Zeno Tzatzaris

[LostDoggy]

Wondering if anyone can give me a bit of a run down on Zeno and what he was like as a player.

I had a chance encounter with Zeno on Friday night and had a great chat, but deliberately did not talk about the doggies as I felt like a bit of a tool as I was wearing my Bulldogs Polo at the time.

Top bloke and a great character, you know the kind you want to have a beer with. Was with some mates who travelled to Bali with him and the stories were very funny.

Unfortunately I was not at all into football back when he was playing so have no idea what he was like.

Cheers,

DS

[Ghost Dog]

From Mofra

Zeno Tsatsaris: Parkside boy whose pre-game routine of yoghurt & garlic always meant he'd ne easy to sniff out

[LostDoggy]

From Mofra

Zeno Tsatsaris: Parkside boy whose pre-game routine of yoghurt & garlic always meant he'd ne easy to sniff out

Nice!

[AndrewP6]

Made the Parkside FC Team of the Century in 2003.

[BulldogBelle]

One time we were playing Carlton at Waverley and getting a routine thrashing, he was at fullback and watching another shot for goal sail past - but for once they missed and I called out 'Well done Zeno!!' and someone laughed, so that was memorable for me :o

I think at the time he was playing we were not travelling too well so there was a bit of pressure on the backline.....

[Desipura]

Cmon TCD, where is your writeup. :D
Zeno once kept Ablett to one goal at Kardinia Park. Surname is spelt Tzatzaris

[ledge]

Zeno,TCD and I were mates as kids, I can remember he was quick, taught me to ride a bike I taught him chess(no we werent nerds).
To be honest, last thing I ever thought he would do was end up playing VFL , not because he wasnt any good , he didnt play it as a kid.
Lost contact with him after he moved from Braybrook to Keilor(primary to high school) next thing I know he was at the Doggies.
Dont know what age he got into football, but we did play cricket together.
As a footballer he was quite a big boy, fast for his build, was fullback and copped all the great fullforwards of the time in a side that struggled but held his own against most.
Often wondered what he would have been like up forward once in a while, not sure he ever did though.

[LostDoggy]

Thanks for the Info.

I understand that Zeno is working as a personal trainer even though he seems to be suffering from knee/joint issue as a result of playing AFL.

He looks like my grandfather when getting up out of a chair, presumably because his joint seized up.

On another note I know Scotty Wynd had massive knee degeneration at the end of his career. Has anyone seen or cought up with him and know how he is getting on?.

[bulldogsfight]

from memeory he got 3 brownlow votes aganst Geelong

[Jasper]

Wondering if anyone can give me a bit of a run down on Zeno and what he was like as a player.

I had a chance encounter with Zeno on Friday night and had a great chat, but deliberately did not talk about the doggies as I felt like a bit of a tool as I was wearing my Bulldogs Polo at the time.

Top bloke and a great character, you know the kind you want to have a beer with. Was with some mates who travelled to Bali with him and the stories were very funny.

Unfortunately I was not at all into football back when he was playing so have no idea what he was like.

Cheers,

DS

This is probably not a compliment, but I would describe him as a poor mans Presti.
Excellent defensive side to his game.
Could stick to an opponent like glue.
Use of the footy or any creativity was pretty much non-existent!!

[JohnGentStand]

ripping bloke, I used to live with his brother! A lot of great parties I managed to stagger through by association!....Oh, and if you had wanted to talk footy with him, wouldnt have been a problem....honest answers and still loves the bullies. I havent seen him for a fair while, hope he is doing well.

[ledge]

ripping bloke, I used to live with his brother! A lot of great parties I managed to stagger through by association!....Oh, and if you had wanted to talk footy with him, wouldnt have been a problem....honest answers and still loves the bullies. I havent seen him for a fair while, hope he is doing well.

You lived with stephen? how is he?

[JohnGentStand]

havent seen steve in ages either! that was a fair while ago,
I know Maria is still in Germany & just had a bub.....

[ledge]

I think Zeno was back living in the old house in braybrook for a while not sure now though.

