The Greek Australian football community couldn’t have asked for a better opening match to the new Victorian National Premier League.
Fans should make an effort to show the soccer fraternity that the Greek population is still behind one of their major traditions in the state.
It’s been two years since the former state greats, Heidelberg United and South Melbourne, played each other, and now the duo will open the NPL in a local derby.
“I think a lot of people have been thirsting for it, they’ve been waiting for it for a while,” United coach George Katzakis tells Neos Kosmos.
“It’s added a lot of spice to it.”
Going into the first ever NPL for Victoria, most clubs are excited but still a little wary of what the competition will be like.
For the first time, rural teams will be given the chance to take on Victorian Premier League regulars, making the season and the Knockout Cup a little bit more interesting.
Heidelberg are thanking their lucky stars for the NPL, as they are back in the top tier. They were relegated in 2012, but now are back and showing promise.
They have just come off winning the Surfers Paradise Hellenic Cup, but in a three club competition with the clubs at a lower level, the win was expected.
It did provide good experience for them, coach Katzakis says. “It still created a few games for us. Bringing all the new players together and bonding, from
that perspective it was very exciting.”
South Melbourne has been working hard to fill gaps in their squad, stealing a couple of good players from rival VPL teams.
Pre-season has been interrupted for many teams, with the NPL structure only just getting released.
Heidelberg hasn’t had the best pre-season warm up, but believes most clubs will be on the same level.
“It has been interrupted, it hasn’t been an ideal pre-season but I think it’s an even playing field for everybody this year,” Katzakis says.
For the new league, spruiking itself to the unconverted will probably be why the round one match derby was chosen.
The FFV has suffered from a lot of bad press over the NPL rollout, so keeping the fans happy will be foremost in their minds.
For Greek Australian football fans, it will be a chance to welcome back one of their own, and suss out the new blood.
Despite the Northcote City Melbourne Knights and Port Melbourne Dandenong Thunder fixtures, all other Greek sponsored teams will be up against brand new opponents.
Bentleigh Greens are up against the Ballarat Devils, and Oakleigh Cannons take on the Golburn Valley Suns.
For the community that popularised the game, the start of the new season will bring back memories, especially with the derby.
Heidelberg thinks hundreds of fans from the Greek community will make their way down to the opening match.
“As a matter of fact, they should make an effort to show the soccer fraternity that the Greek culture and population are behind one of their major traditions in the state,” Katzakis says.
The NPL begins on March 13.