The O’Doherty brothers have been playing football since childhood
They fulfilled their dream of representing a local club
The story of A-League professional Jordan and E-League pro Jamie
The three brothers in the O’Doherty family have all played football since childhood, having been inspired by their father, uncle and other family members, who all are lifelong players. The two oldest brothers in particular, Jamie and Jordan, have both been able to fulfil their dream of making a living from the game, even if they do so in very different ways.
Childhood passion
The brothers were initially raised in Palma de Mallorca, before moving to Australia when they were around four years old. The siblings, whose family have roots in England and Ireland, quickly became involved in the football scene Down Under and Jamie and Jordan both played in a number of youth leagues, national championships and local all-star teams.
Until the age of 12, Jordan O’Doherty played in amateur leagues before managing the step up to the National Premier League, Australia’s second-highest division, when he was 15. Jamie, the younger of the two, also made a name for himself in the local youth teams.
Diverging paths
It was at this stage that their careers began to take different courses. While Jordan was called up to the Adelaide United reserve team and represented Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League shortly afterwards, Jamie opted to pursue FIFA eSports professionally.
They crossed paths briefly in Adelaide when Jordan played out on a real pitch and Jamie on a digital one. The former subsequently switched to Western Sydney Wanderers, and although Jamie stayed a while longer in Adelaide he eventually joined his brother’s city rivals, Sydney FC. He soon tasted success there, winning the E-League Australia with his team that included Marko, one of his closest friends. On top of that, Jamie qualified for the FIFA eClub World Cup 2020 with his eSports team FUTWIZ.
Role model away from the pitch
The two brothers are not only well known in their respective fan communities for their performances on the pitch, be it a real one or a virtual one. At the Dolan Warren Awards, which honours players in Australia’s top men’s and women’s leagues, the duo gave a fascinating insight into their captivating life story.
Furthermore, Jamie helped raise $10,000 USD at an EA Sports FIFA live stream charity event in response to the Australian bush fires at the start of the year, with the proceeds going to support people affected by the disaster.