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Greek Community of Melbourne Board welcome new Greek Consul General to Victoria

Andriana Simos
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Greek Community of Melbourne Board welcome new Greek Consul General to Victoria

On February 10 this year, members of the Board of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) had the opportunity to meet the new Greek Consul General, Mr Emmanuel Kakavelakis, as they hosted him at the Greek Centre.

Along with a tour of the Greek Centre, GCM Board members briefed the new Consul on the operations of the GCM. A particular focus was given to the upcoming events scheduled for the 1821 anniversary celebrations and the operation of the GCM’s education program.

On the 200th anniversary celebrations, committee co-chairs Professor Marinis Pirpiris and Michael Karamitos outlined the GCM commemorative program for the Consul.

They noted that after a challenging 2020 the effects of which are still very much being felt, the Organising Committee charged with curating the GCM’s commemorative program had developed a diverse, COVID safe year-long celebration.

READ MORE: Greek tennis star and new Greek Consul General in Melbourne attend Pancretan vasilopita event.

Noting that the program would commence in the coming week with the first in a series of special seminars, the first live event would be held on March 20 and 21 as the inaugural Lonsdale St Greek Music Festival. This would be followed by a feast day celebration that included a re-enactment of the raising of the revolutionary banner on Sunday, March 28 at the historic and recently reinstated Evangelismos church in East Melbourne.

Education committee members, Nick Dallas and Spiros Papadopoulos, briefed the Consul on the emphasis that the GCM places on its educational programs which range from Pre School through to partnerships with Victorian Universities.

The Consul was given a broad overview of the different education initiatives and Greek language
programs that the Community is involved in, while also stressing the ongoing challenges it faces.
An invitation was extended to visit some of the school campuses and personally meet with some
of the students, parents and teachers.

READ MORE: Victorian program for the 200th anniversary of Greek Independence Day released.

Jim Bossinakis and Leo Vlahakis also took the opportunity to brief the Consul on the GCM’s year
long cultural program which whilst intertwined in 2021 with the 200 Year Anniversary
celebrations, is still a significant undertaking.

Mr Vlahakis in particular mentioned the Community’s Seminar program and its Festivals which of course, include the Antipodes, Greek Film and Greek Writers Festivals amongst others.

The Consul General was effusive in his praise of “our endeavour and activity.”

It was pleasing to note that the Consul appeared well briefed on the community as a whole and
expressed a willingness to work with the GCM in its events and actions. The Consul advised
that he was available at all times in regards to matters which required Greek Government input
and that he was pleased with his posting to Melbourne. There is no doubt that the Consul brings
a wealth of experience to this posting.

Musicians bring Greek music back to the former Alexander the Great Club in Sydney

Andriana Simos
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Musicians bring Greek music back to the former Alexander the Great Club in Sydney

Folk tunes from the regions of Thrace and Macedonia filled The Great Club, formerly known as the Alexander the Great Club, in Sydney on Friday, February 26 as part of the Greek Fringe‘s ‘Thraki Showcase.’

The performance by Sydney based group, Banda Politika, was the first time a Greek band had played in the newly renovated club and the music was a huge hit with the large audience which gathered.

“I was blown away by the response we had on Friday. This experimental hybrid event attracted 150 patrons and was The Great Club’s first large scale live music event which sold out!” Co-Founder of Greek Fringe, Christina Bacchiella, tells The Greek Herald.

Credit: Sofia Yiannikas.

“It was particularly great to see lots of young people at this event from different backgrounds getting a dose of Greek culture! The owners expressed that they couldn’t think of a better way to inaugurate the space than with a Greek gig that paid homage to the Club’s former identity.”

READ MORE: Greek Fringe: The inter-continental movement showcasing Greek diasporic artists.

Banda Politika, a project put together by Mihalis Platyrrahos, played traditional instruments on the night such as the Laouto, Lyra, Gaida (bagpipes) and the Daouli. This was accompanied by powerful Thracian songs which embodied the interaction of cultures from the region.

This band was the perfect interlude to a live cross to Greece for a performance by Evritiki Zygia and renowned vocalist, Katerina Douka.

These musicians brought the traditional sounds of Greece to the showcase as they played near a river in Evros – a place which not only borders Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, but is also of great geo-cultural significance to the folklore of Thrace.

“Greek Fringe was set up as a platform to showcase underrepresented artists that fall outside the mainstream and to give the diaspora a connection to the contemporary art scene in Greece. I firmly believe that traditional music has a place in the contemporary scene and that’s why we featured Evritiki Zygia and Katerina Douka – some of Greece’s top Thracian musicians,” Christina says.

It’s clear the showcase was a successful hybrid event which was enjoyed by all who attended!

Morrison Government commits $452 million to aged care sector after Royal Commission findings

The Greek Herald
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Morrison Government commits $452 million to aged care sector after Royal Commission findings

The Federal Government has committed almost half a billion dollars in an immediate response to the almost 150 recommendations in the final report of the Aged Care Royal Commission.

Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said the government was providing an additional $452.2 million in funding to address immediate issues in the aged care sector.

“It’s the inquiry we needed to have,” Mr Morrison said.

“Australians must be able to trust that their loved ones will be cared for appropriately and the community should have confidence in the system. This remains our clear goal.”

The Prime Minister, along with Health and Aged Care Minister Greg Hunt and Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck, released the more than 2000-page report after it was handed to the federal government on Friday, February 26.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the government was committed to reforming aged care.

“The royal commission’s report is a significant document, the culmination of a two-year inquiry, and demands a carefully considered response,” he said.

In its two years, the royal commission heard from 641 witnesses, including residents, staff, families and experts, held almost 100 days of hearings, accepted more than 10,500 public submissions and produced 38 reports and research papers, including a special report on COVID-19.

In its interim report, the royal commission found the aged care system had failed older Australians.

“It does not deliver uniformly safe and quality care for older people. It is unkind and uncaring towards them. In too many instances, it simply neglects them,” it said.

The Morrison government has previously committed to responding to the final report by the May budget.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.

On This Day: Influential Cypriot poet, Costas Montis, passed away aged 90

The Greek Herald
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On This Day: Influential Cypriot poet, Costas Montis, passed away aged 90

On this day in 2004, influential and prolific Cypriot poet, Costas Montis, passed away at the age of 90. To mark the occasion, we take a look back at his incredible life achievements.

Early Life:

Costas Montis was born in Famagusta, Cyprus, on February 18, 1914. He was the sixth and last child of Theodoulos Montis and Kalomoira Batista. His father was a government employee from Lapithos. His mother was the offspring of an old Venetian family from Famagusta.

His life was marred by a number of tragedies. His brother Yiorgos died of tuberculosis at the age of 21, while his other brother Nikos died of leukemia at the age of 16. In 1926, his mother died from tuberculosis and only four years later in 1930, his father died of cancer.

In 1932, Costas sells his family land in Famagusta, Kyrenia, and Karavas, and leaves for Athens, Greece, where he enrolls in the University of Athens Law School. At the same time, he works as a correspondent for the Cyprus newspaper Eleftheria under the pen name Costas Alkimos.

1914 – Costas as a baby in the arms of his beloved mother. On the left are two of his sisters, Elengo (back row) and Irinia (front row.) The other girls appear to be friends. Photos: costasmontis.com.
Costas as a young man.

In November 1937, he graduates from Law School and returns to Cyprus. However, the British colonial government does not allow graduates from Greek universities to practice law in Cyprus. Instead, he got a job in the Accounting Office of the Greek Mining Company in Nicosia. Within a year, he was promoted to assistant manager at the company offices in Nicosia.

When the mines closed down because of WWII, Costas started working as a teacher at the Accounting School in Morphou founded by his brother-in-law Costas Sylvestros, before returning to Nicosia in 1942.

