Biography

Experienced defender and midfielder van Blerk joined City at the end of January 2002 and spent two months in the first team. His second start for City was an eventful occasion, he scored a winner against Rushden & Diamonds then was sent off six minutes later. After serving a four match ban (this was his second banishment of the season) he returned to the first team until the penultimate match of the season – his contract was not renewed that summer.
Jason van Blerk was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, his father Cliff van Blerk was a footballer who won two international caps for Australia in 1967. He began his career in the New South Wales League during the late 1980s, playing for Sydney suburban teams Blacktown City Demons and APIA Leichhardt. In July 1990 he headed for Europe and signed for Belgian top flight strugglers Sint Truiden, making his debut in November 1990 against RWD Molenbeek and ending the season with two goals in 22 starts. He returned to Sydney in the summer of 1991 and played for APIA Leichhardt and St George Saints over the next twelve months.
In July 1992 Jason returned to Europe a second time and signed for Dutch top flight side Go Ahead Eagles, a club based in historic riverside city of Deventer. In two seasons he scored five goals in 48 appearances and attracted the attention of English League Division 1 side Millwall who claimed his signature in September 1994. He made a September 1994 debut against Tranmere Rovers and soon found his role for the Lions alternating between left back and left winger, scoring his first goal for the club against Swindon Town in March 1995. He remained a first team fixture throughout the 1995/96 season as the Lions suffered relegation to the third tier, but barely played in the 1996/97 season and took his Millwall tally to two goals in 87 appearances.
In August 1997 he transferred to League Division 1 strugglers Manchester City. The Citizens suffered relegation at the end of the 1997/98 season, by which time van Blerk had made 21 appearances and transferred to League Division 1 rivals West Bromwich Albion for a £200,000 fee. Van Blerk debuted for The Baggies in March 1998 and remained at The Hawthorns for three seasons as the side hovered around mid-table in the second tier. In the 2000/01 season West Brom finished in sixth place and qualified for the play-offs only to lose the semi-final to Bolton Wanderers, with van Blerk starting both legs. Van Blerk’s spell at West Bromwich Albion ended in August 2001 having scored three goals in 121 appearances. He joined League Division 1 strugglers Stockport County in August 2001 and in half a season made 14 appearances before his January 2002 move to Hull City.
In August 2002 van Blerk joined League Division 3 side Shrewsbury Town, scoring twice in 30 appearances during the 2002/03 season. In August 2003 he switched to Conference National side Altrincham, then moved on to Colwyn Bay mid-season and ended the 2003/04 season with an unsuccessful trial at Mansfield Town and a two month spell at League Division 3 strugglers Macclesfield Town that yielded no appearances. He returned down under and spent the 2004 season at New South Wales-based top flight side Wollongong Wolves, scoring once in 12 appearances. He hung up his boots at the end of 2004, apart from a brief return to APIA Leichhardt two years later, and began a second career in football coaching. He became manager of GHFA Spirit, formerly known as Northern Spirit FC, in November 2008 and kept that job for four years until he joined the academy coaching staff at Australian top flight side Central Coast Mariners in 2013. He left the Mariners in 2020 to focus on managing his property portfolio and working as a courier.
Van Blerk played for Australia’s Under-20 side in the 1987 World Youth Cup Finals in Chile and also made one appearance for the Under-23s in 1990 against Malaysia, scoring two goals. In August 1990 he made his senior international debut for Australia against Indonesia and was a regular choice for three years from January 1992, scoring his only international goal in July 1992 against Croatia. Jason had four years out of the international side between 1996 and 2000, returning in February 2000 while performing well at West Bromwich Albion. He won the last of his 27 senior international caps in June 2000 against Paraguay.
Details
Nationality: Australia
Date/Place of Birth: 16 March 1968, Sydney (Australia)
Hull City First Game: 5 February 2002, Hartlepool United H (League Division Three), 33 years, 326 days old
Hull City Final Game: 13 April 2002, Bristol Rovers A (League Division Three), 34 years, 28 days old
Clubs
Blacktown City Demons (1987-1989), APIA Leichhardt (1989-1990), Sint Truiden (1990-1991), APIA Leichhardt (1991-1992), St George Saints (1992), Go Ahead Eagles (1992-1994), Millwall (1994-1997), Manchester City (1997-1998), West Bromwich Albion (1998-2001), Stockport County (2001-2002), Hull City (2002), Shrewsbury Town (2002-2003), Altrincham (2003), Colwyn Bay (2003-2004), Macclesfield Town (2004), Wollongong City (2004), APIA Leichhardt (2006)
Hull City Record
Career: 10 apps, 1 goals
Jason van BlerkSeason | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001/02 | 10 (0) | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |