South Melbourne FC are today mourning the loss of club legend John Margaritis who has passed away.
Margaritis played approximately 100 league games for the club, scoring 23 goals and winning VSL Championships in 1962, 1964, 1965 and 1966.
His seven-year tenure with South Melbourne elevated him to a iconic figure whose contributions earned him a place in both the club’s Hall of Fame and Team of the Century.
Beyond his playing career, Margaritis was a revered coach, admired by both players and peers, including renowned coach Ange Postecoglou. His influence resonated across the Victorian football community, where he inspired many, particularly within the Greek Australian community, where he was seen as a true role model.
Margaritis’ dedication to South Melbourne endured well beyond his playing years. He continued to support the club, including both the men’s and women’s squads.
His legacy lives on through his family, with his granddaughter Alanah winning a championship with South Melbourne, and his daughter, Gabrielle Giuliano, serving as a pioneer for women’s football in Victoria and leading the club for a decade.
The club expressed its condolences in a Facebook post, writing: “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his daughter, our Vice President Gabrielle Giuliano, and her family… Rest in peace, Giannelo.”
Subway Young Socceroos’ Head Coach, Trevor Morgan has selected a 23-player squad for Australia’s upcoming AFC U20 Asian Cup China PR 2025™ Qualifiers to be held in Abha, Saudi Arabia between 21 – 29 September 2024.
The preliminary stage of the U20 continental tournament – which serves as qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™ – comprises 45 teams, divided into 10 groups, featuring five of four teams and five of five teams. Qualifying groups will be contested in a centralised league format, with teams seeded into pots based on their final rankings from the tournament’s previous edition.
Having been drawn into Group D, the Subway Young Socceroos will play their fixtures out of Prince Sultan Sports City Stadium against Afghanistan, Macau, Palestine and Saudi Arabia (home).
The Subway Young Socceroos will assemble in Abha from Sunday, 15 September as they look to acclimatise to the mountainous conditions, which are more than 2,200 metres above sea level.
Panagiotis Kikianis. Photo: Adelaide United.
Morgan brings together a squad brimming with young talent from across the Isuzu UTE A-League Men competition, headlined by Miguel Di Pizio (Central Coast Mariners FC) and Thomas Waddingham (Brisbane Roar FC).
Emerging A-League Men players Luka Jovanovic, Panagiotis Kikianis, Fabian Talladira and Johnny Yull have all been selected from Adelaide United FC; while Zach Lisolajski (Perth Glory FC) and Zane Schreiber (Melbourne City FC) have also been named.
While some key European-based players are unavailable, Louis Agosti (AC Perugia Calcio), Liam Bonetig (Celtic FC), Anthony Pavlesic (FC Bayern Munich) and Rhys Youlley (KVC Westerlo) have been made available by their respective clubs, despite these Qualifiers falling outside of a Men’s FIFA International Window.
Subway Young Socceroos’ Head Coach, Trevor Morgan said his squad has been building towards these Qualifiers for some time and are looking forward to the challenge.
📋 #YoungSocceroos Head Coach Trevor Morgan has selected a 23-player squad for Australia’s upcoming #AFCU20AsianCup China PR 2025™ Qualifiers to be held in Abha, Saudi Arabia between 21 – 29 September 2024.
“Our planning over the last 12-18 months has been about progressively building depth, experience and belief while refining our style of play ahead of these Qualifiers and ultimately ensuring we’re at the U20 Asian Cup in 2025,” Morgan said.
“The staff see real talent in these players with many progressing into A-League Men squads across the country. It’s an exciting group who thoroughly deserve to be in this position.
“The boys have had some fantastic results against difficult opposition recently and we’ve shown what we’re capable of when we play our football – it’s important we now execute that in a tournament-style setting with plenty at stake.
“We know the conditions and the opposition will be tough, especially with so much to play for and securing a result in this type of situation will not only galvanise us as a group but illustrate the mentality we’ve built throughout this cycle.”
The 10 group Winners and five best second-placed teams will qualify for the 42nd edition of the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ which will be held in China PR from 6 – 23 February 2025.
For a complete list of Qualifying Groups for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China PR 2025™ click here.
The Victorian Liberal Party replaced its Chisholm candidate Theo Zographos with former MP Katie Allen following the abolition of the historic Higgins seat in a recent electoral boundary redistribution.
