‘We need a home ground’: Calls for better facilities amid NT’s third straight Australia Cup thrashing

An almighty thrashing for one of the NT’s biggest sporting clubs by a southern interloper has exposed wider issues for the code. Read what the wake up call means for its future.

Hopes of a historic win to go through to the Australia Cup Round of 16 have been dashed after Darwin’s oldest soccer club copped a 6-nil thrashing to NSW club Inter Lions.

In a horror start to Thursday night’s clash, Hellenic Athletic conceded three goals in the first half before being bundled out of the competition.

The result in the nation wide knockout competition marked the third year in a row a Northern Territory club has lost by the same scoreline against an interstate opposition.

Hellenic coach Dimi Galanopoulos said the dismal trend was a reality check for football in the Territory.

“To be honest it’s a learning curve for the club, for football in Darwin, all the players not just from Hellenic, the whole of Darwin, they need to realise that we’ve got work to do to reach the level down south,” he said.

“So for us, for me and for the whole of Darwin, it’s a lesson, because the last three years, Hellenic, Mindil Aces and Casuarina, we have had the same result from the team’s down south.

“So it is a message to everyone in Darwin that we’ve got extra work to do to reach the down south level.”

Galanopoulos said facilities were a key factor in the Territory that needed to change in order for the standard to improve — particularly for Hellenic and some other sides which had poor surfaces or no lights at their training facilities.

He also said clubs should be playing on their own home grounds like other sports in the Top End, including AFL and cricket.

As it stands, every team in the premier men’s and women’s soccer competitions play at Darwin Football Stadium.

Hellenic Athletic. Picture: Daniel Abrantes

In terms of training facilities, Hellenic, which boasts one of the most participants (250) of any club in the Territory, is facing the biggest issue as it juggles where its senior men’s team will train next week, while dealing with two problematic facilities.

On the one hand, the 65-year-old club have Tracy Village sports club which has lights but a surface that’s too hard to train on at the moment, or Jingili Oval where they get a better, softer surface, but less training time as there are no lights.

“Quite frankly, we don’t know where we are going to go next week,” club president Kosta Boubaris said.

“We are tossing up, do we stay at Jingili, do we try and go back to Tracy Village and make use of the ground that’s got a little bit greener but probably most likely still hard under foot but it’s got lights.

“We have just been going back and forth.”

Boubaris said the lack of available grounds available to cater for the team’s numbers was also “a problem each year” and made it “difficult to grow a club”.

Thanks to Football NT, the club’s senior men’s team were granted the opportunity to train at Darwin Football Stadium for three sessions in the lead up to Thursday’s Australia Cup Round of 32 game.

A secret report contains a proposed masterplan for the Tracy Village Social and Sports Club, which recommends three soccer pitches. Picture: DNS Specialist Services

Boubaris said the major improvements recommended for Tracy Village Social & Sports Club in a feasibility study published in October last year was “an amazing opportunity for a sporting hub in the northern suburbs” which could support all parties.

Galanopoulos said the state of facilities in Darwin was a vastly different to those of teams down, south such as recent Australia Cup NT opposition in Inter Lions, Avondale FC and Queensland Lions.

“How are we going to beat the teams down south with minimal training facilities?” he asked.

“So for us as a club, we need a home ground if we want better results.”

Meanwhile, other soccer clubs in the Territory like Port Darwin are dealing with the same issues, in not having lights and needing to train before sunset at about 6:40pm each night.

When it comes to game days, every team in the premier men’s and women’s competition plays at Darwin Football Stadium, as opposed to their own home grounds like other sports in the Top End, including AFL and cricket.

Sports Minister Kate Worden.

Sports minister Kate Worden said the government had provided funding for a feasibility study into how the land at Tracy Village can best cater for a number of sports.

“The NT government has a long history of investing in first class sporting facilities to support the growth of sport, increase participation and athlete development,” she said.

“We are supporting the growth of every Territory sport.

“While we don’t have responsibility for the facilities and grounds at Tracy Village, we have provided them with $100,000 in funding to undertake a feasibility study for the future of Tracy Village to establish how the facility can best cater for a number of sports.

“The government works with key partners such as local government bodies and the Australian government to try to meet growing needs of all sports including football.”

Football Northern Territory was contacted for comment.

