Tony Spyridakos

NSL Career: Sydney Olympic 214 (6) / 1982 - 1994/95

Socceroos Career: 2 (0) A Internationals / 3 (0) B Internationals

A integral member of the entertaining Sydney Olympic side of the 1980s, Tony Spyridakos, who also went by the simplified surname Dakos, was a highly skilled sweeper who would often push forward and link up with his team mates in attacking forays.

A one club man, Spyridakos was an Olympic junior and made his NSL debut in the last round of the 1982 season at the age of 18 after getting noticed by Olympic caretaker coach Lubo Gojković. Spyridakos became a regular during the 1983 season and was a standout in Olympic's NSL Cup Final victory over Heidelberg in which he beat his opponent in the air before initiating a counter-attack that led to team mate Terry Patalis's goal in the second leg.

The attack-minded defender helped Olympic finish second in the 1984 Northern Conference and qualify for their first NSL Grand Final. Spyridakos was involved in both Olympic goals over the two legs, heading the ball down for Mark Koussas's goal in the first leg and started one of his trademark one-two pass counter-attacks in the lead up to Nick Theodorakopoulos's goal in the second leg as South Melbourne defeated Olympic four-two on aggregate.

The 20 year old suffered a serious knee injury early in the 1985 season which restricted him to just three league appearances and missed Olympic's NSL Cup Final victory over Preston. Spyridakos returned to form in the 1986 season as Olympic reached their second grand final in three seasons, scoring in the first leg before missing the second leg decider against Adelaide City through suspension as Olympic lost three-two on aggregate.

Injuries narrowed Spyridakos's chances of getting called-up to the national team and the classy defender went through a long injury-interrupted period with the club, making just 59 league appearances over four seasons. Spyridakos was an unused sub in Olympic's 1989 NSL Grand Final loss to Marconi before coming off the bench in the club's NSL Cup Final loss to Adelaide City. In just his eighth appearance during the 1989/90 season, Spyridakos started in Olympic's two-nil grand final victory over Marconi, and reminiscent of the 1984 Grand Final, headed the ball down to Robbie Ironside to score the sealer from a Grant Lee cross. 

Spyridakos went on to play in the side's four-one NSL Cup Final loss to South Melbourne and carried over his excellent form in to the 1990/91 season where he became a regular. Spyridakos earned his first Socceroos call-up for Australia's 1990 Merlion Cup campaign where he made his full international debut in the Socceroos' three-nil victory over Indonesia in the final, playing alongside Olympic defensive partner Andy Bernal. 

Finding consistency in his game during the 1990/91 NSL season led to an overseas contract with Alpha Ethniki side Pierikos for $55,000, his first overseas venture since serving as an apprentice with the likes of Red Star Belgrade early in his career. Initially used as substitute, Spyridakos became a regular towards the end of the 1991/92 season as Pierikos finished mid-table. Spyridakos returned to Olympic for the 1992/93 NSL season and helped the side qualify for the finals series the following season. After making just 16 league appearances during the 1994/95 season, Spyridakos hung up his boots at the age of 31.