“My Greek surname,” explains the likeable Victory keeper, “it’s a bit of a mouthful, so everyone just calls me Theo.” Theo translates as God in Greek. So, after such a stellar season in the Victory starting 11, is Michael the new God of Goalkeeping in the Hyundai A-League?

“Well I don’t know about that,” he says with a big laugh while on the line from a Telstra shop (he may be a Telstra Dome star but he was struggling to get his Telstra bill sorted when The Full90 rang!)

“Look these are exciting times and not conceding too many goals is always good but I’m not sure I’m a goalkeeping God just yet!” he adds.

Victory fans genuflecting at the altar of their table-topping side may beg to differ. Eleven goals conceded in the first 17 rounds – the least number in the league – irrefutable proof that defensively the Victorians are a strong unit. And Theo’s God-like omnipotence has bred confidence in the defenders in front of him. If this wasn’t the case, deputy Eugene Galekovic would’ve taken over.

Which is what happened last year. Kind of.



Numero uno at number one club
Super-coach Merrick employed a rotation system with his two glovesmen. “It was a tough one – in and out,” recalls Theo. “You need your confidence from playing and having a relationship with your defenders, so it didn’t help. Ernie couldn’t split us, though.”

However, Michael did get to play on the home stretch of last season and, after a mega off-season of “working our bollocks off”, the 25 year-old got the nod for the start of this season. And he’s never looked back.

“I know how Eugene feels,” says Theoklitos. “Not having a reserve competition makes it even harder to get game time, but at least there is the Victorian Premier League (VPL) in the off-season to keep all the keepers in the squad sharp.”

The name Steve Mautone may not get much publicity amidst the frenzy over Archie, Allsopp, Fred and Muscat, but Theo is adamant Mautone – the club’s full-time ’keeping coach – deserves much credit for his success.

“He’s been great for Eugene and myself... a huge positive. We had a guy come in two days a week last season [former NSL keeper Lou Kastner] but Steve’s in every day this season and it shows,” he says of the Aussie ’keeper, formerly on the books of West Ham, Reading and Gillingham in the 90s.