That same year, Costas gets engaged to his sweetheart, 19-year-old Ersi, daughter of Pantelis Constantinou and Maria Gabrielidou from Morphou. They marry in 1946 and have four children together.

Costas and Ersi Montis with their four children (from left to right) Marios, Stalo, Theodoulos and Lellos, around 1960. Photo: costasmontis.com.

Later Life:

In 1942, Costas, together with Achilleas Lymbourides and Phivos Moussoulides, founded the first professional theatre in Cyprus, called Lyriko. Poetic verses by Costas Montis are later put to music by Lymbourides. One of these poems, Drosoulla has become very popular over the years, and is considered a folk song by many people.

In 1944, Lyriko closes down and Costas returns to his position at the Accounting School. He publishes and manages, together with Phivos Moussoulides, the theatrical and literary magazine The Theater (until 1946).

In 1946, Costas gets a job at the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce as senior editor of The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce Journal. He also publishes the newspaper Elefthera Phoni (until 1947).

Influential and prolific Cypriot poet, Costas Montis.

Costas becomes editor of the Ethnos newspaper in 1948. Two years later, he gets a position as Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce of Cyprus.

In 1953, Costas publishes the Cyprus Trade Journal in both Greek and English. In 1953, he takes part in the liberation struggle of 1955-1959 as political guide of the members of EOKA in Nicosia.

Costas takes charge of the literary section of the magazine, Times of Cyprus, from 1956 until 1969. During that time, in 1961, Costas is also appointed Director of Tourism. He retires in 1976, after 15 years.

Death and Legacy:

On March 1, 2004, Costas passed away at the age of 90 in his home.

Costas received numerous honours and awards throughout his life, and his books have been translated into several languages. Costas received honorary doctorates from both the University of Cyprus and the University of Athens.

Costas Montis delivering his speech after receiving an Honorary Doctorate by The University of Cyprus. Photo: costasmontis.com.

He was nominated for the Nobel Prize and in 2000, he was declared Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens, the highest honour conferred upon intellectual creators living outside Greece.

In support of his proposal to the Academy of Athens, Professor Nicholas Konomis included the following:

“Costas Montis is one of the greatest living Greek poets, and certainly one who renewed in a unique way modernistic lyric poetry, and enriched modern Greek poetry from the point of view of Cyprus. With his uninterrupted literary creation of 70 years, he has been able to depict artistically the authentic rhythms, the temperature, and the action of the deepest historical and emotional fluctuations of the soul and breath of Cyprus and her people. In his extremely powerful work he has recorded every vibration of the island (erotic, social, political), and all the thoughts of the people of Cyprus have been set down… He has made use of the whole wealth of the linguistic, historical, and cultural tradition of greater Hellenism, and entrenched in his work, with unprecedented poetic force, the indelible character of the deep-rooted values of the Greek nation.”

In 2004, former President of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, unveiled a bust of Costas in Nicosia close to Eleftheria Square.

Source: costasmontis.com.

Remembering Melbourne’s ‘warrior,’ Costa Procopiou, who fought for the Cypriot cause

The Greek Herald
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Remembering Melbourne’s ‘warrior,’ Costa Procopiou, who fought for the Cypriot cause

By Bill Papastergiadis.

Ancient Greece was the birthplace of philosophy and sport. Hellenistic philosophies attributed enormous importance on athletic prowess. These were the hallmarks of great leaders. For me, Costa Procopiou was a true leader. He was involved in business, academia, sport and community. He embodied all of the characteristics of someone who exercised their mind and body. This was always the picture I had of Costa and it was the immediate image that came to my mind when I received the phone call from Paul Sopikiotis (son-in-law of Costa) on Friday morning telling me of his father-in-law’s passing away. I witnessed all of these characteristics in my dealings with Costa.

