Joe Gauci

On 26 May, Gauci was sent off in the 27th minute of the match against Central Coast Mariners following VAR intervention when his collision with Marco Ureña led to a red card.

Adelaide United ultimately suffered a 3–0 defeat.

As the 2022–23 A-League season approached, Gauci played a significant role in the Australia Cup quarter-final match against his former club, Adelaide City, on 17 August.

Adelaide United emerged victorious in a penalty shootout, prevailing 4–1 after the scores were level at 2–2 at the end of extra time.

Gauci made two crucial saves in the shootout, denying Jai King-Byrne and Zak Waters of Adelaide City before Ben Halloran's successful spot kick sealed Adelaide United's progression to the Round of 16.

During the league season, Gauci made his 50th appearance for Adelaide United in a 2–1 league victory against Brisbane Roar on 4 February 2023.

Additionally, he celebrated his 50th A-League appearance on 26 February in another 1–1 Original Rivalry draw against Melbourne Victory.

On 13 April, Gauci signed a three-year contract extension.

In his third appearance for Adelaide United, Gauci achieved his first clean sheet in the match against Sydney FC which saw Gauci produce a notable save in the 89th minute, denying Sydney's Patrick Wood a late equalizer.

Joe Anthony Gauci (born 4 July 2000) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Aston Villa and the Australia national team.

United won the game1–0, securing their sixth-straight win of the season – a feat the club hadn't accomplished since the inaugural A-League season in 2005–06.

Carl Veart, now the head coach of Adelaide United, praised Gauci's performance and recognized his impact on the team's success.

On 13 May, Gauci suffered a thigh injury during a warm-up session before a match against Melbourne City, resulting in him being ruled out for the remainder of the season.

However, despite the setback, Gauci's performances in the 10 league appearances he made, which included three clean sheets, resulted in him extending his contract for an additional two years with Adelaide United on 25 May.

After a seven-month absence from competitive appearances, Joe Gauci had to miss the game against Wellington Phoenix at Hindmarsh Stadium on 1 January 2022 due to contracting COVID-19.

Gauci made a full return to the pitch in a 1–1 Original Rivalry draw against Melbourne Victory the following week.

However, in May, the club invited him back for another week of training and soon earned himself a two-year scholarship deal with the Mariners on 19 June 2018.

After completing his contract and being released by Central Coast Mariners, Gauci signed a contract with Adelaide City for the remainder of the NPL season on 4 June 2019.

The team faced a challenging start to the NPL season, as they began with a deduction of six points due to sanctions imposed by the Football Federation SA for contract breaches.

Gauci finished the season with 8 league appearances for his side.

On 9 September, Gauci signed a scholarship contract with Melbourne City, becoming part of their scholarship program and joining their A-League Youth squad.

Gauci's career began when he received a scholarship deal with Central Coast Mariners and subsequently joined Adelaide City and Melbourne City before signing a scholarship contract with Adelaide United in 2020.

Gauci made his A-League debut in 2021.

Internationally, Gauci received his first call-up to the Australia national team in 2022 as a train-on player and made his debut in a friendly match against Ecuador in 2023.

While living in New Zealand, Gauci played with local Waiheke Island side Waiheke United at youth level.

Every second week, Gauci and his brother traveled by ferry to Auckland to play football, where Gauci initially started playing as a striker.

It was during a school holiday clinic that he started playing as a goalkeeper.

After a period of time on Waiheke Island, Gauci's parents made the decision to return to South Australia, deeming it the best move for the family.

Gauci joined Cumberland United U12s, attracted by the fact that some of his schoolmates were also looking to play there.

As Gauci progressed through the ranks at Cumberland United, he received increasingly specialized training.

However, he encountered what he considered a major setback in his young career when he failed to make South Australia's State Identification team.

Gauci went through the state selection process once again.

This time, securing a spot in the U14 team.

This not only allowed him to represent South Australia in the Nationals held at Coffs Harbour but also led to his selection in the NTC (National Training Centre) team, where he was coached by Carl Veart.

At 16 years old, Gauci caught the attention of scouts while captaining West Torrens Birkalla's U18 side in the National Premier Leagues (NPL).

Gauci led his team to the title, triumphing over Adelaide City in the final.

In February, Gauci was offered a trial with Central Coast Mariners though he was not offered a contract.

On 7 October 2020, Gauci returned to his hometown after serving as a backup goalkeeper at Melbourne City, when he signed a scholarship deal with Adelaide United, ahead of the 2020–21 A-League campaign.

Due to James Delianov's last-minute fitness test failure, Gauci was handed his A-League debut on 13 March 2021 in an Original Rivalry clash against Melbourne Victory.

He helped his team secure a 3–1 victory at Marvel Stadium.