About Us
The idea was first formulated in 2002.
The Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam hit town for another
season with for one of the first times ever, a Hellenic
presence. Emerging young female tennis-player Eleni
Daniilidou.
In her first ever match; five
Greek-Australian men were in attendance giving her support.
None of these men really knew each-other but that didn’t
prevent them from sitting together and chanting for Eleni.
Five people chanting “Ellas ole Ellas ole” quickly set the
scene. Tennis requires those in attendance to be silent
during the execution of points, hence, the surrounding crowd
where perplexed at how these five individuals would not stop
chanting in the arena of a sport where silence is a given.
However, the five men, extremely
patriotic, where not fazed, they where there to support
Lena, and support her they did. In what was a superb
encounter against Hungary’s Rita Kuti Kis, Lena was faced
with the delicate situation of being match point down. The
five men rose with their Hellenic flags dressed in blue and
white from head to toe and proceeded to sing the Greek
National Anthem. From dire-straights Lena somehow sprang to
life, saving the match point and going on to win the set.
The 3rd and final set was pulsating, but a rejuvenated Lena
managed to get through and won the match 4-6 7-6 6-4. Did
the five Hellenic patriots in attendance inspire? Well if
they didn’t inspire Lena, they certainly inspired an idea.
News quickly spread that a rising
young Greek talent was taking Melbourne Park by storm with
the following day seeing more Greeks coming to watch Lena.
The five fans from the previous day had overnight become
fifth-teen with the noise, atmosphere and culture generated,
accordingly rising a few levels. These passionate Hellenics
had become Lena’s “extra strength” with never-ending
chanting and constant support for her. Their presence played
a major roll as Lena looked to her legion of Hellenics for
motivation and belief. Again Lena showed tremendous
resilience defeating Russian Tatiana Panova 6-2 4-6 6-0,
with the familiar Hellenic chant of “Ellas ole, Ellas ole,
De stamataw na tragoudw pote” (Hellas ole, Hellas ole, I
will never stop singing Hellas ole) constantly ringing in
the background.
Lena had taken the local Hellenic news
by storm. Leading Greek newspaper Neos Kosmos and radio
station 3XY Radio Hellas had constant coverage of her with
Lena repaying their faith by progressing to the round of 32.
Hellenic passion had overcome the
local community; Greek-Australians all over the country
wanted to support her cause. However, a major task lay in
front of her, women’s tennis champion and child prodigy,
Jennifer Capriati.
The weather was extremely hot with
Lena playing on Vodafone Arena in front of 15,000 people.
The number of Hellenics chanting had grown once more. The
figure now stood at forty-odd with the atmosphere created by
the Greek faithful, “absolutely unbelievable” according to a
member present that day.
Lena needed support and the Hellenic
fans delivered. After losing the first set 2-6 and looking
very shaky in the process, the Hellenic fans began to sing
the Greek National anthem; this inspired a lift in the
chanting with Vodafone arena abuzz with Hellenic passion.
Lena lifted immediately and started playing unbelievable
tennis. She won the 2nd set 6-3 with the Hellenic fans in
raptures, jumping around, chanting, singing in unison and
waving Greek flags everywhere.
It was obvious that Jennifer Capriati
was struggling with the “European-football” like atmosphere
that was being created, by now the American was clearly
frustrated. After the 2nd set Capriati took a 10min toilet
break, a tactic used by tennis players to try and stunt an
opposing player’s momentum.
The 3rd set begun with Lena
immediately breaking serve, however, from then on her drive
to win seemed to diminish. Capriati capitalised winning the
next 6 games and hence the match 2-6 6-3 6-1. Even though
Lena had lost, the Hellenic fans continued to salute her, in
an instant those in the crowd were overcome by a
realisation, together they had formed a level of support for
Greek athletes that infused them with Hellenic pride. From
now on they would regularly attend the Australian Open as
one.
For the immediate ensuing years
Hellenic-Australians would attend the Open and support Lena,
together they would sing, chant and drink. Strangers became
good friends with everyone sharing the same overriding
notion, the support of Lena and Hellas.
