 | Victorian Premier League | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 7 | |
| 2006 | Victorian Premier League | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 5 | |
| 2007 | Victorian Premier League | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 3 | |
| 2008 | Victorian Premier League | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | |
| 2009 | Victorian Premier League | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | |
| 2010 | Victorian Premier League | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| 2011 | Victorian Premier League | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Victorian Premier League | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 2013 | Victorian Premier League | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | |
| Total | 255 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 255 | 47 | ||
| Melbourne City | 2016 | Victorian State League | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Career total | 437 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 437 | 67 | ||
Honours
- Gippsland Falcons ‘Team of the Decade – NSL Era’ (2011)
- Green Gully Cavaliers Victorian Premier League: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- Dockerty Cup: 2013
References
- ^ a b c d "Andy Vargas - Victorian Player Profile". VicFootballers. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Victorian Premier League 1993 – Round results". OzFootball. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Andy Vargas - Aussie Footballers Profile". Aussie Footballers. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Gippsland Falcons roster for 1999/2000". OzFootball. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Brandon Galgano. "Victorian champion calls it a day". Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b "Andy Vargas - OzFootball Player Profile". OzFootball. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Jenkinson, Lance (21 March 2016). "Cup run brings new admirers for Melbourne City". Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Australian Under 17's Matches for 1993". OzFootball. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Australia Under 23 National Team "Olyroos" - 1996 Match Results". OzFootball. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Australia Under 23 National Team "Olyroos" - 1997 Match Results". OzFootball. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Australia Under 23 National Team "Olyroos" - 1998 Match Results". OzFootball. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Victoria's senior men's team representative". Football Victoria. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Vargas to lead into NPL1". Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Avondale locks coaching staff another two seasons". Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)