Con Boutsianis

NSL Career: South Melbourne, Collingwood, Perth Glory 285 (106) / 1989 - 2003/04

Socceroos Career: 4 (4) A Internationals

One of the best left-footed players to grace the NSL, Con Boutsianis was arguably the best set piece specialist in the history of the national league. With an impeccable shooting technique and great positional awareness, Boutsianis scored many important and spectacular goals in both an attacking midfield role and in the front third.

Boutsianis mastered the art of set pieces, combining power and placement to be able to score from corner kicks and free kicks from the 30-40m range. Boutsianis could also comfortably shoot with his weaker foot and had a knack for making late runs to the back post to put away headers.

Boutsianis started his junior career at South Melbourne at the age of nine and progressed through the ranks to make the first team and scored on his NSL debut as a 17 year old in the 1989 season, but would not make an appearance during Hungarian icon Ferenc Puskás's first season in charge in the 1989/90 season. 

The young forward continued to work his way towards becoming a regular at South, playing in 41 (26 starts) of South's 60 games during the 1990/91 and 1991/92 seasons. Between the 1992/93 and 1994/95 seasons, Boutsianis became a regular starter under coaches Jim Pyrgolios and Frank Arok, scoring 30 league goals during the period and helped the side reach the preliminary final in each season. 

Boutsianis left South Melbourne to join Victorian Premier League side Heidelberg for the 1996 season, joining a team that included experienced NSL players such as Gary Hasler and Alan Scott. Boutsanis helped the club reach the grand final where they lost five-three to Altona Magic in a penalty shoot-out.

It wasn't long before Boutsianis was back in the NSL scoring goals, joining some of his Heidelberg team mates at new NSL club Collingwood Warriors, where he chipped Marconi keeper Bob Catlin in the 1996/97 NSL Cup Final to earn the club it's first trophy. Following the collapse of Collingwood, Boutsianis signed for Alpha Ethniki club Apollon but never played for the side and had a stint back in the Victorian Premier League with Bentleigh Greens. 

Boutsianis returned to South Melbourne for the 1997/98 season, with former team mate Ange Postecoglou at the helm, and in vintage form came on as a substitute in the 85th minute of the grand final and chipped Carlton keeper Dean Anastasiadis in the 89th minute to seal South's third NSL Championship.

 Following his championship success at South, Boutsianis moved to Perth Glory where he reached his peak, scoring 25 goals in 49 matches from midfield, including a number of incredible free kicks. Two outstanding seasons at Perth earned Boutsianis a loan to English First Division side Bolton Wanderers where he failed to break in to the first team while managing legal trouble in Australia.  

Returning to South Melbourne for the 2000/01 season - Boutsianis scored a personal best 14 goals in 30 league games, made his full international debut and played in South's losing grand final to Wollongong. Boutsianis joined New Zealand club Football Kingz for the 2001/02 season, but left the club mid-season without having played a game.

The Socceroos midfielder rejoined South for the last time, scoring eight goals in 15 games, including the winner against Kingz in round 15 (Boutsianis was told not to participate in the match). After a falling out with the club's management, Boutsianis' game time was limited to three matches in the 2002/03 season before having a short stint in the Victorian State League Division One with Heidelberg. 

The veteran goalscorer finished his top flight career back at South in the final season of the NSL, where he played regularly, before moving back to the Victorian Premier League. Boutsianis had stints at Heidelberg, Bulleen and Oakleigh Cannons before hanging up his boots at the age of 34.