I remember attending a community event some 5 years ago and as always, Costa was there in support. He was wearing a sports jacket, shirt, trousers and as I observed, he strangely was also wearing “running shoes.” I remarked to Costa, “that’s an interesting look, an unusual combination wearing the runners!!” Costa replied, “I am a tennis player and I had played a little earlier today.” I looked back at Costa and somewhat fancying my chances given Costa was in his 70s I said, “well then, I too play tennis, how about a game one day.” Without even blinking, Costa stared straight back into my eyes and with a cheeky smile replied, “I am ready whenever you are, you better come prepared.” That resolve and steely determination was enough for me to rethink that challenge.

In business, Costa had a keen eye in property and design. Aesthetics were important to him and he was a well regarded property investor and developer. Having acted for him and his family, I knew that he was astute but always fair.

Costa was a teacher for many years of our beautiful language.

However, where I knew Costa the most was in his “warrior approach” to the Cypriot cause. Before the rallies for the Cypriot cause each year in the city, he would ring me to make sure I would attend. Of course, I would always be there. Costa led from the front. It was his duty to fight for this just cause to see his beloved home freed. He carried this emotion and conviction deep in his heart 

Costa was a warrior. Our community is and will always be indebted to him.  

More artefacts recovered from Greek shipwreck near Kythera carrying parts of the Parthenon

The Greek Herald
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More artefacts recovered from Greek shipwreck near Kythera carrying parts of the Parthenon

The latest expedition by divers to the wreck of the Mentor, which sank just off the island of Kythera in 1802, has recovered several new artefacts. This includes the ship’s rigging, coins, the leather sole of a shoe, a metal buckle, a token for playing cards, two chess pieces and fragments of cooking utensils.

When Mentor sank, the ship was carrying marble sculptures chipped from the badly damaged Parthenon in Athens — later known as the Parthenon Marbles. These spectacular sculptures — which depict Greek gods, heroes and animals — are now on display at the British Museum in London.

READ MORE: Parthenon Marbles among artefacts being examined by British Museum’s new curator.

But according to marine archaeologist, Dimitris Kourkoumelis, of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities in Greece, these small objects recovered from the wreck reveal intriguing aspects of the lives of the people onboard the ship when it sank.

Divers on the latest archaeological expedition to the shipwreck of the Mentor, which sank in 1802 with valuable sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens on board. Image credit: Yiannis Issaris.

“The target is to understand how people were living and how life was onboard, not only for the passengers but also for the crew,” Kourkoumelis told Live Science.

“We’ve found gold coins from Utrecht in Holland, as well as from Spain, and also coins from the Ottoman Empire — so it was really a cosmopolitan group [of people] on the Mentor.” 

READ MORE: On this day in 1801, Lord Elgin removed and stole the Parthenon Marbles from Greece.

Kourkoumelis has led diving expeditions to the wreck of the Mentor every summer since 2009, after the Greek government enacted legislation to protect the shipwreck and formally ordered state archaeologists to excavate it. 

The Mentor managed to stay afloat until its crew and passengers scrambled onto the rocks at Kythera, but it sank quickly after that; much of the wooden hull is now surrounded by rocks. Image credit: V. Tsiairis.

The construction of the Mentor is very different from that of similar ships built in the Mediterranean, Kourkoumelis says.

“The American ships were built to travel in the open ocean and so they were much stronger — it’s very interesting to work on a ship like that,” he said.

READ MORE: Australia takes the lead in demanding the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

The wooden vessel is now rotting away after more than 200 years under the waves, and only a few more years of excavations will be possible, he added.

The wreck of the Mentor is most famous for the statues from the Parthenon that it carried when it sank, but the Greek excavations have focused on recovering much smaller objects. Image credit: V. Tsiairis.

Besides the Parthenon Marbles, no more items from Elgin’s collection have ever been found. However, Kourkoumelis told Live Science that the wreck has yielded numerous other small objects over the years, including gold jewelry, ancient coins and Greek pottery that probably came from the private collections of some of the passengers onboard when it sank.

The most recent finds last year included two wooden chess pieces — another six pieces from the same set were found in previous years — and a metal token or coin that was probably used in a card game. 

