South Melbourne Hellas has a rich and successful history since its inception in late 1959, when three clubs merged to create it. Last Saturday, the vision of Con Drossos and Tony Margaritis was brought to life with a Champions Wall, displaying the club’s impressive trophy cabinet, alongside the mural of legends called “Eras of South Melbourne Hellas.”
I was privileged to be part of the process of selecting which players would be immortalised in the mural, with choices spanning each decade—from the 1960s to the 2010–19 era. These names are not only greats of South Melbourne Hellas but of Australian football itself—players who displayed years of elite performance, loyalty, character, and values that mirror what this great club stands for, representing both the Greek and wider football community.
Barbra Streisand’s Memories would have been the perfect background as I recounted stories of these giants of the game.
Great names such as, Ange Postecoglou, Paul Trimboli, Steve Blair, John Margaritis, John Bedford, and, in more recent times, Fernando De Moraes and Brad Norton, as well as women’s football stars, Natalie Martineau and Alex Cheal, have been immortalised in the mural. This allows supporters in the social club to be reminded of their significant contributions to the club and the game. It is an intergenerational memory we all share in.
Some of these legends have sadly passed away, but the majority attended with their families for the unveiling. I also had the enormous responsibility and privilege of articulating their careers and explaining why they were chosen over so many other great players, many of them Socceroos legends.
As I spoke, I found myself floating back to my childhood; the experience of bringing these careers to life was almost cathartic. Powerful emotions swept over me as I described the impact these players had on us ordinary supporters. Barbra Streisand’s Memories would have been the perfect background as I recounted stories of these giants of the game. It dawned on me that Father Time had brought us all to a level playing field: men who are now fathers and grandfathers, not so different from us in the grand scheme of things.
An emotional Paul Trimboli described his time at Hellas as the greatest of his life, reflecting on the joy of playing for the club. Steve Blair spoke of the honour of representing the passionate and generous Greek community for nearly a decade and a half. Fernando De Moraes, a poor kid from Brazil who first came to Australia to meet his sister and was rejected when he asked to have a kick in 2002, returned in 2005 to become a club legend. He spoke of how Paul Trimboli was one of his heroes, reminding us that even legends were once wide-eyed supporters.
Brad Norton expressed how truly humbled he was to stand alongside such great players and how much it meant to him to represent Hellas. For those who have passed, I recalled the careers of the legendary John Margaritis and John Bedford, two players who placed Hellas firmly on the map in its early years, winning Premierships in 1962 and 1964–1966. In the 1970s, only one man could have been chosen: the recently deceased Jimmy Armstrong, a true gentleman of the game who dedicated his life to the club even after his playing career.
This great club, now in its seventh decade and competing in the second tier of Victorian State football, serves as a reminder—especially after the recent failure of A-League club Western United—that building a unique and powerful football story takes decades and generations. Its rich history should be embraced and celebrated, not ignored.
“Memories, like the corners of our life, so painful to remember the way we were.”
*Peter Kokotis, NPL veteran, is Football Director for Hellas.
