Hellenic Athletic clinch Football NT Cup and Women’s Challenge Cup in same week

A Darwin soccer club could be in for its greatest season ever after winning two major Northern Territory Football cups last week.

Northern Territory soccer club Hellenic Athletic are the champions of the Football NT Cup and Women’s Challenge Cup in 2023.

And the 65-year old club is eyeing the prospect of its best ever seasons as its men and women’s premier league teams sit on the top of the standings at the halfway point.

The Top End club is on track to potentially go a step above what they achieved in arguably their greatest campaign in 2021 when all five of its senior men’s and women’s teams won premierships.

If the club can go all the way in their regular premier league seasons this year, all four of the major prizes up for grabs in Northern Territory Football could be theirs.

Hellenic president Kosta Boubaris said there was a “big buzz within the club” after claiming two of the four top honours last week.

Hellenic Athletic celebrating their third consecutive Women’s Challenge Cup. Picture: Daniel Abrantes Photography

“It’s an outcome of a lot of hard work that has been put in, not just this year, but a result of some hard work over the last few years,” Boubaris said.

“We always get a huge turn out of volunteers and when I talk about people wanting to be a part of the buzz of the club.

“We hardly do any advertising about volunteers, people just want to come and be involved.”

The club had more than a hundred volunteers at the recent gleNTi festival where three tonnes of meat and one tonne of chips were sold to help raise major funds.

Hellenic Athletic senior men's team celebrating after making it through to the Australia Cup Round of 32. Picture: Daniel Abrantes Photography

On Wednesday night, the club will find out who it will face in the Australia Cup Round of 32 after they defeated Verdi FC last Friday to progress through to the next stage of the knockout competition.

With 10 A-League teams still alive in the tournament among 22 other local Australian clubs, Hellenic men’s coach Dimi Galanopoulos said he was hopeful of playing another Australian Greek club in the clash which is scheduled for early August.

“I would prefer to play against a Greek team like Heidelberg, Oakleigh, there are a few other Greek teams,” Galanopoulos said.

“It would be interesting to have Hellenic playing a Greek opponent but no, I can’t say a team, whoever it is.

“We are happy to enjoy the journey of the Australia Cup.”

The women’s team had an impressive 3-nil win over Mindil last Wednesday to claim the Women’s Challenge Cup for the third year in a row.

Hellenic women’s coach Matt Hajdic who has steered the side since 2021 said it was “very rewarding”.

Australia Cup: Verdi to face Hellenic in Darwin do-or-die blockbuster

Northern Territory’s leading soccer clubs from Alice Springs and Darwin will come face-to-face this week in a must watch Australia Cup do-or-die encounter at Darwin Football Stadium.

An undefeated Verdi FC side in 2023 will go for their 11th straight triumph of the year to progress through to the Australia Cup Round 32 for the first time in club history.

The team, which landed in the Top End on Thursday afternoon, have impressively conceded just four goals from 10 games this year, holding seven clean sheets while finding the back of the net 52 times.

Their clean record has them sitting on top of the FICA ladder.

Verdi’s run to Australia Cup has seen the 53-year-old club claim comfortable wins in the first two rounds (Vikings 6-1 and Celtic 5-nil) before a solid 2-nil win over Mindil Aces to get through to Friday night’s big meeting.

Both Kam of Verdi in action during the Australia Cup Round 3 game between Mindil Aces and Verdi at Darwin Football Stadium on June 3. Picture: Daniel Abrantes Photography

Meanwhile, reigning MPL champions Hellenic Athletic will be aiming to go through to Round 32 for the second time in its history after they first achieved the feat in 2018.

The win led to a match against A-League outfit Western Sydney Wanderers who they narrowly lost 4-3 to in Darwin.

Hellenic will enter the match having won five matches, drawn two and lost one match in the regular MPL season.

The MPL ladder leaders had a bye in the first of the Australia Cup round before defeating University Azzurri 3-nil to get to this week’s blockbuster clash.

The last time the teams met was in 2021 where Hellenic won 2-1 in an Australia Cup game in Darwin.

Verdi assistant coach Giovanni Morelli said he was hopeful of glory this time around.

“If you look back in the past, last time we played them two years ago, we only lost 2-1,” Morelli said.

“Yes we do have a good side, yes we know that Hellenic is probably a better side.

The Verdi team at Alice Springs airport on Thursday ahead of their big Australia Cup against Hellenic Athletic on Friday night. Picture: Supplied.

“Look, anything can happen, bit of luck hopefully will go our way and that way we can set a new precedent.”

Morelli said he was stoked with how far his side has gone this season.

“We are all over the moon so far, everything is going really, really well,” he said.

“The lads are really focused for the game especially because we have gone this far and we can create history.

“So we are well prepared for it and ready to go.”

Hellenic coach Dimi Galanopoulos said the match would be a huge event with more than 2000 people expected.

“It’s a huge game for us,” Galanopoulos said.

“We have had high expectations for the Australia Cup all season.

“There is heaps of talent in the team and it’s a big opportunity especially for the young ones to be seen by the big teams from down south.

“It will be a big experience for them to have.”

Hellenic's Kimon Toumazos. Picture: Daniel Abrantes Photography

Goalscorers

Verdi strikers Timileyin Adeosun and Bikash Gauchan will be the players to watch with the pair equally leading the FICA competition for goals with 10 each.

Adeosun has been the star of the Cup, scoring four times while Gauchan has found the back of the net once.

For Hellenic, Simon Bell leads the MPL golden boot having scored 11 goals in the campaign. He also scored in the club’s Australia Cup match.

His teammate Matthew McNab is second for the MPL golden boot this season with 10 goals. He scored twice in Hellenic’s 3-nil win over Azzurri in the cup.