Peter Tsolakis

NSL Career: Heidelberg, South Melbourne 240 (50) / 1985 - 1994/95

A star for both Heidelberg and South Melbourne, Peter 'Gus' Tsolakis, who stood just 5'2", was a product of the Port Melbourne youth system that produced a number of NSL players including Mike Petersen, Mehemet Duraković and Andrew Zinni. The explosive midfielder made up for a lack of height with pace, close ball control and the ability to score.

Son of a Greek father who won two state league championships as a player with South Melbourne, Tsolakis was set to develop his game at his father's club but was part of the South U-9 squad that moved to Port Melbourne. Tsolakis progressed through Port's junior ranks before getting his first taste of first team action with Coburg at just 15 years of age in the Victorian Metropolitan League Division Three. Tsolakis made his first team debut for Port Melbourne in the 1982 VML Division Three.

Three seasons at the club saw Tsolakis split his time between the first team and reserves until 1984, when he was joint winner of the Division Three Player of the Year award. Tsolakis was spotted by NSL club Heidelberg's coach Brian Garvey who signed the young midfielder for the 1985 NSL season. Initially a youth team player, Tsolakis scored and set up two goals on his NSL debut against Brisbane City at the age of 19 and helped the side reach the Southern Conference Minor Semi-Final in his first season. 

Tsolakis became a Heidelberg regular during the 1986 season and scored a brace in the side's NSL Cup Quarter-Final victory over Blacktown. The pocket dynamo helped the side qualify for the finals series for the third consecutive season but was unable to save them from relegation at the end of the 1987 season in which he scored seven league goals. 

With former coach Brian Garvey at South Melbourne since 1987, Tsolakis knocked back offers from around the country to sign for the club he grew up supporting, signing for a $25,000 transfer fee. Tsolakis was in and out of South's first team in his first season and missed the side's 1988 NSL Finals Series campaign as they reached the semi-finals, however, the midfielder played in his third consecutive NSL Cup Semi-Final in which South lost one-nil to Brunswick.

Tsolakis became a regular during the 1989 season as South missed out on a spot in the finals series and found career best form when football icon Ferenc Puskás replaced Garvey for the 1989/90 season. Scoring a career-best 12 goals in 26 league games, Tsolakis scored the winner in South's NSL Cup Semi-Final win against Adelaide City before scoring South's fourth goal in the NSL Cup Final to claim his first NSL trophy.

In the 1990/91 season, Tsolakis played in his fifth NSL Cup Semi-Final (missed just one semi-final in six consecutive seasons) before helping South win the NSL Championship, converting the side's sixth penalty as they beat Melbourne Croatia five-four in a penalty shoot-out in the grand final.

Tsolakis remained a regular for South during the 1991/92 season, but suffered an injury shortly before the finals series in which South reached the preliminary final. Puskás was replaced by club legend Jim Pyrgolios for the 1992/93 season and Tsolakis was again a key cog in the South machine as the club finished minor premiers before reaching consecutive preliminary finals.

The experienced midfielder made just 11 starts in 20 league games during the 1993/94 season and played in his sixth NSL Cup Semi-Final before missing out on selection in the side's preliminary final loss to Adelaide City in the final series. After seven successful seasons with South, Tsolakis returned to Heidelberg for the 1994/95 season and helped the side reach the NSL Cup Final, losing six-nil to Melbourne Knights (previously Croatia), but was unable to save them from relegation for the third and final time.

Following Heidelberg's relegation to the Victorian Premier League, Tsolakis remained with the club for two seasons in the VPL, spending some time as player-coach before joining former club Port Melbourne in a similar capacity. Tsolakis became South assistant under former team mate Danny Wright for the 2002/03 NSL season and became caretaker coach following Wright's axing towards the end of the the season. Tsolakis continued his career as a player-coach with Victorian State League Division One side Northcote in 2004 before hanging up his boots at the age of 41.