Ang Christou
Encyclopedia
Ang Christou is a former Australian rules football
er for Carlton
in the Australian Football League
.
and along with Anthony Koutoufides
was a popular figure as a Greek Australian
.
In 2001, Christou had a solid pre-season, but missed the first month of the AFL season due to a knee injury. After his return in Round 7, Christou was noted for his penetrating kicks from defence. However, he was dropped after Round 17 playing only 13 games for the season, including a recall for the finals series of 2001 (receiving limited game time).
Christou was noted for his long, accurate left foot kicks, often upwards of 60-65 metres. Whenever taking a kick, short or long, a chant from the Carlton crowd of "WOOF!" would always be heard. Christou was the second Carlton player to receive this chant, after Val Perovic
(another long, left-footed defender) during the 1980s.
in 2003 and was awarded Man of the Match for his great game that night and was met with an enthused reaction from the crowd.
There was talk of Christou trying out as a punter for the National Football League
in early 2003, a three-man crew from a US club (the identity of which Christou refused to reveal) spent two weeks in Melbourne putting him through a series of stringent tests however no signing resulted.
He co-owned the Souvlaki Hut restaurant in Templestowe Lower
in Melbourne's north-east with former Carlton team-mate Anthony Koutoufides
, until its closure in early 2011.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er for Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Football career
Christou played for the Carlton Football ClubCarlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
and along with Anthony Koutoufides
Anthony Koutoufides
Anthony Koutoufides is a former Australian rules footballer with the Carlton Football Club. One of the most powerful and athletic players of all-time, he played in almost every position and was often called the prototype of the modern footballer.Of Greek and Italian descent, Koutoufides has been...
was a popular figure as a Greek Australian
Greek Australian
Greeks are the seventh-largest ethnic group in Australia, after those declaring their ancestry simply as "Australian". In the 2006 census, 365,147 persons declared having Greek ancestry, either alone or in conjunction with another ethnicity....
.
In 2001, Christou had a solid pre-season, but missed the first month of the AFL season due to a knee injury. After his return in Round 7, Christou was noted for his penetrating kicks from defence. However, he was dropped after Round 17 playing only 13 games for the season, including a recall for the finals series of 2001 (receiving limited game time).
Christou was noted for his long, accurate left foot kicks, often upwards of 60-65 metres. Whenever taking a kick, short or long, a chant from the Carlton crowd of "WOOF!" would always be heard. Christou was the second Carlton player to receive this chant, after Val Perovic
Val Perovic
Val Perovic is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda and Carlton in the VFL.Despite starting his career as a wingman, Perovic played mostly as a defender and was a centre half back when he first represented Victoria in 1978. After 77 games with St Kilda during the 1970s he...
(another long, left-footed defender) during the 1980s.
Post-football career
Christou participated in the E. J. Whitten Legends GameE. J. Whitten Legends Game
The E. J. Whitten Legends Game is an annual charity Australian rules football All-star game, where retired star players are reunited, along with selected non-footballing celebrities, in a State of Origin interstate game, between Victoria and the All Stars .-History:E. J...
in 2003 and was awarded Man of the Match for his great game that night and was met with an enthused reaction from the crowd.
There was talk of Christou trying out as a punter for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in early 2003, a three-man crew from a US club (the identity of which Christou refused to reveal) spent two weeks in Melbourne putting him through a series of stringent tests however no signing resulted.
He co-owned the Souvlaki Hut restaurant in Templestowe Lower
Templestowe Lower, Victoria
Templestowe Lower is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. It's Local Government Area is the City of Manningham...
in Melbourne's north-east with former Carlton team-mate Anthony Koutoufides
Anthony Koutoufides
Anthony Koutoufides is a former Australian rules footballer with the Carlton Football Club. One of the most powerful and athletic players of all-time, he played in almost every position and was often called the prototype of the modern footballer.Of Greek and Italian descent, Koutoufides has been...
, until its closure in early 2011.