The party’s administrative committee re-endorsed 21 candidates after finalising the Victorian federal redistribution recently.
The decision to oust Zographos followed a boundary redraw that moved over 30% of Higgins, where Allen had been seeking a return after her 2022 defeat, into the neighbouring Chisholm electorate.
Katie Allen. Photo: Aaron Francis.
A Victorian Liberal Party spokesman said Dr Allen was a “tireless worker and advocate for families”.
“As a pediatrician she understands the importance (of) the integration of health, education and financial security for the welfare of families,” he said.
“Theo Zographos has made a substantial contribution to promoting the Party’s cause, and we are very grateful to him for his hard work.”
Dr Allen said she was “deeply honoured” for the opportunity, acknowledging that “Theo is an incredible candidate and has a bright future.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Vienna, Austria on Wednesday, September 11 to address several critical migration issues, emphasising the need for EU member states to control who enters the European Union.
Mitsotakis commended Austria’s support in March 2020, when Greece successfully defended its borders against a coordinated attempt to breach them.
He noted this as a turning point in Europe’s approach to migration, with a growing emphasis on protecting external borders, as reflected in the European Council’s conclusions and the Migration and Asylum Pact.
Photo: @PrimeministerGR / X.
Reflecting on Greece’s progress over the last five years, Mitsotakis highlighted significant improvements in migration management. He indicated that reception facilities on the Aegean islands have been upgraded and the number of migrants from Turkish shores have significantly reduced.
Mitsotakis confirmed that the planned fence along the Evros River would be built, either through national resources or the favoured support from Europe.
Turning to legal migration, Mitsotakis spoke of agreements with countries such as Egypt and underscored the importance of adhering to the rule of law and existing agreements, particularly with respect to European integration prospects for the Western Balkans.
On broader regional issues, the Greek PM reaffirmed his country’s dedication to brokering a ceasefire in the Middle East, alleviating the humanitarian crisis and securing the release of hostages. He warned that further escalation in the region could have serious consequences for Europe.
Ευχαριστώ τον Καγκελάριο της Αυστρίας @karlnehammer για τη φιλοξενία του σήμερα στη Βιέννη. Η συνάντησή μας ήταν μία ευκαιρία να επανεπιβεβαιώσουμε τους εξαιρετικά στενούς δεσμούς μεταξύ των δύο κρατών μας. https://t.co/DfksTQCCrhpic.twitter.com/LKUKONWe18
Addressing the energy crisis, Mitsotakis acknowledged that energy costs in Europe remain high due to recent market distortions in the European energy sector, calling for greater investment in Europe’s infrastructure.
In his broader comments regarding migration, Mitsotakis stressed the urgent need to implement the Migration and Asylum Pact, emphasising that Greece should not be left to bear the brunt of managing migrant flows simply due to its geographic location. He called for ongoing European support, cautioning that current resources might not be sufficient.
Mitsotakis concluded with the rejection of an ad hoc approach to migration that undermines the Schengen Agreement. He argued that Greece should not be expected to provide better social protections for refugees than for its own citizens, especially in light of the country’s recent economic challenges.
An all-Victorian, extra-time, 3-2 classic between Hume City and South Melbourne kicked off the 2024 Australia Cup Quarter-Finals, at a soaking Hume City Stadium.
Jordan Lampard provided the winning goal deep into extra time to send South Melbourne into the semi-finals, where they will face either fellow NPL Victoria side Oakleigh Cannons, or former cup champions Macarthur FC.
The hosts took the lead 12 minutes in as the rain began to pour down. Josh Bingham slid in to convert Mark Ochieng’s right-sided cross that had been dropped onto him, in the middle of the box.
Bingham’s goal was Hume’s first against South Melbourne in 2024, losing 1-0 in their previous four matches across the Dockerty Cup and NPL Men’s Victoria encounters.
City continued to pressure their opponents, stealing possession high up the field with a second goal looking likely. South Melbourne burst into life just after the half-hour with a quickfire double chance.
The lively Andy Brennan drilled in a ball from the right that Nahuel Bonada poked goal-wards, provoking a top reaction save from Michael Weier. The ball rebounded out to Jack Painter-Andrews further out, who lashed a strike at goal, with full-back Ochieng heading the ball away from the goal line.
City’s bright start to the match proved the difference at the halftime break as they went into the sheds with a narrow lead over their Victorian rivals.
