House debates Constituency Statements
South Melbourne Football Club
Josh Burns Macnamara, Australian Labor Party
10:31 am
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We find ourselves standing on the shoulders of migrants who set up this club 70 years ago, who never lost faith in unity, prosperity and equity.
It's a club built on multiculturalism, on giving joy to its spectators and its fans.
The win by Hellas is a win for all football and importantly our Hellenic community. These are the words by Bill Papastergiadis, who is the co-president of the South Melbourne Football Club with Andrew Mesourouni. The two of them and their entire team—just like the whole of South Melbourne—were in absolute elation after the win by the South Melbourne Hellas over Melbourne Victory in the Australia Cup on the weekend. The thing that makes this extraordinary is that the South Melbourne Football Club, the Hellas, are not an A-League club. They are not in the top tier of competition in this country, yet they defeated the Melbourne Victory on the weekend in penalties to win this tournament.
It is a reflection of the grassroots nature of this club that has been around since 1959. If anyone has been to the southern parts of Melbourne and walked through the streets, the Greek community is part of the furniture. It is a cornerstone of this incredible part of Melbourne. I love walking through Albert Park and South Melbourne and speaking to my constituents, who are proud Greek Australians who never lost their culture or their language but brought it and shared it with our amazing Melbourne community. It is—
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