Sydney Olympic is gearing up for its first home game of the new Australian Championship, setting the tone for what Club President Damon Hanlin believes marks the dawn of a significant period in its history.
Olympic, like all the Australian Championship clubs, feels the breath of new life with the commencement of the tournament years in the making.
Sydney Olympic President Damon Hanlin (Hatzimanolis) spoke on this feeling and many other topics with Neos Kosmos as the club enters one of the most important periods in its near 70-year history.
A seed planted in Belmore
The start of the Australian Championship last weekend marked the culmination of an idea which was brought to Hanlin’s attention about five years ago.
“The exact idea was brought to me through the CEO at the time, John Boulos,” Hanlin said.
The President explained Olympic was asked to host a meeting of the clubs to begin discussions on what a National Second Division could be and what it would look like.
“We actually hosted that meeting at Belmore,” he said.
“I was quite intrigued by what this meant…There were a lot of fractures and different opinions (from the clubs) but I always saw that the opportunity was there to be able to do this because I think the value of the heritage of all the clubs involved is way underestimated.”
The Olympic President stated his belief in the idea drove him to pursue the opportunity and is immensely proud that is now up and running.
Preparing Olympic for the Australian Championship
Hanlin shed light on the immense work that needed to be done by the clubs behind the scenes to get the idea going, heaping praise on the teams and Football Australia (FA) for embracing it.
“I think once Football Australia was finally at the table, it started to really give this momentum,” he said.
Football Australia’s involvement saw the introduction of the expression of interest phase, with Hanlin revealing the club engaged an external company to aid in their application.
“We take pride in the fact the FA told us our bid was the best bid that they received at the time,” he said.
“That, coupled with the fact that we had to put a $500,000 bank guarantee down, which was a significant amount of money to be locked away for, at the time, perpetuity, were the hurdles and we did everything we needed to do to become a successful Foundation Club.”
Hanlin highlighted the clubs have needed to fulfil certain criteria as part of the tournament, such as fielding a select number of young players, which they began working on over the last few years.
“A lot of those players were needing to be home-grown and under 23, under 20, in fact,” he said.
“One thing that a lot of the fans didn’t understand and was somewhat impactful on performance through the last few seasons was that we started and saw what was being required for the competition. From a strategic perspective, I think we did a very good job in that regard.”
Another criterion Olympic had to fulfil was registering themselves under a second private entity for the purpose of the competition, with Hanlin clarifying it has no impact on the membership-based club which still exists exactly as it was before.
“The privatisation piece is simply to protect the licence and the investment. There’s nothing more to it and it’s also a necessary part of the licensing procedure,” Hanlin said.
“It has no effect on the membership club. If anything, again, like I said, it only strengthens the club’s position because it’s back on the national stage.”
An epic Hellenic launch for the “disruptive competition”
Olympic and South Melbourne had the privilege of launching the Australian Championship, with the historic match delivering in spades for many, and Hanlin was no exception.
“I’ve got to be honest with you, that week leading in, I was like a kid in a candy store,” he said, adding “I haven’t felt that excited about anything in a long time”.
The President arrived at the ground with the team upon their request which, coupled with the huge turnout, filled him with immense appreciation and pride.
“I was overwhelmed, to be honest, the whole game. Obviously, I wanted us to win a lot…but I think far more important for the day was we just launched the competition as good as it’ll ever be launched.”
Nearly 7000 fans filled Lakeside Stadium, with close to 20,000 fans collectively showing up to all the games on matchday one, which Hanlin believes is a telling sign of the interest in the competition.
“(The collective turnout) told me that definitely there’s value in historic clubs and the football brand,” he said.
“I always say to these people, actions speak louder than words. And I think the actions of the fans and the people that were there spoke.”
Hanlin expressed the response indicates to him that people want to support the endeavour which he has described as a “disruptive competition”.
“I think, like with any business, a free market should always prevail. Closed markets don’t prosper because it doesn’t encourage investment. It doesn’t encourage risk taking, which then drives the product.”
