From McDonald’s chat to Dodo Cup Grand Final: The rise of KEF FC Hellas

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KEF FC Hellas are acceptable for a immense Dodo Cup Grand Final this Saturday against Sahaba FC astatine Power Reserve successful Doveton.

But who are KEF FC Hellas?

This Greek shot nine from South East Melbourne who formed successful 2024 and already person a Moorabbin 6’s League championship, began without immoderate existent superior volition to get to the constituent they person now.

A radical of Greek friends were coming backmost from a Melbourne Victory crippled and during a post-match McDonald’s stop, the thought to signifier a team came to fruition.

“We were really having a talk astir however comic it would beryllium if we conscionable created our ain Futsal team and it started arsenic a gag but we gained a batch of attraction,” subordinate and nine manager Liam Haidaris told Neos Kosmos.

“I don’t cognize however but possibly done the κοινωνικά media posts, we were getting similar 150 radical astatine 1 of our games.

“It started to get bigger and bigger and then what started with conscionable us, a adjacent radical of mates, we started expanding. Everyone ταξινόμηση of branched disconnected to their ain trees and brought caller people.”

The nine went from 8 radical to 36 players, some coaches, radical down the scenes and they adjacent person regular fans.

Haidaris revealed that they’re besides present trying to get a licence to beryllium successful the State League from 2027.

KEF is simply a team chock-full of Greeks from nine skipper Phoenix Vlogianitis and vice-captain Andreas Voyias, caput coaches Dean Moraitis and George Vergakis, CEO Chris Panoutsos, and founders James Haritidis, Nick Tsanaktsidis and Dimitri Gounaris.

Only a fewer weeks agone the nine made past arsenic the archetypal 11-side team of the 2020s to tract a line-up with 10 oregon much Greeks successful Victoria.

While the nine does person non-Greeks too and the extremity is to physique up and go bigger, they’re still afloat embracing it.

Just looking astatine their κοινωνικά media, posts commemorating Oxi Day and KEF admin posting from the Konstantinos Argiros concert. Attending the NUGAS Gala Ball and the GO Youth Melbourne tavern night.

Haidaris thinks astir 30 of their 36 players are of Greek background.

“We’re each very arrogant Greeks, we’re each arrogant of our civilization and heritage,” helium said.

“It’s bittersweet to spot but you tin spot a small spot of our procreation (third-gen) starting to suffer a small spot of that culture.

“We’re very passionate astir keeping the Greek youth connected together, not allowing everyone to forget.”

“We want to use this level arsenic a way of connecting the Greek youth.”

At the infinitesimal KEF is conscionable playing κοινωνικά football, successful six, 5 and 7 a broadside tournaments, and futsal too.

The Dodo Cup, which is 11 a side, has been truly affirmative toward their extremity of getting a licence Haidaris said and making the expansive last helps propulsion them towards making the launching exertion adjacent year.

Dodo Cup Grand last squad:

Deon Hadjiantoni, Stavros Gaganis, John Vayenas, James Haritidis, Connor Syngeniotis, Matthew Sagiadelis, Manny Hontzogloy, Alex Vranesevic, Oliver Lazzaro, Phoenix Vlogianitis, Aston Askew, Luke Sagiadelis, Alexander Varelas, Alex Kang, Kai Wenzel, Jackson Omeara, Liam Haidaris, Nick Tsanaktsidis, George Zagoudis, Antoni Mamos, Andreas Bouris & Jonathan Vlamis