Winners of this year's NPL NSW Grand Final, the Marconi Stallions reclaimed the title of state champions for the first time in 12 years. The Stallions were one of the headline stories throughout the 2024 season, with key players now stepping up into A-League Men setups and youngsters making their mark in the NPL. With a mix of scepticism and praise delivered on the squad, head coach Peter Tsekenis led his side towards a championship and earned his second trophy since joining in 2017. In this interview with Front Page Football, Tsekenis reflected on his team's 2024 achievements, his time at Marconi, and what the future holds for both club and coach.
The Marconi Stallions lift the 2024 NPL NSW Championship trophy at CommBank Stadium. (Image: Harley Appezzato)
As one of the prestigious clubs in New South Wales, the Marconi Stallions have the facilities needed to develop players in their system and a history that can attract promising talent and experience. Both of these criteria enable the club to produce and recruit various players that allow its senior teams to succeed.
"Marconi was always seen as one of the bigger clubs, well established, lots of history and success, [and] a lot of players who have gone on to play for the Socceroos and overseas. So it has been one of the biggest clubs in the country," Tsekenis told Front Page Football.
"Being a part of it, you feel the history, and it's a very proud club. The facilities are second to none, and I've played and coached at other clubs; it is by far the best-equipped club for players and coaches to do what they do and work in a great environment."
When Tsekenis took the role in 2017, Marconi went through a stale period after spending a season in what was then known as the NPL 2 NSW competition. In his first year, Tsekenis almost led Marconi to a Finals Series appearance back in the NPL, and he has since claimed two trophies during his tenure at the club. It was an unusual position for an illustrious club such as Marconi to be in. But Tsekenis has met the goals and expectations set by the club, taking advantage of the resources provided to build the formidable team that was on show in 2024.
"With such a proud history and a lot of resources, the expectations are very high. The expectation is that Marconi is always challenging for the honours of championships, premierships, and trophies," he said.
"As a coach, I have a high expectation of myself, and the club is willing to provide the resources to get the results. I'd rather be at a club that has expectations and is willing to back it. It's a good fit for me."
Marconi Stallions head coach Peter Tsekenis. (Image: Marconi Stallions Instagram)
To meet the club's 2024 goals, Tsekenis went with a younger squad heading into the year to account for the increased games. Despite their inexperience, the mental side is pivotal for youngsters to grow and understand, not only to push themselves to the limit but also to provide an energy boost for the team when needed.
"They're not only young, but they're players who have a high ambition to play at another level. Players who [prepare] themselves well and take it seriously," Tsekenis said.
"When you have that, you know they are all going to play their part during the season. In particular, with young players, we have had an increase in games in the last couple of seasons. It creates a strain on the squad, so I believe the younger the squad is, the quicker they recover.
"Even if you have young players, you always have to have an element of experience. What I like to do is have guys who have played at the highest level, still take [the football] seriously and are willing to put their hands around the young blokes and improve them in the environment we're in."
A young player's mentality is helped by their coach and the mentorship and confidence of experienced players within the squad who can lead them during matches. One example is Marconi captain Marko Jesic, who has been at the club for nearly nine years and is one of their most experienced players. Tsekenis looks for this experience in a leader to help his players.
"Our captain, Marko Jesic, has played at a high level and has been professional for a long time. He leads by example and is always looking to help these young players. He pretty much runs the changing rooms for me; I don't have to worry about what happens. I have trust in my captain, and he does a good job of managing the changing room. That's very important for a coach to have a player like that," the Stallions head coach said.
"I can only do so much on the training pitch and from the outside, you need players on the park to help the young boys come along. You need a really good mixture of that experience and younger blokes to have that recipe for success."
With the players at his disposal, Tsekenis' side put together one of the best stretches of form in the league just beyond the halfway point of the season, going ten matches unbeaten from mid-June to mid-August. While good results can bring confidence to the squad, they can also cause complacency and a loss of focus, damaging performances and results.