It is in this vein that Hanlin truly believes the Australian Championship can serve as an instigator for promotion/relegation, which he states is the way to allow the game to best flourish and succeed in the country.
“The simple fact is, if you want to stay at the top flight, you invest and you don’t get relegated down. The same applies if you’re in the second flight and you want to get to the top, you’re investing to try and get to the glory.”
A history-making clash in Sydney
Olympic is all set for another historic occasion as it hosts its first match of the Australian Championship on Sunday afternoon (19 October) against Broadmeadow Magic at Jubilee Stadium, a moment Hanlin says is “extraordinarily rewarding”.
“I think the whole club internally and a lot of the fans in particular are all excited by this event. To actually feel it and see it come home will be exciting.”
Hanlin expressed his hope that fans of all sorts will be there for the huge affair that will include Greek entertainment and food as part of the spectacle.
“I don’t know exactly what to expect because you just don’t know. What I do ask, and I genuinely ask, is please turn up, please support the team and the club because the club wants it.”
“I hope it’s a huge crowd of Sydney Olympic supporters that dwarf the opposition and act as a 12th player for the team.”
As part of the event, the club will also launch its new logo to mark the new era, which Hanlin says will honour the team’s heritage but also reflect a slight deviation.
“I think you’ll be quite surprised. I know I feel a bit of pressure around this, but I think that some of the obvious things over the history of the club will be implemented in certain ways, quite abstractly and others quite obviously.”
The design process featured consultation with the Olympic fans, with Hanlin thanking those who offered their thoughts.
“It was actually really cool. A lot of great ideas…they may be pleasantly surprised, but it’s exciting either way. I’m excited to launch it.”
A childhood love
Hanlin’s official involvement with Sydney Olympic can be traced back to 2016 when he came on board as a director at the invitation of past President Bill Papas, though his love for the team goes back to his childhood.
“I started as a young boy going to games with my father when I was probably four or five years of age,” he said.
“I remember all those moments and I fell in love with the club at that point and was always in love with the game of football.”
Olympic was one avenue he engaged with his Hellenic roots (being the son of a Greek migrant father from Kalymnos) in addition to the food, the events, the church etc, though the club has played one of the more significant roles in maintaining his Greekness.
He admitted he became disillusioned when the team left the national stage, though nostalgia and big aspirations brought him back into the fold, this time in an official capacity.
“(On why he joined) I think the fact that it was such a fond memory for me as a child and valuable time spent. The fact that I have Greek heritage and the fact that it was in trouble and that I could help and add value, I was really excited by that.”
“I thought also the fact that I could be involved to do something that would get the club back to the highest levels. Because I’m that kind of person, I’m motivated to restore parity, I guess, to where it deserves to be.”
Leaving a legacy
When asked about his other ambitions for the club, Hanlin was quick to identify establishing a home ground and a clubhouse as his main priorities.
“Ultimately I want to leave the club in a place where it can have an opportunity to survive in perpetuity,” the President said.
“I think real estate is very important. It’s something the club missed an opportunity to capitalise on many years ago. It should have been done in the early stages.”
He stressed it is a big undertaking and not one he can do alone.
“I keep asking the community, if you truly believe in the club, step up, make contact with us. We’re open. We’re open for business. It’s not a closed dictatorship, as some really will let you feel. It’s not the case at all. I just want other people that want to come and help.”
Hanlin stressed the club continues to embrace the community, both Greek and local, and celebrate its Hellenic roots, while also noting it is still a membership club accessible to all.
Reflecting on where he hopes Olympic is in five, ten, twenty years’ time, Hanlin said:
“I think ultimately it would be to see Olympic restored. Maybe not into the A-Leagues, but certainly in a competition that has the ability to be promoted and relegated.”
He added: “Also, to have a true home so we’re no longer referred to as nomads. That’s the business plan for the club.
“The club needs you more than ever”
The Olympic President stressed that this weekend marks a time when the team greatly needs its fanbase’s support.
“If you believe in anything that the club represents, Greek, football or otherwise, the club needs you more than ever,” he said.
“Just come down and enjoy it and the club will prosper because you will be there. You’re the most important part of the club.”