‘It’s a big dream’: Hellenic Athletic set to make history in Australia Cup final against Inter Lions

Hellenic Athletic coach Dimi Galanopoulos is encouraging football lovers of Darwin to come along to support his side as they strive to become the first Northern Territory club to make it to the Round of 16 in the Australia Cup on Thursday night.

The 65-year-old club almost achieved the task in 2018 when they narrowly lost 4-3 to A-League outfit Western Sydney Wanderers after a late winner in extra time.

Galanopoulos said the match was a chance for Territorians to support Darwin football as opposed to Hellenic specifically who sit on top of the MPL ladder with a 8-3-1 record.

“We invite the whole of Darwin to come and support Hellenic, it’s not Hellenic, it’s Darwin football,” Galanopoulos said.

“As a club we represent the whole of Darwin and we invite all the football lovers to come and support Darwin football.

“It’s a huge chance.

“Once a year, we verse a team from down south so let’s all be together on Thursday night as a unit and support Darwin football, not Hellenic, Darwin football.”

Standing in front of Hellenic and a Round of 16 birth is NSW League 1 side Inter Lions FC, who have been wearing extra clothing at training to try and prepare for the warmer conditions.

Inter Lions departing Sydney airport for Darwin for the 2023 Australia Cup showdown with Darwin Hellenic

Lions’ head of football George Paradisis, who competed with Hellenic in 2011 with former club, Sydney Olympic, said it “would not be easy” with his side needing to make adjustments to the Top End conditions.

“(Hellenic) have beaten all the Northern Territory sides so it’ll be tough,” Paradisis said.

“(Darwin Football Stadium) is a grass field which is against us because we train and play on a synthetic field.

“The last two weeks we’ve been getting the boys to wear extra clothes while they’re training so they’re hotter.

“But it’s a different thing preparing (for the conditions) than playing in it.”

The Lions are one of three non-top division NPL sides in the Australia Cup so this match looms as a prime opportunity for the Northern Territory side to make history.

And when it comes to the Australia Cup, Hellenic has the jump on the Lions with the local NT side having previously made an appearance in the finals compared to the visitors who will be doing it for the first time this game.

Galanopoulos said he has been “happy” with the commitment and numbers at training over the last month which has involved an enhancement in their program to include three sessions a week plus recovery.

“The last month we have been working as professionals,” he said.

“It’s a big goal, it’s a big dream to win tomorrow and make the Round of 16 and it’s what we are looking for.”

Hellenic Athletic captain Alex Turner. Picture: Daniel Abrantes Photography

Talking about the enormity of the match, Galanopoulos said “it’s the biggest game”.

“It’s the biggest goal we have on the table, to make the Round of 32 and do well,” he said.

“As you know, the Australia Cup is a nationwide competition, 775 teams are participating in that competition from across the whole of Australia.

“So it is unique as a competition. It’s the second time for Hellenic (making it to the finals).

“We are hoping for the best, we are underdogs on the paper but we believe in ourselves.

“We are hoping to make history tomorrow and get a ticket to the Round of 16 for the whole of Darwin.”

Meanwhile for the Lions, who sit mid-table in the NSW League One competition, it will be their first time in the Territory and they will be “ready for the hostility.”

“At the end of the day we’re coming to Darwin,” Paradisis said.

“None of the (Lions players) have been to Darwin, but it’ll be an unbelievable experience for them.

“Everybody loves cup games and we’ve beaten some really strong teams to get to where we are.

“(We have beaten) clubs like Bonnyrigg (2-nil), Rockdale Ilinden (2-1), and Wollongong Olympic (2-nil) to get to where we are.”

Daniel Georgievski during his playing days with Melbourne Victory.

The Inter Lions playing squad will include former A League Men’s champion and North Macedonian international, Daniel Georgievski – a player who Paradisis said “contribute(s) a lot” to the team.

Beyond the pitch, Greek-descent Paradisis said the good nature of the Territory was “fantastic” with long-distance relatives and even the Hellenic president, Kosta Boubaris, reaching out.

“(Kosta Boubaris) is coming to meet us at the airport.” Paradisis said.

“He’s even offered to take us out for dinner after the game – win or lose.

“I’ve been around a long time and not many people have done what Kosta Boubaris has done.”

Darwin Hellenic and Inter Lions will kick-off 7pm Thursday.