Wellington Olympic AFC

CAPITAL 1

Coach - Johnny Gerondis

A warm welcome to family and friends of Wellington Olympic for Season 2023.

Firstly, thank you to the Club for giving me the opportunity to join the coaching team as player/coach of Cap 1, and congratulations to Kerryn Friday for his achievements last season.

2022 was a great year for Olympic with back-to-back Central League titles, top 4 finish to our Cap Prem side, a title win for Cap 1 and a National Championship for our U19’s. It’s now time to go on the freshly laid Wakefield turf.

I’m looking forward to the new challenge as we work to go back-to-back in Cap 1! We’ve retained most of the squad from 2022 and are thrilled to add Raffaele De Gregorio, Jamie Molea, Paul Kothroulas, Chas Lawrence and Jonty Bilderbeck into the mix. There is great wealth of experience in this group which is going to be beneficial for the development of our youngsters, who I’m keen to see progress into our Capital Premier and Central League squad.

It’s amazing to be back home. I can’t wait to see the bank at full noise and being part of that noise for Taylor and the Cap Prem side, and the Central League Squad, masterfully led by Rupert - who I wish all the best on the 3-peat.

Ole, Ole, Olympic!

R15

Results:

R1 - 24/03: v Horowhenua Coastal 1sts: Loss: 3-4 Goalscorers: Simon George; Jimmy Haidakis x2

R2 - 01/04: v North Wellington Reserves: Loss: 3-4 Goalscorers: Simon George; George Mitrakas; Billy Bouzoukis

R3 - 07/04: v Wellington Phoenix 4ths Win: 3-0 Goalscorers: Joe Gordon x2; Chas Lawrence

R4 - 14/04: v Island Bay Reserves: Draw: 2-2 Goalscorers: Jimmy Haidakis x2

R5 - 21/04: v Petone U23s: Draw: 5-5 Goalscorers: Dan Minshull; Levi McFarlane; Chas Lawrence; George Barbarouses; Nic Ball

R6 - 28/04: v Victoria University 1sts Win: 4-2 Goalscorers: Levi McFarlane; Micky Malivuk x2; Chas Lawrence

R7 - 06/05: v Stop Out Win: 4-0 Goalscorers: Aodhan Balemi x 3; Micky Malivuk

R8 - 19/05: v BNU Win: 6-0 Goalscorers: Maitiu Taylor x3; Jimmy Haidakis x2: Johnny Gerondis

R9 - 27/05: v Western Suburbs Loss: 0-2

R10- 10/06: v Horowhenua Coastal 1sts Draw: 3-3 Goalscorers: Chas Lawrence; Micky Malivuk; George Barbarouses

R11 - 24/06: v North Wellington Reserves Win: 4-2 Goalscorers: Jimmy Haidakis; Aodhan Belami; Micky Malivuk x2

R12 - 01/07: v Island Bay Reserves Loss: 2-3 Goalscorers: Jimmy Haidakis; Chas Lawrence

R13 - 14/07: v Wellington Phoenix Fourths Win: 3-2 Goalscorers: Paul Kothroulas; Jett Dunn; Micky Malivuk

R14 - 22/07: v Petone U23s Win: 2-0 Goalscorers: Joe Gordon; Daniel Minshull

R15 - 05/08: v Victoria University 1sts Loss: 3-5 Goalscorers: Micky Malivuk; Khalid Razouk; George Mitrakas

R16 - 11/08: v Stop Out Win: 5-2 Goalscorers: Aodhan Belami; Jack Antonopoulos; Khalid Razouk; Jimmy Haidakis; Jack Ritchie

R18 - 18/08: v Wests Loss: 0-5

R17 - 26/08: v BNU Loss: 1-4 Goalscorers: Joe Gordon

After disappointing results against Horowhenua Coastal and Island Bay United, we've regrouped to win back-to-back to put us in the mix for the business end of the season.

It was crucial that we came away from our game against the Wellington Phoenix with all 3 points to give us something to play for. We started the game strong and led early thanks to a great finish by Paul Kothroulas, featuring a trademark run from inside his own half. The Phoenix replied swiftly and scored twice in 3 minutes to lead at the break. Following our half-time chat, Jett Dunn, on his Capital 1 debut for season 2023, levelled us and set the scene for a comeback. To finish, Miroslav Malivuk coolly slotted from the spot for the win, leading to a great club night.

That same weekend, Petone Reserves went top of the league after a convincing 4-1 against Western Suburbs. I watched the celebrations of that win and it was enough for myself and the team to get up for our next fixture against them. We were on point right from kick off, arguably our best team performance of the season in regards to how we set up and executed our tactics to get all 3 points against the league leaders. Daniel Minshull put us ahead early on, and Joe Gordon slotted home with a composed finish to seal the win against an on-form Petone side. This one felt good, I was stoked to see the team show what we’re capable of.

We’ve got four games to go and we’ve set the standards for the run in. We will give it our all to get maximum points and see how we are placed come the end of the season.

The 2023 season has been filled with challenges, growth and unforgettable moments for the Wellington Olympic Men’s Capital One side. Our squad is made up of a mix of seasoned veterans and talented youth players from the reserve team, many of whom went on to make significant contributions to the Capital Premier sides Championship win.

As the defending champions, our standards and expectations of ourselves were set exceptionally high. This season presented more challenges than expected, losing back to back was a tough start but come game three we managed to put in a top performance to win by three goals to nil against the Wellington Phoenix. This result set the tempo as we found our rhythm to go on a six game unbeaten run, ending the first round in a respectable position.

For me, the highlight of the second half of the season was our 2-0 away win against eventual league champions Petone U23s. It was a testament to our team’s ability to compete at the highest level, proving we are undoubtedly unmatched when we are on.

As a first time Player-Coach, I feel privileged, full of pride and congratulate the team on a respectable 5th place finish. There are plenty of positives to take away, and the lessons learned will serve as a solid foundation for next season.

I would like to formally extend my congratulations to Taylor and Rupert for their outstanding achievements in securing the Capital Premier and Central League titles. Your remarkable success is a source of inspiration and motivation for all of us at Wellington Olympic.

Thank you also to everyone, the friends and family of Wellington Olympic, who stood by us or on the bank throughout the season. Your support is invaluable and fuels our determination to succeed.

Once again, thank you!