The artefacts recovered from the Mentor shipwreck by the Greek government excavations include several pieces of gold jewelry and gold coins, such as this Spanish coin from 1756. Image credit: Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities.

Archaeologists plan to scientifically examine all of the items, many of which will be displayed at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Kourkoumelis said. The museum already displays about half of the Parthenon sculptures that remain, and it has space reserved for the remaining Parthenon Marbles if they are ever returned to Greece.

READ MORE: An architectural story worth knowing: The Acropolis museum.

“We are excavating the ship that is associated with one of the most painful episodes of the recent history of Greece,” Kourkoumelis told Live Science.

“I think it is very important to show that we are not only asking for things, but we are working for the protection of everything that is involved.”

Source: Live Science.

Turkey’s Defence Minister issues direct threat to Greece

The Greek Herald
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Turkey’s Defence Minister issues direct threat to Greece

Turkish Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar, has warned that the Greek people will “suffer the most damage” as a result of tensions that, he said, are being fueled by Athens and by recent moves from Greece to strengthen its armed forces. 

He also reiterated Ankara’s allegations that Greek fighter jets harassed the Cesme hydrographic vessel last week. 

“As you know, Greek fighter jets disturbed the Cesme, which is conducting scientific research. Of course, the appropriate response was given by our officials,” Akar said.

“I emphasise once more that this attitude has nothing to do with good neighborly relations.”

Akar also accused Athens of trying to turn Greek-Turkish disputes into a broader issue affecting Turkey’s relations with the European Union and the United States.

Referring to Ankara’s “Blue Homeland ” doctrine, which envisages Turkish influence over large swathes of the Mediterranean, he said “we have no aspirations for anyone’s rights, lands and waters.”

“But will not give up our rights. We are determined and able to defend our rights in the Blue Homeland, as well as in Cyprus,” he added. 

In response, Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, told Parliament that Greece is not going to enter the process of responding to Turkey on every occasion. “Greece is confident,” he stressed. 

At the same time, Turkish fighter jets conducted unauthorised overflights on Friday above the islets of Agathonissi, Panagia and Oinousses.

In general, Athens sees a pattern of behavior in the recent inflammatory rhetoric, the dispatch of the Cesme in the Aegean and Friday’s overflights. This is mainly due to Ankara’s insistence on expanding the agenda of exploratory contacts, which recently resumed between the two countries, to include a wide range of issues.

The next round of exploratory contacts is not expected before the completion of the naval exercises announced by Ankara until March 5.

Source: Ekathimerini.

Farewell to Theo Palaxides: Adelaide’s hospitality pioneer with a big heart

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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Farewell to Theo Palaxides: Adelaide’s hospitality pioneer with a big heart

On Sunday, January 17, family and friends of the late Theo (Theodoros) Palaxides gathered at Port Adelaide’s Argo Restaurant to share a meal and cherish memories of one of South Australia’s Greek hospitality pioneers who died late last year, age 83.

Born in Aigaleo, Athens, in 1937 to refugee parents from Asia Minor, he endured the rigours of war-torn Greece during the German occupation and at the tender age of 17 he decided to follow his older brother, John, to Australia with the intention of studying law.

Although he never pursued the career he was hoping to, Palaxides, followed a different path in life and with his multifaceted personality and deep socially constituted knowledge managed to succeed and influence many.

‘His life was dedicated to helping people’

Merline, his wife, met Theo at ‘The Iliad’ forty-four years ago and never left his side until the day he died.

“There will never be another Theo. He was a modern-day philosopher. He would go off and solve problems almost insolvable but somehow, he always found a way to get around things. His life was dedicated to helping people. 

“He started the first Greek restaurant in Adelaide, The Iliad, back in the early 1970s with two of his friends. None of them knew about restaurants but with their combined personalities and skills they made a great success of being restaurateurs,” Merline tells The Greek Herald.

