Hellenic win the Men’s and Women’s Premier League grand finals at Larrakia Park

A Darwin football club has capped off a magical decade in Premier League, claiming two senior premierships on the one day.

A magical Saturday at Larrakia Park has capped off a stunning decade for Hellenic Athletic Club, its proud president has told the NT News.

The club’s mens’ and women’s Premier League teams won their respective grand finals, both against Mindil Aces.

“We’ve had a lot of success, particularly the last 10 years,” Boubaris told the NT News, with Hellenic’s Division One Men’s team also winning their decider on Saturday.

“Our women in particular have been very successful.

“It’s been a good decade for the club and a great achievement on the weekend.”

However, both games were won for different reasons, Boubaris believed, with the men’s team’s 1-0 success built on a strong defence and “outstanding” contributions from the likes of captain and man of the match Alex Turner, Tega Adjeke and goalie Kane McAdam.

Hellenic celebrate their Men's Premier League grand final win, 1-0. Picture: Daniel Abrantes.

“They have been the rocks for our defence all year,” Boubaris said.

“You win premierships on a solid defence, between those two and the goalkeeper, they were standouts and they’ve been standouts all year.

“Our defence held up really well.”

It was the club’s first men’s premiership since 2018, avenging a loss the previous year, with Simon Bell heading the winning goal.

Aces coach Daniel McCormick said his charges simply didn’t take their chances, especially in the first half where they dominated play only to hit the cross bar three times.

“It really is a game of inches, we just kept hitting the woodwork,” McCormick said.

“The tide turns when you don’t take your chances, we didn’t and they won the game.

“It felt like we had about 10 shots in the first half.”

Meanwhile, in the women’s grand final, Hellenic wiped the Aces off the pitch, 5-0, with Golden Boot winner Sophia Makrylos and Jazzmin Forwood among the goals.

It came after a 9-2 semi-final demolition of Casuarina last Sunday.

Hellenic’s Premier team has been a regular attendee in grand finals, having qualified for the past seven.

Hellenic’s Women’s Premier League team kicked 14 goals to two across two finals games. Picture: Daniel Abrantes.

Boubaris said the team had stuck together after losing captain Elli Makrylos to a knee injury in early June.

“She’s only young, early 20s, and she’s one of the most experienced in the team, that’s how young our team is,” he said.

“To lose her was a big loss.”