APIA Leichhardt

The club was founded as the Associazione Poli-sportiva Italo Australiana ("APIA") in 1954 by members of the Italian-Australian community in Sydney's Inner West. After several years in the Canterbury District competition, the club joined the NSW Federation's state league. In the 1960s APIA became one of the foremost soccer clubs in Australia and won the Premiership of NSW of the years 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1975, which was the highest level of achievement in the absence of a national competition. Between 1966 and 1974 APIA also won three times the State Cup of NSW, then named after a sponsor Ampol Cup. The 1974 final was considered "one of the most incredible finals" of the history of the club when skipper Jimmy Rooney and centreforward Peter Ollerton, who scored five goals, won 9–1 against Auburn in front of a crowd of 5210 at Wentworth Park, the highest finals result ever. Rooney and Ollerton were also in the team that represented Australia a few months later in its first World Cup participation in Germany. In 1979 APIA was given access to the National Soccer League, the top tier of Australian soccer since 1977. In 1987 APIA won the national championship, six points ahead of the Preston Makedonia Soccer Club from Melbourne, with then only two points awarded per win. The coach in that season was Rale Rasic. Charlie Yankos and Peter Katholos are probably the best known players from that side. The main cast of that year consisted of Tony Pezzano; Charlie Yankos, Arno Bertogna,…

Regional

National Premier Leagues NSW Premiers (7): 1964, 1966, 1967, 1975, 2017, 2023, 2026 Runners-Up (11): 1959, 1960, 1963, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1997, 2002–03, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2025 National Premier Leagues NSW Grand Finals Championships (7): 1964, 1965, 1969, 1976, 2002–03, 2019, 2025 Runners-Up (7): 1959, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1975, 2017, 2018, Waratah Cup Winners (6): 1962, 1966, 1975, 2013, 2018, 2024 Runners-Up (4): 2006, 2012, 2017, 2023 Johnny Warren Cup Winners (1): 2007 Ampol Cup Winners (3): 1966, 1970, 1974

National

National Soccer League Champions (1): 1987 Premiers (1): 1987 National Soccer League Australia Cup Winners (1): 1966 Runners-Up (3): 1964, 1965, 1967 NSL Cup Winners (2): 1982, 1988

National

National Soccer League Coach of the Year (1) Rale Rasic - 1987 Australian Championship MVP (1) Dredon Kelly

Regional

NPL NSW Premier League Player of the year (5) George Blues - 1970 Terry Butler - 1978 Franco Parisi - 2015 Sean Symons - 2017 Tasuku Sekiya - 2018 NPL NSW Premier League Coach of the Year (3) Franco Parisi - 2025 Franco Parisi - 2023 Danial Cummins - 2017 Robbie Slater Award (2) Michael Kouta - 2025 Sean Symons - 2019 NPL NSW Premier Leagues Golden Boot (9) Jordan Murray (23) - 2018 Blake Powell (21) - 2015 Robert Younis (21) - 2008 Paul Ollerton (17) - 1975 Paul Ollerton (18) - 1974 John Giacometti (22) - 1967 John Giacometti (20) - 1966 John Giacometti (21) - 1965 John Watkiss (24) - 1964 NPL NSW Goalkeeper of the Year (2) Matthew Nash - 2008 Ivan Necevski - 2023 Anthony Bouzanis - 2024 NPL NSW Goal of the Year (2) Adrian Ucchino - 2025 Blake Powell - 2015