Mention sport in the Northern Territory and you hear the names of Michael Long, Maurice Rioli, Matthew Whelan and Cyril Rioli. Australian rules football has long been king in the Territory and behind it is rugby league (Will Chambers, Ben Barba), hockey (Mark Hickman, Stephen Holt, Nova Peris) and a host of other sports.
But football also has a long and proud history in the NT, and one that will take centre stage on Tuesday when Hellenic Athletic, who are celebrating their 60th birthday this year, meet Western Sydney in the FFA Cup’s round of 32 at Darwin Football Stadium.
The Wanderers are only six years old but they are already one of the country’s biggest clubs, having reached three A-League grand finals and claimed an Asian Champions League. Led by former Germany defender Markus Babbel, they are one of the A-League’s flagship outfits.
Their opponents represent a different age and a different time in Australian football, one that some think FFA wants to rub out completely. Founded in 1958, Hellenic might strictly be classed as amateur but their own story is just as relevant and as important as any other. “We are the oldest soccer club in Darwin,” president Kosta Boubaris explains. “It was formed by a group of Greek immigrants. They were looking for a way to get together and socialise in a meaningful way.”
For decades Hellenic had been a leader in football in the NT. They have won 19 championships, are the current Sports Minister’s Cup holders and reached the grand final of the NorZone Premier League, Darwin’s elite competition, last year. They operate more than 20 teams, both male and female, and all the way down to Under-6s, and have just under 300 players.
“We’ve definitely been pretty successful,” Boubaris says. “It’s just an amateur competition up here in Darwin but we’ve been pretty dominant over that time. We’ve got a strong youth and junior development program at the club. We’re definitely the biggest club in Darwin in terms of supporters, the club itself.”
Like all great clubs they also have a bitter rival – Darwin Olympic – who formed in 1967 when members of Hellenic split. “There was a bit of a disagreement between certain members of the club,” Boubaris says. “They split, they formed a separate club. There’s been a rivalry since then. Back in those days it could get pretty heated at times.”
For three years Hellenic have bided their time and watched as local clubs Olympic and Darwin Rovers have been unable to get out past the Cup’s round of 32. Each time the Northern Territory’s sole representative has been sent packing, with Olympic beaten 6-1 by Adelaide United, and Rovers dispatched 6-0 by Brisbane Strikers and then 8-0 by Sydney FC.
But this year the stars have aligned and Hellenic have reached the round of 32 riding the crest of a wave. They sit on top of the NorZone Premier League and are undefeated this season, scoring 20 goals in FFA Cup qualifying and not conceding a single one. They remain confident they can present the full-time Wanderers with a few problems, with the help of a home crowd and Darwin’s renowned humidity.
“This is our first year in the FFA Cup, previously we’ve always fallen a bit short,” Boubaris says. “So we’re excited about being part of the FFA Cup and representing the Northern Territory. Obviously it’s going to be a tough battle. But we’re confident we’ll put up a good show. We’ll be competitive, I don’t think it will be a big blowout like it has been in the last couple of years when an A-League club has come to town. We need a bit of luck if we’re going to cause a major upset. But the boys are ready, we’re mid-season, they’re fit. We’ll see what happens on the night.”
At a time when Australian football is imploding at board level, and the A-League is after another circuit-breaker to end its own stagnation, stories like that of Hellenic deserve recognition. Multicultural and multilingual, the club boasts players from the four corners of the globe. They are led by 48-year-old Mozambique striker Helio Carvalho, Darwin’s own dreadlocked, ageless version of Tim Cahill who has banged in 10 goals this year.
With a crowd of just under 4,000 expected for the match, in a city with a population of around 140,000, for once the round ball is top dog in the Northern Territory. Hellenic Athletic are relishing their moment in the sun. “How fantastic is it to have players that have just played in the World Cup turning up,” Boubaris admits. “It’s created a bit of a buzz around town and hopefully we get the numbers we’re anticipating. I’m quietly confident we’ll put up a strong show… whatever happens it’s a win-win.”
