Meet Shepparton goalkeeper making name at Melbourne City after injury fightback

Highly-tipped from his fledgling days back in the Goulburn Valley, the stopper represented Shepparton Soccer Club and GV Suns with distinction during his youth career, while also earning call-ups to the Victoria and Vic Country set-ups.

“The passion and excitement at that age came through growing up with my dad, who played as a kid and as an adult,” he said, recalling his early days on the pitches in the Goulburn Valley.

“Then, my friends at school all played and so it became a no-brainer to play - as we were growing up at St. Brendan’s, we played pretty much non-stop every single lunchtime, no matter what.

“When I got older, I played school soccer and Sunday soccer and had a year at Shepp and did a mix of everything - from centre midfield to left back to benchwarmer!

“Then the GV Suns came around when I was about 10 and my dad was coaching the under-12s and my mum initially wouldn’t let me go.

“But she eventually did halfway through the year, although my first game was against Northcote and we lost 6-0 so that’s kind of how it was.

“We’d get battered most weekends but when you look back at it, it’s all part of learning - losing is a part of winning.”

Looking back with gratitude at the grounding that growing up in Shepparton gave him, he is unequivocal in his belief that the sense of community and the sporting culture of the region helped to shape him.

“You had players like Brandon Giacherinni, the Kuol brothers and Josh Rachele, John Luca,” he said as he highlighted the springboard that the GV Suns provided many successful athletes over the last decade.

“Growing up in Shepparton is such a unique advantage, you can do so much and you’re not pigeon-holed from a young age.

“You can do everything you want - I’d do swimming, basketball, footy, soccer - you’d get that exposure to so many different sports and I think that’s something that’s incredible about it.

“There’s a real sense of community and we got so much exposure to games on a weekend and I think that was huge as - even though you might lose 6-0 - I’d be in goals making so many saves.”

Such was his promise from such a tender age, that he also earned caps for Australia’s under-20 side, having been snapped up by the Melbourne City Youth Academy back in 2019 after a successful trial following the National Youth Championships.

“It all kind of came out of nowhere and it was a bit of like ‘how am I going to make this work?’ as it was a big move and I couldn’t really ask mum and dad to be driving me up and down there four times a week.

“I was lucky that I have such great parents who got me set up in a school in Melbourne for a couple of years - it was great feeling like you’re going in the right direction.”

“I remember when I first signed the contract I didn’t even want to read through it - I was like ‘just tell me where to sign’!”

Perhaps the proudest moment of his club career came in 2024 when he started for City in an Australia Cup Round of 32 away tie against Perth Glory - playing 120 minutes in a nine-goal thriller as the visitors lost 5-4.

“For me it was like I didn’t think it would ever happen because I’m just a kid from Shepparton, I think at that age you can’t really conceptualize what’s in front of you,” he said.

“It was awesome, I’d been training with the first team for nearly four years by then so it was almost a relief to finally play a game.

“I’d been there for so long so it felt like ‘finally, I’ve done it’ but I realize that one appearance is not going to launch your career - it’s about having good performances over many games and seasons to go further.

“It was a reward for the hard work I’d put in by that point but you want more and more after that - when you’ve had an inch you want a mile.”

As it stands, Niewenhuizen has only made a single subsequent appearance for his employers, with his progress having been cruelly curtailed after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee in March last year.

He successfully underwent surgery on the issue - which occurred in a freak accident while at home - not long after sustaining the injury.

Now back to full fitness, the ‘keeper finally returned to the City senior fold on January 1 after a lengthy 10-month rehabilitation period, where he juggled his recovery with doing his degree.

“It was like nothing I’ve experienced before,” he said, as he opened up on what it was like to be sidelined during such a crucial stage of his career.

“For the first week I couldn’t even visualize what things would look like a year from [then].

“I remember waking up a couple of days after I did my ACL and I wasn’t needed at training - you don’t feel like a professional athlete for those first couple of weeks until you wait for your surgery.”

“For me, there’s other boys at the club who had done their knees before me and I had people to lean on and I had awesome people to lean on outside of the club like my girlfriend Annie - who was like my carer.

“My housemates too - Tom and Luke - are Shepp boys and I’ve known them my whole life and having them around to talk to was massive.”

“I was in the gym most days and it’s like a test of ‘how much do you really want it?’ You know that if you don’t do things properly, you won’t make it back.”

At 22-years-old, the youngster certainly has his best years in front of him as he looks to establish himself as a regular in the City first XI in the coming seasons following his spell on the sidelines.

For now, the focus will be on preparing for the upcoming campaign, where he will be tasked with providing competition for a place in net.

Manager Aurelio Vidmar may well have a selection dilemma on his hands, with one-time Australian international Patrick Beach having previously been the standout pick for the number one jersey.

The former Central Coast Mariners academy trainee made 23 league appearances last term and has retained his starting berth for three outings so far during 2025-26.

In addition, teenager Lachlan Charles will be vying for minutes, having signed professional terms following his own development on the Player Development Pathway production line.

Niewenhuizen is in no mood to shy away from the challenge, however.

“I think going through my ACL [injury] was a new perspective that you can’t take anything for granted,” he said.

“So I think taking that mindset into everything - nothing is promised tomorrow - means I’ve got to give everything to get where I want to be.

“Being around Beechy every day - who has been huge in the success we’ve had over the past couple of years - is an opportunity to help him be the best he can be, while making sure that, if opportunities do arrive, that I’m ready to take them.“

Australia has a long and proud history of producing elite-level goalkeepers, with former Socceroos stars including Mark Schwarzer, Mark Bosnich, Matthew Ryan and Brad Jones all having enjoyed successful careers in the English Premier League previously.

Indeed, the prospect need only look at teammate Beach to see an example of a player who has successfully navigated the pathway from academy football to the international scene in recent times.

Having enjoyed a taste of representing the Joeys during his younger years, Nieuwenhuizen is understandably itching to earn the chance to secure a full cap for his country - with appearing at a FIFA World Cup his ultimate career goal.

“That would be the absolute pinnacle of every player’s career,” he said.

“Getting to represent the country of Australia and the community of Greater Shepparton would be the biggest ‘thank you’ I could give to all the people who have helped me be where I am today.”

Until that time comes, the starlet’s focus - who is contracted in Melbourne until June 2027 - remains firmly fixed on improving his game as he looks to make up for lost time following his injury woes over the past year.

“For now, it’s about getting the job done,” he said, in a show of the humility and dedication that demonstrates that you can take the boy out of Shepp, but you can’t take Shepp out of the boy.