Loyalty is at the heart of Sydney Olympic FC defender Jason Madonis’ football career.

From the age of 13, Madonis has been battling it out on the pitch for Sydney’s beloved team with Greek origins that has been around since 1957.

Despite having played for the team for over a decade, the now 26-year-old credits his seniors debut to two very special coaches.

“Grant Lee and Peter Zorbas are the coach and assistant coach that gave me my first chance in the first grade at Sydney Olympic. I’ve had a wonderful array of coaches along the way, don’t get me wrong, but if I had to single out a couple it would be those two because they gave me my first chance and I will always be indebted to them,” Madonis told Neos Kosmos.

As the saying goes ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, and while the defender is well into adulthood now, he is still grateful for the support from those who have stuck by him.

“My mother, my father and my sister have been instrumental in the person that I am today, as well as my long term partner Alexandra. We’ve been together four and a half years now and she’s been brilliant when it comes to keeping me level headed and keeping me on the straight and narrow in my professional career and with football as well. She’s one of my biggest supporters,” Madonis said.

One would also have to credit Madonis’ successes to his humble nature and his ability to not allow wins or losses to alter the effort he puts into each and every game.

“No matter whether things are going good or bad, always have a level head and always have the same positive attitude and good work ethic. Regardless if you’re winning the League by 10 points or if you’re battling relegation, if you show up with the same good attitude and put in the same work and effort, it will benefit you in the long run,” he said.

Madonis talks his 2018 blockbuster year, the landscape of football and a possible future in coaching.

READ MORE: Carrying the torch: Q&A with Sydney Olympic goalkeeper Nick Sorras

Photo: Supplied/Sydney Olympic FC

What drew you to football?

Like most guys, I think my father was instrumental in me starting to play football. I’ve been playing ever since I could remember, I think I was around four years old. I think my first couple of soft toys were soccer balls. When I was a toddler and starting to walk and run, I started playing soccer up at the park with my dad. It’s been quite a journey since then but those are the first few memories I’ve got of playing the game.

It’s game day, what do you do to get in the zone before the match?

I’m a creature of habit. Whether it’s with my close mates or with my girlfriend, we’ll get up and go for a nice stroll down at Cronulla beach. We’ll go to a café, sit and have a good, hearty breakfast and coffee. Then I’ll go back to the house and usually do a stretch and roll session with some music blaring to get me in the mood for it.

Then I head to the games a couple of hours before kick off and I like to watch the first half of the 20s which get me in the zone as well.

Top three training songs?

We’ve got a deep house playlist which is my go to. We like to listen to Drake and Travis Scott on our training and game days. You can’t go wrong with them, they have a mix. It’s not all just hard rap music. They’ve got their smooth songs and their slow build up songs as well, and then they have the hard stuff right before you walk out.

What do you find most challenging about the game?

Each game brings different challenges. I think the quality and the standard of the NPL is getting better and stronger every single year. There’s a good mix. There’s some teams that are made up of a lot of young, hungry boys that are out to prove a point, then you’ve got the other teams that are your battle hard and veterans you’re playing against who are very street smart.

Your playing depends on the opposition and what’s happening on the day really, they’re the main challenges. I get up for every single game, I’m still buzzing to play, I still have that passion and drive.

What has been a highlight in your sporting career thus far?

That’s an easy one for me at least. In 2018 we won the double. It’s rarely been done before. We won the League on the last day of the season by one point and then we went through the finals series and we played at Leichhardt Oval in front of 7,000 people against APIA Leichhardt and we won the Grand Final 3-1. So the 2018 year where we lifted both trophies was definitely a highlight in my career.

It’s very special, it’s a very unique feeling, almost surreal really. You’re working so hard towards a goal and when it finally comes true you think all the hard work has paid off. It’s even more special to do it with a club my father and my grandfather grew up supporting, and to win both trophies with the club I supported as a little boy is a truly special feeling.

Jason Madonis (right) competes for possession against Nathan Millgate during the National Premier League NSW Grand Final in 2018 Photo: AAP via Brendan Esposito

How has football impacted your life?

It’s impacted me greatly. It’s my whole life, it impacts me off the pitch as well as off the pitch. It’s taught me a lot of life lesson off the field which has been really valuable. I attribute a lot of my passion, my discipline, my time management, my mental strength to football. It’s also helped me in my professional career, in the workplace, in my relationships, with my family. I’ll forever be grateful that I’ve been able to play football at this level.

What is something you learned about yourself through playing the game?

I’m more resilient than I thought I was. You’ve got to be extremely resilient and strong minded in this game, especially playing at this level for so many years.

What do you hope to achieve in the next year?

So for the rest of this season the goal is very clear; to make the top five and make it into the finals series and to try and win the championship. We’ve qualified for the round of 32 in the FFA Cup so we want to go as far as possible in that run and make all the fans and supporters proud.

In terms of the start to the middle of next year, it’s to get a good pre-season under our belt and have as strong start to the season.

What’s something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

I’m probably a lot more emotional than I lead people to believe. Whether it’s football related and it’s after a loss or when I haven’t had the best game or whatever the case may be, I’m probably more emotional than what I lead on.

Favourite way to unwind after a game?

I’ll usually just go home, chill out with some friends on the couch, I’ll put something on the telly. I like watching combat sport, like boxing, MMA, UFC. So I’ll go home, chill on the couch with a glass of wine and watch some boxing.

What are you most looking forward to in 2021?

I guess it kind of centers around football. I believe we have a chance to win a League again this year. We’re probably just off the pace to win the minor premiership but I think the goal of making minors football and being premiers is what I’m looking forward to. And having a good FFA Cup run and hopefully drawing an A-League team, especially one of the Sydney based A-League teams. If we play a home game at Belmore Stadium I think we’ll pack it right out.

What is something you want to be remembered by?

Just as someone that always shows up on game day. I view myself as a servant of the club and I would love for people to look back and say ‘Jason Madonis was a wonderful servant for Sydney Olympic and served the club to the best of his ability, won multiple titles’. I very much have my eyes set on a coaching career as well, I’m actually coaching some of the juniors at the club at the moment. My goal would be to be a dual championship winner; one as a player and one as a coach.