(L) Photo: Theo Palaxides with his older brother John and (R) Merline and Theo

After his first restaurant, Theo realised that hospitality runs in his blood and so he continued on in this industry. After ‘The Iliad’ came the ‘Taverna Delphi’, then ‘The Grecian Barbeque’ and later ‘Theo’s Restaurant’.

“Many people followed him from restaurant to restaurant. He knew how to use his charm and knowledge to make everyone feel special. He could remember names and pick-up conversations from previous visits,” says Merline.

In 1980, Theo had a heart attack and then another in 1993 when he had a quadruple bypass. 

At the time, he was told that the longest time a patient had survived from this procedure was 22 years but the big-hearted Greek survived five more, only to prove -as he always liked to do- that it’s alright for someone to be different. 

Palaxides’ passion for life and everything Greek 

Although very successful, Palaxides’ focus during his lifetime was not to accrue wealth but to help as many people as he could. 

“My uncle always put other people before himself and he believed that everyone should be treated as equal and that for every problem there is a solution,” Savvas Palaxoglou says. 

Photo (L): Theo’s wife of 44 years, Merline and his sister in law and (R) Savvas Palaxoglou with his son

“He was a pioneer not only as a restaurateur and an entrepreneur, but also as someone who embedded his homeland’s cuisine and culture into the Australian culinary tapestry. 

“In the restaurants he established -apart from the food- he wanted to offer his clients an all-rounded Greek experience and that was what made him unique,” Mr Palaxoglou says.

“This is why the -then- South Australian Premier, Don Dunstan, always tapped into his knowledge about issues that concerned the Greek community.”

‘To us he was a Professor’

His long-time friends Nikitas, Peter and Theofilos also speak highly of Theo who “cared deeply not only about his family and friends but for the universe and its people” and how he always loved to have long conversations about life, politics and everything that concerned the world around him. 

“I met Theo and worked at his restaurant, The Grecian Barbeque, in 1978. Nine years later I started my own business and he [Theo] was always there whenever I needed his advice. We were like brothers. 

“We would meet or call each other every day and talk about history or politics. I admired his passion and deep knowledge for the Greek culture. He was a philosopher.

From L to R: Late Theo’s friends Peter, Nikitas and Theofilos

“Adelaide’s Greek community lost one of its very best people,” says Nikitas and Peter Photakis agrees.

“I used to call him Professor. I am educated myself but Palaxides taught me a lot. To me he was a mentor,” says Photakis, while another of the late Theo’s friends says he will always remember his smile and willingness to help.

“Twenty years ago, I had an administrative problem with immigration and Theo introduced me to a lawyer who solved the case. 

“I will always remember his wide smile, calm nature and his caustic but witty remarks at times,” says Theofilos Kotrotsios.  

Theo Palaxides is gone but his legacy will live on through all those who benefited from his compassion and generosity.

“Life is short and it fades away like a shooting star, respect the people around you and live every day,” he used to say. 

Insight or Perspective: What is the problem with Greek language learning in Australia?

The Greek Herald
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Insight or Perspective: What is the problem with Greek language learning in Australia?

By Eleni Elefterias

What do you think is the problem with Greek language learning in Australia and do you have a solution?

Recently, I asked this question to a University colleague from the Engineering and Biomolecular Faculty of Sydney University.

“The teaching of the language needs more structure and to be geared for our Australian born children,” says Alex Missiris.

Alex successfully taught her daughter, Christina, Greek and highly recommends a private tutor.

“As an Australian-born Greek, I was not impressed with my own language learning as a child at Greek afternoon school, when I was slapped across the face and fell to the floor because I couldn’t answer a question in Greek. This happened in the 70’s and it stopped me from learning better Greek.

“I went through eight different tutors until I found the right one for my daughter in Michelle Pikoulas  If it were not for Michelle, my daughter who is half Italian, would not have acquired the fluent language skills in Greek she has today,” says Alex.

