The 2024 AFL Grand Final is here, and the Sydney Swans take on the Brisbane Lions.
This will be the first time that these two clubs have faced each other in a decider in the AFL era, the first time they have played in a grand final since relocating or merging, and just the second overall since they first clashed in the 1899 Grand Final as South Melbourne and Fitzroy.
Two clubs have origins in suburbs rich with Greek Australian history (although the Brisbane and Fitzroy story is a bit complicated – not one to tell today).
With that, both clubs have Greek supporters cheering them on this weekend to win the flag.
Will it be the year of the Swan?
There’s a small but strong Greek contingent of fans based in Sydney.
Founder of Kazzi Greek Beach taverns in Sydney, Peter Papas and his son Jamie are Swans tragics.
Jamie actually played in the Swans Academy but didn’t end up making it.
“We are few but we are strong, spiritually lead by our founding father of Greek Sydney Swans supporters John Mangos. We will descend upon the MCG in small but passionate mass,” Papas told Neos Kosmos.
Actor George Houvardas, best known for his role as Nick ‘Carbo’ Karandonis in the television series Packed to the Rafters, is a late follower of the ‘Swannies’.
“After I turned 18-19, that’s when I started getting into footy, and then I got into a lot more when I was working at channel 7,” he said.
“I had the privilege of going down to a couple of AFL Grand finals during the Packed to the Rafters years that’s when I started getting into a lot more.”
He’s come to Melbourne with Papas and will be taking on the full experience.
“We’ll have a few beers and just go along to support but the challenge is not to drink too many beers because it is a long game and a long day, so you got to pace yourself with that.”
“I have a feeling we will walk away with the win, after that we can concentrate on partying all the rest of the night.”
Author and Neos Kosmos contributor Billy Cotsis is much more of an NRL fan, given that code is much more popular in NSW than AFL, but he too will be cheering on the Swans.
“As ardent NRL Canterbury Bulldogs supporter I’m always fascinated by the rival code’s ability to galvanise people in non-Victorian markets. The Swans have done Sydney proud,” he said.
“I used to watch them in the 80s when they were struggling but had flamboyant players such as Warwick Capper, so it’s good to see the Swans have remained resilient and gone from strength to strength over the years.
“As a Sydneysider I am fickle and tend to join bandwagons and there is nothing better than a team from Sydney taking the flag from Melbourne. Happy to re-join the Swannies bandwagon.”
Fans ready to roar like a Lion
Over in Queensland, Lions fans are hoping they take home the cup after just falling short by four points in last year’s grand final against Collingwood.
Renae Dardanis and Kerry Konstantinou from Michael Innis Menswear have been dressing Lions players for 23 years.
The two sister’s entire family are diehard Lions supporters.
Both are working during the game but will have a TV screen with customers, champagne, cheese platters to watch it.
Just this week they dressed five players for the Brownlow Medal night.
“We’ve been dressing them up for so long that we’re friends with a lot of the older players and have formed lifelong friendships along the way.”
Some fans are spending the day a true Hellenic way, with souvla to watch the game.
Sam Demetriou has the family coming over and will be watching the game with his sons, father, brother-in-law and father-in-law.
“We would love to go down this weekend, but I’m actually christening my son on Sunday, so it was not going happen unfortunately,” he told Neos Kosmos.
“Our wives, my mum and my sisters, they talk too much, they’re banned in the house, it’s too stressful. We stress out through that whole game.”
The Lions are a huge part of Demetriou’s life, his father was originally from South Australia and was born and bred with AFL.
When he moved to Queensland, this was before the club was formed, but he jumped straight on board once they did.
“We were members of the club through the back to back to back premierships in the early 2000s.”
“But because dad had businesses all his life, it was hard for him to get away for the weekend, but we managed to go in 2004 – the one we lost to Port Adelaide.
“What was worse was we met up with our cousins in Adelaide who were Port supporters and that was devastating. But it was still an amazing experience.”
His brother-in-law Greg Kalligeros has also been a supporter since the beginning, and used to go to Brisbane Bears games.
Balancing work, he tries to get to as many Lions games as they can, and the family nearly got tickets to last year but that didn’t pan out.
Maybe that was for the best, as it would have been another grand final loss to watch in-person.
“Sydney are going to be very hard to beat, so fingers crossed we can do it,” Demetriou added.