South Melbourne were handed a lifeline just four minutes into the second half when Karl Imanzi was deemed to have handled the ball in the box. Harrison Sawyer took responsibility and picked out the top right corner, with Weier diving in the other direction.
The visitors’ equaliser ignited a fiery period in the game as the two sides traded blows and the pitch began to open, with chances falling both ways. However, the next goal would not arrive until the 73rd minute.
South Melbourne’s Maximilian Mikkola pushed the ball out to Lampard off the left, who swung a cross back into Mikkola to head the ball into the right of the goal. However, the home side pegged South Melbourne back less than two minutes later. Left-back Lachlan Weier lined up a shot from outside the box and arrowed a right-footed strike into the top left corner, netting a memorable first goal of the year.
After a gruelling and wet 90 minutes at Hume City Stadium, the match moved into extra time. This tested the endurance of both squads, who had recently concluded a long NPL campaign. Yet, in the 116th minute, South Melbourne retook the lead.
A right-sided ball was stood up into the middle of the box, and it bounced towards the back post for Lampard, who directed a diving header inside the right post.
The visitors defended diligently in what remained to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Cup. This will be South Melbourne’s second appearance in the semi-finals, having previously made the final four in 2017.
The Melbourne Press Club (MPC) and Independent Multicultural Media Australia (IMMA) will present a forum on the critical issue of misinformation and disinformation in the context of multicultural media during elections on Thursday, September 12 at 11am.
The discussion, titled ‘Misinformation/Disinformation and Multicultural Media – The Challenge of Council Elections,’ is timely as Victorian local councils prepare for their October elections.
The panel will feature Sven Bluemmel, Victorian Electoral commissioner, Ildiko Dadua, acting head of planning and development at SBS Audio, and Fotis Kapetopoulos, the secretary of IMMA and journalist. The moderator will be Sushi Das, associate director of the Information Integrity Hub at RMIT University.
The event will explore the challenges faced by Victorian communities in accessing accurate and helpful information that upholds the integrity of local democracy. With the rise of misinformation and disinformation, the panel will delve into strategies to ensure that voters across various communities are well-informed.
The event is supported by the US Consulate and RMIT University.
Event Details:
Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Date: Thursday, September 12
Venue: Kaleide Theatre, RMIT University, Swanston St.
The Mytilenian Brotherhood of Sydney has announced the return of its annual ‘Sardella Day’ event on Sunday, September 22, at the Mytilenian House in Canterbury from 12.30pm.
A beloved tradition on the Greek island of Lesvos, Sardella Day honours the island’s famous sardines, fished from the gulfs of Gera and Kalloni.
This Sydney event will bring the flavours and traditions of Lesvos to the local community, offering a menu of BBQ Sardella, fried Sardella, oven-baked Sardella, and a variety of traditional mezethakia.
The day will also feature live music from Ioannis Keligiannis, Thanasis Pylarinos, and Nikos Filippatos, ensuring an authentic Greek atmosphere. A vibrant dance performance by the Sydney Greek Dancing School group will add to the lively celebration.
President of the Mytilenian Brotherhood Peter Psomas encouraged everyone to attend the event.
“We always look forward to Sardella Day and keeping the tradition going from one of the biggest festivals that takes place on our lovely island of Lesvos,” Mr Psomas told The Greek Herald.
‘Sardella Day’ begins at 12:30pm at the Mytilenian House, located at 225 Canterbury Road, Canterbury. For bookings call: 0402 207 546 / 0435 604 433 / or 0401 268 888. Don’t miss out on this wonderful cultural experience!
Video editor Bianca Farmakis from The Australian slammed Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson for her insensitive and bold claims regarding her ‘holistic’ approach to curing her cancer. Farmakis intertwined her criticism with her personal experiences grappling with her own mother’s same diagnosis.
Macpherson candidly revealed in her new book Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself for the first time that she endured a battle with breast cancer seven years ago when she was diagnosed with HER2 positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma.
She ignored the medical advice of 32 doctors to undergo radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy and chose to instead take a “holistic” approach to treating her cancer.
In response, Farmakis wrote in an opinion piece for The Australian that “survivors, patients and the people around them that bear witness to the horrific process of treatment understand the desperation of seeking out a way – any way – to avoid that dreaded needle of chilling fluids.”
