After returning to Australia to play for Sydney United, Durante joined Newcastle Jets in the newly formed A-League.

Durante won the A-League Grand Final with the Jets in 2008 and was awarded the Joe Marston Medal in a man-of-the-match performance.

[2] Durante joined the Phoenix in as captain at the start of the 2008–09 season and made an instant impact helping them make the final of the Pre-Season cup against Melbourne Victory, only narrowly losing 7–8 on penalty kicks.

[2] In March 2010, Durante scored his first ever A-league and Wellington Phoenix goal against Sydney FC in the preliminary final.

[5] On 2 February 2018 Durante broke the all-time A-League appearance record playing his 279 game in a loss to Sydney FC.

[10][11][12] Durante was selected in Pim Verbeek's Socceroo squad in February 2010 for Australia's 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Indonesia.

Durante went on to make 24 appearances for the national team before announcing his full retirement from international football in November 2017 after the loss to Peru in the 2nd leg of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Intercontinental Playoff.