Niko James Lipovac: Mayoral hopeful and diehard Rabbitoh gears up for NRL decider
Is media personality-turned mayoral hopeful Niko Lipovac the biggest Rabbitohs fan on the Mid-North Coast? After 50 years of ups and downs, he can’t wait for Sunday’s epic NRL decider.
Mid-North Coast
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Niko Lipovac can’t quite recall exactly what it was that made him fall madly in love with his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs, but more than 50 years later, the love affair is as strong as ever.
The self-professed number one Souths fan on the Mid-North Coast, who is better known as the man behind the mic at Super Radio Mid-North Coast, recently announced he’ll be making a tilt for mayor at the upcoming local government elections.
But this weekend, he’ll be leaving his hosting and campaigning duties behind to put the feet up on the couch ahead of Souths clash with the Penrith Panthers in Sunday’s decider.
Mr Lipovac grew up in Sydney’s inner west suburb of Camperdown, where Souths 1970 Grand Final hero John Sattler also resided.
He fondly recalls visiting family friends who lived in a house on Chalmers St directly across the road from the front gate to Redfern Oval where he’d sneak in to watch his beloved Bunnies play.
“I’m not sure exactly what it was that got me hooked at any early age,” he said.
“I always loved Rugby League but if you asked me how I became a Souths fan, then perhaps it was the first time I saw the mascot Reggie Rabbit, soaking up the incredible atmosphere at a packed Redfern Oval, or it might have been the smell of the hot dogs.
“Whatever it was, I wanted to be a part of it and the Rabbits were my team.”
Mr Lipovac has ridden the roller coaster that comes with being a fan of the foundation rugby league club for 50 years.
He was just 11 when he watched Souths beat the Sharks at Leichhardt in the 1981 Tooth Cup Final.
Six yeas later In 1987 he saw Souths play Manly as part of a record crowd during one of their final matches at Redfern.
Mr Lipovac himself was a keen footballer, captaining the Newtown High School rugby league team in the Schoolboy knockout Comp.
He fondly remembers playing on the hallowed turf of Redfern Oval.
“To play on Redfern Oval and sit in the sheds where all my childhood heroes have been before was truly a memorable experience,” he said.
The 1989 year promised success for Souths fans, but delivered little. The side finished on top of the table, and Mr Lipovac was at the Sydney Football Stadium for the semi-finals where Canberra and Balmain beat them in consecutive weeks.
“Dreams were crushed followed by a decade of poor performances, and then the Super League war that resulted in the biggest loss of them all.
“The Foundation Club was kicked out … I cried when they kicked us out of the comp in 1999.
“I joined the Protest March of 80,000 people from Redfern to Town Hall in November 2000. I took a sickie from work and drove from Lithgow to Sydney to spend a day watching proceedings in the High Court.
“I cried again when we won the case in 2001 and the club was reinstated. During the hiatus I even went to an exhibition match between a makeshift South Sydney side and the USA Tomahawks. That’s how desperate I was to see them play”.
It took several seasons for the Rabbitohs to put together a competitive team and just as things were improving South Sydney struck up an arrangement to play their pre-season trial matches in Coffs Harbour where he was asked to be the ground announcer.
A member of 20 years, Mr Lipovac still makes time to see his team play every year, including matches during the last two Covid-affected seasons.
“I was at the 2012 and 2018 preliminary final matches, which we lost, and I took my then 10-year-old son to watch Souths win the prelim in 2014 and then go on to win our first Grand Final in 43 years,” he said.
“I thought I’d be more emotional at the time but I was just happy and relieved that they finally did it and I was proud to be there with my boy to see it.”
Earlier this year, Mr Lipovac was invited to host the #play4jake fundraising event to assist cancer research for late Port Macquarie teenager Jake Spurdle.
He said while it may have only been seven years since South Sydney won their last Premiership, it’s still only one win in 50 years. still only 1 win over the last 50 years.
He’s hoping come Sunday night, they can double that tally to two.
“If they could win for Reynolds, Marshall and Bennett who are leaving the club it would be a fitting tribute and an amazing fairy tale finish,” he said.
“I wish I could be there on Sunday, but instead I’ll be on the couch and ready to belt out my rendition of Glory, Glory. “
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