If not managed, complacency can make it difficult to maintain confidence, trust, and happiness among the squad. As Tsekenis explained, it can be a challenge for a coach to maintain a good atmosphere in the dressing room.
"You have to bring them down to Earth because they can sometimes get a little cocky. That can happen when you're winning a lot of games but on the other side of it, if results aren't going your way, you try to keep their confidence instilled in them," he said.
"The way I go about it is we look at the positives, don't dabble too much in the negatives and focus on being positive. If we're making mistakes that are costing us, we focus on how we can improve every week.
"I always make sure that the players I recruit are fighters; they're not guys that go missing. When the chips are down, I expect players to show themselves more when things are tough. Winning helps, but to win, you got to have that winning mentality and work ethic to work hard even when things are not going your way."
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Marconi and Tsekenis encountered many challenges during the 2024 season, including departures, suspensions, and injuries amongst the squad.
Two players moved to A-League Men clubs after impressing in the NPL or during trial periods. After their impressive seasons with Marconi, Hiroaki Aoyama and James Temelkovski will play in the 2024–25 A-League Men's season for Perth Glory and the Western Sydney Wanderers, respectively.
"Those are the hurdles, [like] A-League clubs coming, talking to players and taking them for trials, and that is fine. I expect that when you have quality players who are professional, have the vision, and play well in a good environment," Tsekenis said.
"Aoyama came to us last year, and when I spoke to him, he had ambition; he always had the ambition to play at a high level. We said to him, 'If we work together, we can help you improve and give you the opportunity to maybe play in the A-League.' If you told anyone that when I signed him, then they would probably think I was full of it.
"But he worked hard, was a real professional, performed well and moved to the A-League and deservedly so. I think he will do really well for Perth.
"With James Temelkovski, he was another one who had a little bit of success in Adelaide, but people still doubted him. When I spoke to him, I thought it was a good fit for him (joining Marconi) and a good opportunity to improve. He was out for ten weeks, so he missed a little bit of football early on, but when he came back, he started scoring goals, some important goals as well, and the rest is history."
With a talented squad including Temelkovski, Jesic, Domenic Costanzo, and several others, Marconi progressed to the NPL NSW Grand Final for the first time in 12 years after defeating Blacktown City 6–2 in their Semi-Final, setting up a meeting with Rockdale Ilinden. Such an occasion may bring nerves to most players and coaches, but with his experience, Tsekenis is familiar with the atmosphere surrounding a big occasion like a Grand Final.
"Nothing really changes; I don't make a big deal about it. I've won two Grand Finals at other clubs in NPL 1 and another with Marconi (the 2019 Waratah Cup). In this one, in particular, I was very calm, and I didn't want to change things. The players look to me and feed off my actions and mood. I was very positive, and we stuck to our routines," he said.
"I didn't want the players to be carried away with all the attention that was coming their way. Leading into that final, we were very calm [and] focused, and there was a lot of self-belief after beating Blacktown in the Semi-Final. Everything had come together at the right time, and I could tell these guys were ready."
In the Grand Final hosted at CommBank Stadium, Marconi beat premiers Rockdale 3–0, who went into the game as one of the form clubs in the NPL Australia-wide, let alone in New South Wales. It was a special occasion for key player Nathan Millgate, who played his last match for Marconi before his retirement after 14 years in the NPL. It was a well-deserved send-off for a veteran who contributed much to each club he played for and held significant meaning for those involved at Marconi for many years.
Nathan Millgate (right) embraces teammate Domenic Costanzo (left) following Marconi's Grand Final victory. (Image: Harley Appezzato)
"It meant a lot. One is for the club because they backed me and believed in me to do the job, and I'm glad we won the trophy for them. There were players that were in their first Grand Final and had their first Grand Final win and had been with the club for a while, so it was special," Tsekenis said.
"Another reason why this was special is that we had a player, Nathan Millgate, who was retiring, and we wanted to see him out as a winner in his last game. He has been a great servant for the club and a great player for the league."
Winning the Grand Final also helped Marconi respond to the criticisms and doubts the club felt it was subjected to at the start of the season.