[JohnGentStand]

I think Zeno was back living in the old house in braybrook for a while not sure now though.

ahhh ' the Melon Bar ' I remember it well :D

[ledge]

Thats where i learnt to ride a bike up that drive way and his mum pinching my cheek, then years on his name painted on the roof lmao

[Drunken Bum]

ripping bloke, I used to live with his brother! A lot of great parties I managed to stagger through by association!....Oh, and if you had wanted to talk footy with him, wouldnt have been a problem....honest answers and still loves the bullies. I havent seen him for a fair while, hope he is doing well.

tipping that we might of had a beer or two at some point then


You lived with stephen? how is he?

Last i saw him he had just closed his Pizza shop in Strathmore, prob a good 10yrs ago now though, not sure what he was doing after that

[JohnGentStand]

tipping that we might of had a beer or two at some point then



Last i saw him he had just closed his Pizza shop in Strathmore, prob a good 10yrs ago now though, not sure what he was doing after that

good chance we have....:) perhaps @ a jungle party or something similar!

the pizza shop was about the last time for me also....

[The Coon Dog]

Any chance one of the mods can amend the thread title to spell Zeno's surname correctly? It's Tzatzaris.

[ledge]

Aww come on TCD I like it.. we let your practice march stay.

[The Coon Dog]

Aww come on TCD I like it.. we let your practice march stay.

Took me 4 days to work out what everyone was on about. :o

Just don't like seeing names spelt incorrectly.

[ledge]

Gee they listen to you pretty quick , have you got magical powers?

[gohardorgohome]

I went to school with his brother Steve. Both he and Zeno were really good blokes. Haven't seen either for years. Zeno was real popular guy with the Western Oval crowds..

[Desipura]

ripping bloke, I used to live with his brother! A lot of great parties I managed to stagger through by association!....Oh, and if you had wanted to talk footy with him, wouldnt have been a problem....honest answers and still loves the bullies. I havent seen him for a fair while, hope he is doing well.
I sat with him last season, we were getting smashed, he still stayed until the end. I mentioned the garlic story, he had a look of surprise that I could recall the article.

[LostDoggy]

Any chance one of the mods can amend the thread title to spell Zeno's surname correctly? It's Tzatzaris.

Apologies for the error.

Would you believe me if I said I was just trying to make his name more Australian than American?. :)

Thanks to everyone for the info on him as a player.

Seems that he has a bit of cult hero status about him. From what I have seen his jovial personality certainly would have lent itself well to establishing this.

In todays clinical AFL environment its very hard for a player to develop this same sort of public persona.

I guess Cooneys "Burger Ring" Brownlow speech and recent eski lid slide perhaps shows that he has aptitude to secure this crown.

Unfortunately the current AFL landscape has a tight (eski) lid on larger than life personalities in the game and we may never see another Jacko, Capper, or Zeno Tzatzaris.


Cheers,

DS

[strebla]

Thats where i learnt to ride a bike up that drive way and his mum pinching my cheek, then years on his name painted on the roof lmao

I remember having a chat with Zeno about this as he lived only a few doors up from me legend had it that his dad was so proud when he was picked up by the doggies that he painted his name on the roof of his house. One night having a beer with him and I started talking about it he pissed himself laughing and tells me he did it himself!!!!!

I wonder if the Coon Dog smells one of his wonderfull interviews comming on ??:rolleyes:

[ledge]

Hey strebla I remember your old man giving me hell once, dads were characters in those days especialliy in that street, had a few run ins, Zenos parents used their own lingo in those days , only way i knew i was in trouble was raised voices and then Zeno said I had to go home.

[Desipura]

Hey strebla I remember your old man giving me hell once, dads were characters in those days especialliy in that street, had a few run ins, Zenos parents used their own lingo in those days , only way i knew i was in trouble was raised voices and then Zeno said I had to go home.


Are you sure, thats the way our parents spoke just in normal conversation, its called "speaking with passion".
And yes, both my parents are Greek. :D

[strebla]

Hey strebla I remember your old man giving me hell once, dads were characters in those days especialliy in that street, had a few run ins, Zenos parents used their own lingo in those days , only way i knew i was in trouble was raised voices and then Zeno said I had to go home.

Yes it was a very different world back then it so sterile now i could puke!!!!

[ledge]

Hey strebla I remember your old man giving me hell once, dads were characters in those days especialliy in that street, had a few run ins, Zenos parents used their own lingo in those days , only way i knew i was in trouble was raised voices and then Zeno said I had to go home.