Alex gave up Greek school after her bad experience, which is a pity, because for those of us who persevered, in the 60’s and 70’s, we learnt a lot.

Of course, there will always be good and bad teaching. Today we are lucky that we have a new influx of Greek teachers from Greece migrate to live or work Australia.

Unfortunately, their teaching methods are geared to children in Greece who have already had much incidental learning before starting school.

Luckily, we have a new program offered by the Sydney Institute for Community Languages directed by Professor Ken Cruickshank, which is open to all teachers of Community languages, whether they have completed University previously or not.

The course provides is a valuable resource for teachers as not only does it teach teaching methodology but it also teaches the difference between indigenous language learners, in their own country and children born to migrants in Australia. 

READ MORE: How can associations help the continuation of the Greek language?

*Eleni Elefterias-Kostakidis is a teacher of Modern Greek and University lecturer. Read her column ‘Insight or Perspective’ in Greek, every Saturday in The Greek Herald’s print edition or get your subscription here.

Sydney Olympic suffer first season loss to rivals Sydney United 58

The Greek Herald
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Sydney Olympic suffer first season loss to rivals Sydney United 58

It was frustrating day for fans at the iconic Belmore Sports Ground as Sydney Olympic FC failed to score against rivals Sydney United 58, losing their season opener 1-0.

Sydney Olympic came of the back of a slightly disappointing pre-season. The team is led by coach Ante Juric, however, who promised this week that the boys will play their hardest for the blue and white badge.

“Definitely want to win but the focus for me is every match putting everything you have into it. When you do that, you get your success and your rewards,” Ante Juric said during the team’s season launch.

Olympic presented a strong, flowing form of attack at the start of the match, with winger Fabio Ferreira putting in and getting under a few creative opportunities.

Sydney Olympic vs Sydney United. Photo: NPL NSW / Dan Ullman @aptitudephotography

Well worked from the defence, a long ball to Peter Kekeris saw the young Greek Australian out-muscle one defender and chop inside to beat another. Kekeris sent a curling ball towards the net that narrowly went wide.

Returning the the Sydney Olympic senior squad this season, Luke Kairies was tested by Sydney United’s Devante Clut soon after Kekeris’ opportunity. United seemed to hold a momentum advantage from this stage, with Kairies forced to save another shot five minutes later, this time from United striker Chris Payne.

The striker, who scored an impressive 27 goals from 38 games with APIA Leichhardt the past two seasons, proved to be the biggest annoyance for Olympic, hitting a few deadly strikes in the first half.

Olympic remained on the defensive until the end of the first half, where the score remained 0-0.

Sydney Olympic vs Sydney United. Photo: NPL NSW / Dan Ullman @aptitudephotography

It was onwards and upwards in terms of energy for the Sydney Olympic side. A few fruitful opportunities were shown on the left side of the pitch, yet most were easily countered by the Sydney United defence.

Olympic defender Tom Whiteside put an outstanding show of defence to keep Payne at bay in the first half. Taking a great shot from a corner delivery in the 64th minute, Whiteside was forced to sprint back to his defensive line where Payne and Clut were on a breakaway.

Standing in front of goal, Whiteside clashed into the striker with full momentum, forcing both players tumbling down and a penalty to be given to Sydney United. Whiteside also received a yellow card as Payne scored the penalty opportunity, giving United a goal lead.

Sydney Olympic vs Sydney United. Photo: NPL NSW / Dan Ullman @aptitudephotography

It wouldn’t be a derby without some on-field clashes. Four yellow cards were handed out in the match, two for each team.

Substitutions by Olympic to bring on Yu Hasegawa and Jason Madonis late in the match didn’t do much for the Belmore boys as the United defence held strong. The greatest opportunities came from the terrific partnership between Brendan Cholakian and Fabio Ferreira who, despite never managing to hit it in the back of the net, put some fear in the United defence.

The match finished 1-0 in favour of Sydney United 58. Sydney Olympic FC will face Rockdale at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre next Sunday at 3pm.

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