BRISBANE, October 2026 — More than 2,000 people attended the inaugural Aegean Cup at Olympic FC on Saturday 3 October, where Rhodes beat The Spartans 2–0 in the Grand Final.
Thomas Tellis and Jono Hazidavis created the football tournament through Kos Club QLD. The pair wanted a new way to engage younger Greek Australians with their heritage. They also aimed to strengthen relationships between Brisbane’s Greek community associations. Greek City Times previewed the event on 26 September.
Aegean Cup brings eight teams to Goodwin Park
Eight teams contested the Aegean Cup: Kos, Rhodes, Cyprus, Kastellorizo, Crete, The Spartans, Kythera and Macedonia. Players, families, supporters and members of the wider community gathered at Goodwin Park in Yeronga. Olympic FC describes Goodwin Park as its home ground and part of The Australian Hellenic Sports Centre. The venue has a listed capacity of about 2,200.
Football sat at the centre of the program, but organisers designed the Aegean Cup to be much more than a sporting competition. Greek music, cultural performances, food and family entertainment created a festival atmosphere throughout the day. At the same time, supporters proudly represented their respective communities.
For co-founder Thomas Tellis, the turnout showed younger Greek Australians’ appetite for new ways to take part in community life.
“When Jono and I first spoke about the idea, we wanted to create something that our generation would genuinely be excited to be part of. We both love football, but the bigger purpose was always about bringing people together and keeping our connection to our Greek heritage strong.”
Thomas Tellis, co-founder
He also described the scene as the day unfolded at the Aegean Cup.
“To look around during the day and see more than 2,000 people come through the gates, young people, parents, grandparents, children and supporters from so many different parts of the Greek community — was incredibly special.”
Thomas Tellis, co-founder
Rhodes beat The Spartans to take the title
Rhodes defeated The Spartans 2–0 in the Grand Final to become the first team to lift the Aegean Cup. In addition, Emmanuel Polichronis and Michael Konstantinou shared the Golden Boot with five goals each. Zac Laskaris earned Man of the Match honours in the Grand Final.
However, Tellis said the day’s greatest achievement went beyond the result. He said rivalry on the field gave way to celebration off it.
“There was obviously plenty of rivalry once the games started, and that’s exactly what we wanted, but when you stepped away from the pitch you had people from all these different associations talking, celebrating and enjoying the day together.”
Thomas Tellis, co-founder
Why the founders started the event
Tellis linked the tournament to the work of earlier generations of Greek Australians. He said the founders want their generation to continue what their parents and grandparents started.
“Our parents and grandparents worked incredibly hard to build these communities in Australia and preserve our culture. We want our generation to find our own way of continuing what they started. If the Aegean Cup gets younger people involved in their associations, creates new friendships and makes people proud of where their families came from, then we’ve achieved what we set out to do.”
Thomas Tellis, co-founder
Census figures show the size of the Greek and Cypriot communities the event brought together. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 32,702 Queenslanders reported Greek ancestry in the 2021 Census. In Greater Brisbane, 20,004 people reported Greek ancestry, including 16,444 Australian-born residents. The same Census recorded 2,237 people with Cypriot ancestry in Greater Brisbane. By comparison, 424,744 people across Australia reported Greek ancestry.
Aegean Cup planning turns to 2027
Participating associations, local businesses, sponsors, volunteers, officials and members of Brisbane’s wider Greek community supported the football tournament. Following the inaugural tournament’s success, planning is already underway for a larger Aegean Cup in 2027. Even so, organisers say the focus will remain on football, Greek culture and community participation.
Tellis and Hazidavis hope the competition becomes an annual fixture on Brisbane’s Greek community calendar. They also hope future generations will carry the tradition forward.
“This year proved that the community wants something like this. We don’t see the Aegean Cup as a one-off event — we want to build something that people look forward to every year and that future generations will eventually take ownership of themselves.”
Aegean Cup organisers
As the organisers put it, “This was only the beginning.”
