I am currently co-writing a book on the history of Greek-Australian soccer teams. The first official Greek-Australian sport club Apollon was founded in Melbourne in 1933.
The three young Apollo club members Martakis, Floros Dimitriadis and Basil Colligas were keen to establish a soccer team and already possessed some soccer experience from the old world. Martakis was an amateur wrestler in Constantinople but also played soccer, Floros played soccer in Cyprus and Colligas in Smyrna. The team was constituted in May 1934 so that it would be ready to compete in the Dockerty Cup competition. A cup competition open to all Victorian soccer clubs.
Colligas chose the name Apollon from the historic Apollon Club of Smyrna. On July 22, 1934 Apollo played its first unofficial soccer match against the Italian club Savoia at Middle Park, Melbourne. This is probably regarded as the first ‘ethnic’ soccer match played in Australia.
Saturday 28 March 2009
More on Apollo Athletic
I was looking for more info on Floros Dimitriadis (and Apollo Athletic) when I came upon this site. Unfortunately the book in question has not been released yet and will likely not come out in the forseable future. Note also the reference to the local Italian club Savoia, a predecessor of the once great Brunswick Juventus.
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