Angelo Lekkas
Encyclopedia
Angelos Lekkas is a former Australian rules football
er who played his entire professional career with the Hawthorn Football Club
in the Australian Football League
. After his premature retirement due to a medical condition he continued his sporting career as a soccer
player for South Melbourne FC
in the Victorian Premier League
and Australian rules football coach.
parents grew up in the northern suburbs of Melbourne
, played soccer until he was a teenager, when he switched to playing Australian rules and played with the Northern Knights
under 18s.
which was a traded for Tony Hall
(when Hall left the Hawks for Adelaide).
After three seasons in the reserves, Lekkas made his senior debut in 1996.
Lekkas forged a solid career with the Hawks, playing mostly between half forward
and half back
.
In 2002, he represented Australia in the International Rules series.
After a practice match in February 2005, Lekkas suffered an apparent minor stroke and was told he might never play again. After fully recovering, he made his return to AFL football in Round 15, 2005 against Adelaide.
Lekkas announced his early retirement from AFL football on 26 August 2005, his last game being played at the MCG
against Sydney
on 27 August 2005.
Lekkas finished his AFL career with 180 games and 120 goals to his credit and a career total of 14 Brownlow
votes.
Lekkas belatedly claimed a 50% salary bonus for having his career ended prematurely by injury, despite Hawthorn's offer of a new contract and his subsequent decision to retire as opposed to being delisted.
even donating to help save the club from folding.
After retiring from Australian rules football
, Lekkas began training with South Melbourne in late 2005.
During South Melbourne's 2005 season Lekkas was elevated into the senior list.
In 2008, he signed with the Sunbury Football Club in the Ballarat Football League
.
He currently runs his own private sports tuition company.
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 who played his entire professional career with the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
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...
. After his premature retirement due to a medical condition he continued his sporting career as a soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player for South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World...
in the Victorian Premier League
Victorian Premier League
The Victorian Premier League is the highest State level association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and second highest nationally after the A-League...
and Australian rules football coach.
Early life
Lekkas born to GreekGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
parents grew up in the northern suburbs of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, played soccer until he was a teenager, when he switched to playing Australian rules and played with the Northern Knights
Northern Knights
The Northern Knights are an Australian rules football club playing in the TAC Cup, an under-18 competition in Victoria, Australia. They are based in Preston, representing the northern suburban area of Melbourne....
under 18s.
AFL career
Lekkas was taken by Hawthorn at pick number 17 overall (Hawthorn's first pick) in the 1993 AFL Draft1993 AFL Draft
The 1993 AFL Draft consisted of a mid-season draft, a national draft at the end of the season and a Pre-season draft, held before the 1994 AFL season....
which was a traded for Tony Hall
Tony Hall
Tony Hall may refer to:* Tony P. Hall , U.S. politician, representative and ambassador* Tony Hall, Baron Hall of Birkenhead , chief executive of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London...
(when Hall left the Hawks for Adelaide).
After three seasons in the reserves, Lekkas made his senior debut in 1996.
Lekkas forged a solid career with the Hawks, playing mostly between half forward
Half-forward line
In the sport of Australian rules football, the half-forward line refers to a position on the field of play.3 players are positioned in the half-forward line, a left and right half-forward flank player, as well as a centre half-forward....
and half back
Half-back line
In the sport of Australian rules football, the half-back line refers to the positions of the 3 players on the field that occupy the centre-half back and left and right half-back flank positions....
.
In 2002, he represented Australia in the International Rules series.
After a practice match in February 2005, Lekkas suffered an apparent minor stroke and was told he might never play again. After fully recovering, he made his return to AFL football in Round 15, 2005 against Adelaide.
Lekkas announced his early retirement from AFL football on 26 August 2005, his last game being played at the MCG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
against Sydney
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
on 27 August 2005.
Lekkas finished his AFL career with 180 games and 120 goals to his credit and a career total of 14 Brownlow
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
votes.
Post AFL-career
After Lekkas retired, he took up a lawsuit against the Hawthorn Football Club, claiming that the club caused his early retirement by pressuring him to continue playing after the stroke. The case was later settled out of court. Lekkas was condemned by some supporters for playing the case out via the media with his manager Jacques Khouri, given Hawthorn's apparent support of Lekkas and a lack of consensus that the injury was even football related.Lekkas belatedly claimed a 50% salary bonus for having his career ended prematurely by injury, despite Hawthorn's offer of a new contract and his subsequent decision to retire as opposed to being delisted.
Soccer career
Lekkas was long a supporter of South MelbourneSouth Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World...
even donating to help save the club from folding.
After retiring from Australian rules football
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...
, Lekkas began training with South Melbourne in late 2005.
During South Melbourne's 2005 season Lekkas was elevated into the senior list.
Return to Aussie Rules
After a period of disenchantment with the game, Angelo returned to work with the AFL in 2007 as part-time as a multicultural officer and AFL ambassador and also in a community liaison role at Hawthorn as part of the settlement with the club.In 2008, he signed with the Sunbury Football Club in the Ballarat Football League
Ballarat Football League
The Ballarat Football League is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia.The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Football League in 1908 and was briefly known as the Ballarat-Wimmera...
.
He currently runs his own private sports tuition company.