"Everyone doubted us from the start. All the podcast people, all the journos, everyone who thinks they know football said we'll finish in the lower part of the table. You know what? This one's for you guys; you made us feel hungry," captain Jesic infamously said in an on-pitch interview after the Grand Final win.
Tsekenis also noted a couple of podcasts that said Marconi would finish as low as eighth before the season started. He used the doubts to the team's advantage by firing up his players in the dressing room.
"You win the trophy. That's how you respond to criticism, and that's the only way. I think you need criticism because some people flourish under that," Tsekenis said.
"I've always been at my best when I've had criticisms or when my team is being criticised. Doesn't matter if I win three in a row, you'll still get people criticising you, and I use that and harness it to give us a positive reaction. That's the only way you can respond to criticism: prove people wrong.
"There's no better feeling than that. When you have people in the media who doubted us, we go on and win the Grand Final. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes, and to finally win the Grand Final and celebrate with everyone involved, there's no better feeling."
The win against Rockdale was Marconi's second victory over the championship favourites in 2024, who had a strong season. The Stallions showed how well-equipped they are for one-off games in the Grand Final, compared to Rockdale, who lost their second decider of the year after losing the Waratah Cup Final to APIA Leichhardt in August.
"We beat every single team this year (in the league). The only team we haven't beaten in the normal season was Blacktown, but we ended up beating them in the Semi-Final. The only team Rockdale haven't beaten is us; we had a 2-2 draw then we beat them 9–0 at Marconi [Stadium]," Tsekenis said.
"We knew in the final that they were coming out for revenge, but we wanted to prove that the 9–0 was not a fluke and that we were worthy champions, worthy to beat Rockdale 9–0, and we won 3–0. I was happy with how it all panned out in the end.
"We're a team that is capable of scoring a lot of goals against good teams. We can't do it all the time, we know that, but if you look at previous years, we've done it a few times, especially at Marconi. If you come to Marconi and you're half asleep, you are going to get punished, you got to be at your best. In the end, Rockdale probably got complacent, and they came across a really hungry Marconi team on the wrong day."
Tsekenis has been successful as a coach and player, with a variety of accolades and milestones attached to his career. Being determined to succeed is an instinct most have, especially those involved in football, a crucial aspect in bringing success.
Tsekenis has claimed most, if not all, of the NSW state trophies during his football career, which include premierships, championships, and the Waratah Cup. He was recently awarded the NPL NSW Coach of the Year for 2024 and is ready to collect more silverware and new achievements.
"I've always been competitive, even off the park. I hate losing. That's part of my DNA. Don't get me wrong, you're going to lose, but if you have the mentality of being a winner, it becomes like a drug, and you're going to want more and more," he said.
"I have served at NPL for a long time. I have experience at this level and have proven that I can win various trophies. I've won the main trophy three times at three different clubs (Bankstown City Lions, Sydney Olympic, and Marconi), which I don't think anyone has done before. I would welcome an opportunity to the A-League. I think I'm ready and have served my apprenticeship with a worthy CV."
Looking to the future, Tsekenis is only looking to improve his Marconi side further and start next year stronger than before. He is ambitious for more trophies and, with the possibility of the National Second Division commencing, keen to be a crucial part of a new era for Marconi in 2025 and beyond.
"We're looking to keep the majority [of the players]. I'm looking to improve where we can and in certain areas if we can. It's good that we got most of the squad [staying], and there is a bit of cohesion now that we've had a year together," Tsekenis said.
"I think there are areas we can improve, even though we won the Grand Final, we didn't come first; we came second in the competition. Our motivation now is, can we do well in the Waratah Cup and FFA (Australia) Cup, can we win the minor premiership, and can we go back-to-back in the Grand Final?
"Those are the things that are motivating us, and what we'll be aiming for then saying, 'Yeah, we won the Grand Final.' It's going to get harder because people are going to want to knock us off, and I have to have players ready, mentally and physically, for that challenge."
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