Australian Open 2005 saw the emergence
of another young and exciting Hellenic talent, Greek-Cypriot
Marcos Bagdhatis. Bagdhatis had won the Australian Open as a
junior and now found himself in the men’s draw. With his
Hellenic heritage, Baghdatis instantly gained the support of
the local Hellenes.
Watching Bagdhatis it quickly became
obvious that his level of patriotism was immense, if not to
say unmatched. During his first round encounter Bagdhatis
seemed to thrive on the passionate Hellenic support; he
would win points and then immediately look at the Hellenes
in the crowd, firing up and chanting along. This young
Hellenic-Cypriot’s combination of battling tennis and love
for his heritage had won over the Hellenic faithful
instantaneously.
An undisputed fan-favourite, Baghdatis
managed to progress to the fourth round. Standing in his way
was the world’s most talented player and arguably one of the
most technically gifted players ever to hold a piece of
graphite, World number 1 Roger Federer. The venue? Centre
court, Rod Laver Arena.
Tickets were impossible to obtain but
then Bagdhatis showed his class. The young Hellenic-Cypriot
personally paid for 8 tickets, making sure the passionate
Hellenic fans that had followed his every step would have a
presence in what was at the time, the biggest match of his
career. The feeling was that Baghdatis had no chance of
winning, but the loyal Hellenics weren’t phased, in fact,
their chanting grew louder and louder. Australian TV carried
the match live with constant Hellenic chanting overpowering
the background sound of the broadcast.
It is hard to describe the noise
generated by those 8 people in an arena of 16,000 that day,
however, Federer after winning the match offered some
insight.
"I wasn't sure if I was leading
actually because they sang along like they were winning,"
Federer said.
The friendships made at the Tennis
solidified. When Greece became the football champions of
Europe the same men celebrated together. They stood next to
each-other, in unison, seeking to build on their
increasingly unbreakable bond. These men felt like brothers,
and it is this exact notion of “togetherness” that the
Hellas Fan Club aims to grow.
The European final in Lonsdale St was
an unbelievable occasion, not only did it serve to showcase
the passion of the Hellenic Community in Melbourne where
40,000 Hellenes packed Lonsdale and Russel Street, but it
also showcased the recognition that the Hellenic community
demands and deserves in communities where it has a large
presence throughout the world.
During the showing of the final
members of the Hellas Fan Club stood and watched the match
together, tears overcame them as they did every individual
of Hellenic ancestry/origin throughout the world.
The passion these men have for Hellas
is un-questioned. It is a passion that Hellenes right
through Australia also share, however, without a unifying
body, this passion often goes un-channelled and its
potential is never fully realised.
It soon became very clear that the
community demanded an official entity, an entity with a
name, an entity that every Hellenic Australian could be a
part of. We needed to be known around the world for our
passion and will to support our heritage and athletes.
Ultimately, we needed a mechanism to help unite the Greek
Community.
The Hellas Fan Club Melbourne and
Australia Inc was born on September 19th 2005.
The club’s overriding focus is about
uniting the Hellenic community in Melbourne, Australia and
around the World. Patriotism runs rife in the various
Hellenic communities around Melbourne who do not have a
place or club to watch the national team play, or to support
their athletes.
Our goal is to get as many Hellenic
Australians as possible to turn up in numbers and support
the efforts of our athletes. Whether it is the Greek
National Team in Football or Basketball, upcoming tennis
professionals like Eleni Daniilidou and Marcos Baghdatis or
our kickboxing world champion ‘Iron’ Mike Zambidis, we want
the community, to congregate, to unite, to support our
Hellenic champions in a manner worthy of their achievements.
Hellas Fan Club Goals:
-
Unite Hellenics from around
Melbourne, Australia and around the World.
-
Create a fan club for the fanatical
supporters of our great country and its athletes. A
centre-point for all Hellenic-Australians to support in
unison.
And ultimately:
Provide that extra support, the “12th
man” if you wish, for our athletes who make us so proud and
represent our wonderful race and heritage on the world
stage.
Together we will
prosper.
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