One of Darwin Olympic’s greatest players and favourite son Billy Mavros has died aged 51

Darwin Olympic has lost a big piece of its history with the passing of former champion Billy Mavros

Billy Mavros with son Charlie. A legend has died.

TERRITORY soccer has lost one of its iconic figures with the death of Darwin Olympic star Billy Mavros in Adelaide.

The player who revolutionised the game in the far north with his uncanny skills and ferocious appetite for goals died in Adelaide this week after a long battle with cancer. He was 51.

Mavros’ brother-in-law and long serving Olympic player and administrator Charlie Kathopoulis described the Reds’ superstar as the “best of the best’’.

“You can put anyone associated with Olympic up as very good people and good players, but for me Billy Mavros was the best bloke you are ever likely to meet,’’ Kathopoulis said.

“He was a great player and person for Olympic Football Club and a one-club player who came right through the juniors to play senior football, a significant fact in itself.

“Billy left Darwin for Adelaide to support his kids in their pursuit of soccer, a game they loved in the same way their father did.

“His oldest son Charlie, like all five boys in the Mavros family, inherited Billy’s great love for the game and was good enough to play for Australian Joey’s under-17 team.’’

High profile Darwin businessman Leo Athanasiou remembers Mavros as a very, very special person.

Athanasiou coached him for five seasons from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s and saw his great talents as a footballer and person take Olympic to the top of Darwin football.

“Billy was my absolute favourite right from the minute we brought him into A-grade as a 17-year-old,’’ Athanasiou said.

“He never argued or said no to anything and everyone, from teammates to opponents and anyone he met, loved him to bits.’’

Billy Mavros is survived by his wife Tiana and sons Charlie, Joseph, Leo, Kosta and Daniel.

A large number of mourners are expected to attend his funeral service at Darwin’s Greek Orthodox Church from 9am on Tuesday.