Having left home shores years ago to work as a TV presenter, his career has since flourished.
In Australia his on-camera work is broadcast on Stan Sport and Optus Sport, along with five other networks around the world.
He also hosts a show on AC Milan’s in-house media channel, as well as international events on behalf of FIFA and UEFA.
After four years in the Lombard capital, he’s found his “perfect home”.
Del Monte describes Milan as a “progressive, forward-thinking European city” with more hustle and bustle than other Italian towns.
Despite the fast-paced lifestyle, he marvels that the city “still maintains those nice traditional cultural traits that Italy is built on”.
“What I love the most about life [in Italy] is that simple things like food, family and just time with people are valued and cherished above everything else,” he explains.
“Every day for an hour in Milan people shut their laptops, they turn their phones off, they go to lunch, together.
“And lunch is not a sandwich at your desk, they go to a restaurant and have a proper lunch.
“They’ll have an antipasto, they’ll have pasta, they’ll have a glass of wine, they'll have a dessert, a coffee. They’ll really spend time together.”
Del Monte, here with Giorgio Chiellini after Italy's Euro final win against England in 2021, is loving life in his adopted home
His career has continually progressed thanks to his ambitious “risk/reward” approach that compelled him to take his chances abroad.
“From a very young age I always wanted to work in TV,” he says.
“I decided Australia probably wasn’t the place to do that at the highest level possible.”
Being an Australian can often be an advantage in many industries, but the world of football broadcasting is not one of them. Why?
“It’s our accent,” Del Monte reveals.
“It’s not known, it’s not synonymous with football.
“As such, some of the very best roles I’ve been fortunate to take on, I’ve been the first known Australian to have done that.
“I feel very proud that I’ve been able to contribute in some way to FIFA and UEFA changing their approach, in terms of getting them to be more open to [non-British accents].”
Being an Australian in football is, according to Del Monte, even harder on the field.
“Joe Montemurro, who’s the coach of Juventus women, has had these sorts of challenges more on the pitch than I’ve endured in the media,” he says.
“In Joe’s case, his chance came in his late 40s, at a period in his life where he was doing some wonderful work in Australia.
“Joe took that [chance] when it came at Arsenal.
“Now he’s landed himself the perfect role at Juventus.
“He’s now in a position where he’s flourishing in an environment that suits him as a coach, but also as an individual,” adds Del Monte, referring to Montemurro’s Italian background.
“You play the long game with these things,” he explains, providing insight into his tactical mindset.
Del Monte has worked with many big names in his media work, including Juventus and Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero
Another Australian who is improving Australia’s football reputation abroad is Celtic FC manager, Ange Postecoglou.
Celtic has just won its second consecutive league title under the Melbourne-raised coach and now, having earlier in the season won the League Cup, has the chance to win a treble when the club takes on Inverness in the Scottish Cup final on June 4.
Del Monte believes Australians like Postecoglou who spread their wings and test themselves away from home shores often have a lot to offer.
“All the Australians I meet who move abroad and live abroad and really gain that global perspective, they’re another level of person,” he says.
“I think they take the beauty of an upbringing in Australia and combine that with a global perspective, and they can turn into a top-level human being.
“That’s what I think Ange is, from the dealings I’ve had with him.”
Postecoglou’s success could provide opportunities for other Australians, according to Del Monte.
“It’s really great for Australian football,” he says.
“It’s good for opening the doors for future coaches.
“Whatever comes next for Ange, which is certainly going to be something in England, I’ve got no doubt it’s going to open that door even further.”
Del Monte says ambition is something he feels isn’t necessarily rewarded in his home country.
“In Australia, we’re very risk averse,” he states.
“We’re very conservative.
“We have rules for everything. There are rules on top of rules and there are ways to do things.
“Personally, I’ve struggled for motivation [because of] that in Australia.”
In Italy though, he’s found a place to thrive, and he’s doing so at the same time as an Italian football resurgence, which has him excited.
At the time of Del Monte's interview with Il Globo, the semi-finals of the European competitions were just kicking off, and of the 12 semifinalists across the three competitions, five were Italian.
“We haven’t seen this level of dominance for almost 20 years," he says.
“There could be a lot more success to come.”
Del Monte acknowledges he’s been lucky to cover some of the biggest Italian football stories of the last few years, but admits this year there’s one he’s been especially moved by – Napoli’s first Scudetto in 33 years.
Having experienced what he believes is one of the world’s most unique cities many times, Del Monte knows what it means to the Neapolitans.
“Every time I travel to Naples, you just get this beautiful sense of what football means to people at its core,” he says.
“This is a beautiful city, a beautiful part of Italy with beautiful food, beautiful people, beautiful everything.
“But football is the one thing that they identify by, above all else.
“I do not think there’s a city that identifies with one club as much as they do.”
Del Monte, in front of Napoli's travelling supporters, says Naples is a special city where football fans are madly passionate
Another benefit of life in Italy for Del Monte is that it provides him with the opportunity to maintain a close relationship with his extended family in Messina, Sicily.
“I try to go once a month,” he says.
“I have the sister of my nonna there and her entire family.
“It’s like being at home for me, I’m very close with them.
“I love going there because it just reinforces those things that are most important in life.
“Spending time with family and loved ones puts everything into context.”