Are you sure, thats the way our parents spoke just in normal conversation, its called "speaking with passion".
And yes, both my parents are Greek. :D

Yeah they had a passion alright.. get that little pommy git out of our home:D

[Scraggers]

Was it Zeno that kicked 10 (or so) goals in the 1988 Reserves Prelim/Grand Final ??

I'm not 100% sure ... I might be confusing him with another player ...


EDIT :- ... Now that I think about it, it may have been Angelo Petraglia ... I'm still usure (HELP !)

[Desipura]

Was it Zeno that kicked 10 (or so) goals in the 1988 Reserves Prelim/Grand Final ??

I'm not 100% sure ... I might be confusing him with another player ...


EDIT :- ... Now that I think about it, it may have been Angelo Petraglia ... I'm still usure (HELP !)

Daniel Hargreaves kicked 12 in a prelim final in the ressies

[Mat Lyons]

I'm interviewing Zeno in a couple of weeks - for those who knew him personally, great to hear about Melon St Braybrook, especially his name painted on the family roof. What else can you share?

Any questions people would like answered? Any famous games or angles to investigate?

[Bulldog Joe]

Daniel Hargreaves kicked 12 in a prelim final in the ressies

That would have been 1994. They went on to win the flag.
Simon Atkins played in that team.

[SonofScray]

I'm interviewing Zeno in a couple of weeks - for those who knew him personally, great to hear about Melon St Braybrook, especially his name painted on the family roof. What else can you share?

Any questions people would like answered? Any famous games or angles to investigate?
I met Zeno at what I think was an early iteration of East Meets West day in the 1990 or thereabouts. All the kids had to pull out a paper out of a hat and the players did the same. Then we had to walk around and ask if they had the matching word.

I asked a handful of players before getting to Zeno who was my match. From that day on I always wanted to play full back, which I did until u16s when I started to play a bit of Ruck/CHF.

Watched him play at Parkside a few times, even when they weren’t up against my cousins at Nth Footscray and when my mates all started playing seniors there in the mid 2000s, the opportunity to play for the club Zeno played for (and Sedat Sir, who was still there at the time) definitely played a part in pulling me away from NOBS in the ammos. Was probably a bad decision in the end as I didn’t really enjoy it there, but it is a funny part of my footy journey.

[ledge]

I'm interviewing Zeno in a couple of weeks - for those who knew him personally, great to hear about Melon St Braybrook, especially his name painted on the family roof. What else can you share?

Any questions people would like answered? Any famous games or angles to investigate?

Tell him I said hi I grew up with him we played cricket together and were very close in our primary school years , best mates . Just ask him about John wright . Ask him if he remembers playing chess and learning to ride a bike in his driveway .

[Sedat]

Have to ask him about the 3 vote performance in 1989 down at Kardinia Park. We got belted, and it was late in the Brownlow count where the entire room was hoping for Paul Couch to get the votes. Everyone burst out laughing when Zeno's name was read out - I'll never forget watching this live on TV at the time.

[Mat Lyons]

John Wright - which suburb was this (Braybrook?) and was he there throughout your childhood? Cn you tell me anything about his name being painted on the roof of his family home? Confirm or urban myth?

[ledge]

John Wright - which suburb was this (Braybrook?) and was he there throughout your childhood? Cn you tell me anything about his name being painted on the roof of his family home? Confirm or urban myth?

Braybrook I lived in alwyn crt across from his house in melon street , all our primary school we were best friends , he moved away between primary and high school to Avondale heights/ keilor but they kept the house .
His name appeared on the roof a few years later , I believe he moved back into it , I had left braybrook by then. Still drive past it when I go to whitten oval . It was a tin roof.
We used to race up to joy street and back he would always beat me.
Phil Okeefe lived on the corner of joy and melon st .

In primary school I don?t remember him having a lot to do with footy but we opened the batting for Totty Baps together in under 12s and under 14s.
Great kid great memories,
I haven?t seen him since then but a couple of players who lived with me see him at the players reunion sometimes
I would love to catch up with him but no idea where he is now.

[Mantis]

I'm interviewing Zeno in a couple of weeks - for those who knew him personally, great to hear about Melon St Braybrook, especially his name painted on the family roof. What else can you share?

Any questions people would like answered? Any famous games or angles to investigate?

My Dad grew up in Melon Street... that place had character back in the day!