Zdrilic played for the Australian team that went within one kick of qualifying for the 2013 World Cup and remains arguably the nation's best player, despite his A-League career coming to a close in 2008. "I first discovered beach soccer way back when I was a kid. We used to go to the beach every Sunday with the family and always had a ball to kick around on the sand," he said. "Then when I retired I began having a kick again on Bondi Beach and it was pretty casual – we had the great Les Murray standing in between two thongs as goals. "But I enjoyed it so much that I began playing every day. The competitive sportsman in me wanted to create a more competitive and structured version of the game which was easy to play, a lot of fun, and could be set up anywhere." What began as a hobby to fill time and keep fit after retiring from the A-League in 2007 has now become a fully fledged business venture.

Next Sunday, Zdrilic will launch GOL Beach Soccer, a tournament to be staged on Sydney's Dolls Point Beach. Zdrilic has re-shaped the rules and pitch size for Australian conditions, scaling down beach soccer's official dimensions to fit three players per side with no goalkeepers. "Australians love the beach and beach lifestyle. We love sport, the outdoors and love football. It's just such a natural fit," Zdrilic said. "We have the best beaches in the world and with football enjoying the highest participation rate amongst all sports, Gol is a game that matches up everything we enjoy." Zdrilic believes playing on sand is much easier on the body than the infamously rock-hard Australian pitches – and obviously a lot less stressful than indoor surfaces.

"You can trace a lot of soft-tissue, knee and ankle injuries to the fact that grass and indoor are often just too hard," he said. "Many of the world's biggest teams and players use sand as a way of bringing injured players gently back to full fitness. The sand acts as a cushion providing a low-impact surface. That means players can push a lot harder than they would on grass or indoor without the same risk of injury." The initial tournament will be packed with players of all skill levels and experiences – including a host of ex-Socceroos, like Steve Corica and Zeljko Kalac, both regulars in Zdrilic's daily morning matches on Tamarama Beach. A curious Alessandro Del Piero once turned up for a match – "as you would expect, he was brilliant at it" – and next week Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic will be stepping back to play, as will his assistant, Hayden Foxe. Teams from Football United, a charity which uses football for social engagement, and a local special-needs group are also among the participants.

Zdrilic says he's been inundated by interest from current and former players and reckons there's a few who could make the transition from grass to sand. "When I was in the World Cup qualifiers in Qatar, I looked up and surprisingly saw Mark Bresciano watching in the stands with Sasha Ognenovski," he said. "Though we were heading into a penalty shootout against Qatar, "Bresh" came to the sidelines and wanted [to know] everything about the game – despite seeing I was totally out of breath and trying to focus on the shootout. That said, he would make a great beach player. "And I'd love to see Timmy Cahill give it a try, given he's a such a goal machine on grass. Let's see how he goes on the sand."