“Chemo is a tough, paradoxical therapy, pumped deep into the body for hours on end, while nurses clad in thick protective vests pass around lollipops and icy poles to subdue the rising nausea and dwindling morale,” she added.
Photo: The Australian.
Farmakis also addressed Macpherson’s viral 60 Minutes interview, wherein the model makes claims regarding her “intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach” to cancer healing and “fear” causing sickness. She said it “now stands in stark and ugly contrast to the video released overnight by the Princess of Wales announcing the conclusion of her own chemotherapy treatment.”
“One woman has used her platform to promote the delusion that an aggressively growing tumour can be beaten with prayer and meditation – packaged neatly beside her WelleCo products for sale,” Farmakis outlined.
“The other leverages her immense fame to tell of the power that comes after the pain of gruelling medical treatments. With vulnerable honesty, the future queen offers real hope that every family affected by cancer clings to after diagnosis.”
The criticism of this stark contrast is enriched by Farmakis’ incorporation of her own experiences.
“My mother, a hairdresser to her friends, was known for her signature flowing, honey-dyed locks. Shaving her head down to the scalp – jagged lines of bare flesh poking through as it fell to the floor, both of us crying – was a painful ritual that is endured by so many chemo recipients,” she wrote.
Farmakis went on to declare, “In a post-Covid era where scepticism of medical science has reached feverish new heights, such insidious claims can influence people, especially those at their most vulnerable. Not those few who can afford an eight-month stay at an Arizona holistic health centre, but those without the means to take time off work or from their role as primary carer to spend months throwing up into a toilet bowl, weakened, underweight and enduring the kind of fatigue that makes you question whether you’ve ever known sleep at all.”
“A message like Macpherson’s sets us back,” Farmakis ultimately concludes.
Brett Andrew Button has been sentenced to 32 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 24 years, following his involvement in a tragic bus crash in the Hunter Valley in 2023.
On June 11 of last year Brett Andrew Button, 59, was driving a bus carrying wedding guests from the Hunter Valley vineyards to Singleton when the vehicle rolled and crashed into a guardrail at Greta.
The accident resulted in the deaths of 10 people and left 25 others injured.
“You killed my family, the future mother of my children, my future wife, my best friend,” Dinakis said in a victim statement to the court.
Photo: Bridget Murphy / ABC Newcastle.
In Newcastle District Court today, the emotional impact of the case was palpable as the loved ones of the victims wept and embraced while the sentence was announced.
Judge Roy Ellis said in his 50 years in the justice system he had “never dealt with a case that contained anywhere near the devastation”.
“I reiterate the sentence I impose will not bring back the deceased, the sentence will not heal the physical injuries of survivors or heal the heartache of the families of the 10 deceased victims,” Judge Ellis said.
In court, Button said he takes “responsibility for the death and injuries… I live with this every day and I hate myself.” He denied negligence.
Despite earning “too little” to secure a loan, Sydney music teacher Monica Rouvellas successfully navigated several banking obstacles to acquire three homes valued at $1.2 million.
With an income of $70,000 a year on top of the fact she was self-employed, the banks assessed her ability to pay the loan at only 60 per cent of that income, leaving her with minimal money to take out.
However, Rouvellas told realestate.com.au that she resolved this obstacle through a special purpose vehicle. It is essentially a company she set up for her property deals and it has meant the banks assessed her risk differently and were able to lend her more than she would have got applying for loans personally.
She has also joined forces with her brother. Together they went 50/50 on the loan and upfront costs, buying their first unit for $350,000 with a 10 per cent deposit.
Since acquiring two more homes, she has managed her finances so effectively that her total debt on these properties stands at approximately $500,000, leaving her with approximately $700,000 in equity.
Monica Rouvellas’ first home buy on NSW’s south coast. Photo: realestate.com.au.
Remarkably, the rental income from these properties nearly covers her mortgage payments, reducing her out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum.
“One thing I learnt is that banks treat you differently if you take out lending products as a business,” Rouvellas told realestate.com.au.
“The banks’ risk appetite is different. You have the backing of the Corporations Act so the banks have more alternatives if things don’t go well. You also get more asset protection benefits and there’s more ways to minimise your tax.”
Stressing the importance of buying in the right place at the right time, Rouvellas added: “I do a lot of research to look at which areas are going to grow and where the rents will be high.”
“My advice for anyone (investing) is to get advice on structuring your loans. It makes all the difference,” she added.
