Stacey Papadopoulos interview: Wee Papa’s big adventure – Champion full-back and Hibs’ true romance

by Posted on
Photo: Michael Hulf

Signing Stacey Papadopoulos has proved so much of a steal for Hibernian that the SWPL holders might still be wondering if they really got away scot-free. As it turns out, she’s the one who sports the balaclava – permanently.

What links a Patricia Arquette / Christian Slater classic and Hibernian Women’s Aussie-Greek left-back? If Brad Pitt’s gloriously-unaware character, Floyd, was here, he would lead us right to the answer.

Hibs’ against-the-odds title win last season certainly had just about as many memorable performers as True Romance, but the connection to Stacey Papadopoulos centres more upon a crack team put together in Cheshire.

“The first time I saw the 1975 was at a small venue in Melbourne called Festival Hall and it was right after their (self-titled) first album came out,” she recalls. “The band was super fresh but they sounded amazing, and the vibes in the crowd were amazing.”

“I actually have one of their songs tattooed on my arm, it’s my favourite song of theirs, and when I heard it for the first time live, it was a moment that has stuck with me for the longest time. I have (the song’s title) ‘Robbers’ tattooed on me with a picture of a robber wearing a balaclava.”

That track was inspired by the aforementioned Patricia Arquette’s multi-layered portrayal of Alabama Whitman-Worley, and is an homage of sorts to the film’s fateful bag swipe. For Stacey, it ran away with her heart in no time.

“I think it just hit me emotionally; the guitar riff in it really got me and Matty (Healy) sounded so great singing it. It’s also a song that the crowd screams the lyrics to, so it was just super moving and it felt like everyone was so present with the song, and that felt really cool.”

The tale of Hibs’ number five is gladly short on parallels with True Romance, though perhaps like those besotted lead characters’ escape from Detroit to Los Angeles, Edinburgh has become her own blissful getaway. Signing the Melbourne native on a free in May 2024 was a move requiring player and club to come together in trusting their instinct; both parties felt it was a dice worth rolling.

Seeking change after two A-League Women seasons back home with Western United, ‘Papa’ instructed her agent to pursue opportunities overseas. It was her former Western teammate, Guyana international and one-time Celtic defender Sydney Cummings, who “amped up” Hibs’ suitability, leading to a job-interview-esque Zoom call with manager Grant Scott and assistant Stewart Hall – twelve months later, they were united in euphoria.

In the kind of title-deciding drama that the SWPL does best, Hibs travelled to Ibrox with opponents Rangers able to snatch the league with a win; instead came a 1-0 away victory, as Linzi Taylor’s steered volley clinched Hibs’ first championship since 2007, and first silverware at all since 2019’s SWPL Cup.

“There was a moment before the Christmas break, against Rangers at their ground, and we ended up winning that game 3-0,” says Stacey. “I think that was like the pinnacle moment for all of us, where we were like, ‘Oh, we can beat anybody.’”

A stunning, silverware success for a team that finished 5th in the previous two seasons, the green-and-white glory was also a meeting of underdog triumphs, given all that went before it for their defender from Down Under. Although the 28-year-old had been in a championship-contending Western United side in both of her seasons – the Melbourne outfit going closest as Grand Finalists in 2023 – her career has largely been a labour of love, masquerading as a steady profession.

Winning titles at regional level for Calder United in Australia, a taste of full-time football came at Hungarian club Kelen SC, albeit coinciding with “peak Covid.” She would play U.S. junior-college soccer at Arizona Western, having come up short in attempting to represent a D1 school: “There were a million hoops to jump through.”

More time on the European game’s niche circuit was in the offing at Doxa in Greece, before the return to Australia, and what felt the beginning of her career in earnest at Western United, as she approached 26.

“I think prior to me going overseas, I was at a bit of a standstill with what I wanted to do, who I wanted to be, both on and off the field; I kind of was trying to put the pieces together. I met my partner (former University of South Florida defender Allie Rossi), and she played overseas, she played professionally as well, and she kind of pulled me out of that comfort zone of, ‘Well, let’s just go and discover what it is you’re looking for.’

“Pulling me out of Australia and travelling, seeing different parts of the world, and playing in different parts of the world, I think that really helped me form a sort of independence. It kind of helped me figure out football’s definitely something I want to do for a really, really long time, and it’s something that I think I’m capable of doing at a high level.”

Hibs’ appearances in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and newly-created Europa Cup were not to be Stacey’s only shot at European play this season. This past weekend brought the beginning of her international career.

Attending part of the 2023 World Cup in Australia as a spectator, club success in Scotland had seemingly increased the plausibility of her becoming a Matildas player herself. Moves were being made, however, to declare for her family’s homeland, the completion of which was marked by a start in Greece’s 2-0 friendly win against Belarus last Saturday (in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina). Cap two followed from the bench in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia.

“I think for a long time, it was just finding my feet at a club somewhere. (Representing) Australia was kind of the only thing I had my eyes on, because that’s where I was born and that was the only place I was eligible for, I thought.

“As I got older, I kind of leaned into the fact that I could definitely represent Greece.”

With Birmingham City attacker Veatriki Sarri arguably the team’s most notable player for some time, additions have more recently included Massachusetts-born forward Calliste Brookeshire (of Icelandic club FHL). Recruiting more members of the diaspora could aid their bid to qualify for a first World Cup or Euros.

Head coach Vasilis Spertos and their Hellenic Football Federation helped accelerate the process of Stacey obtaining her Greek passport.

“They’ve been really helpful and they’ve shown that they want me to come and play. I remember when I told my dad that, he just started crying, and I thought that was such a beautiful thing.”

Hers was a career route in which 13-14-hour days, split between jobs and football training, were once a necessity. At Hibs today, a punchy personality has been just as key as precision and industry from out wide in making her a favourite.

In fact, putting the pep in people’s step has been a way of life for years.

“I was working at a coffee roastery, a company called Allpress Espresso. I actually loved it, to be honest; it kind of unlocked a passion of mine for coffee, and the coffee industry.”

Aside from another more casual ambition – “I’ve always wanted to learn the drums, so maybe that’s something I try to do eventually.” – she has every intention of expanding upon a current hobby of reviewing coffee houses.

“I do want to have my own shop, whether that’s a little hole in the wall, takeaway coffee type of vibe. I’m trying to get down what I actually want but it definitely is something that I want to pursue in the future.

“I love that people can connect over a cup of coffee, I think that’s really special.”

The social fabric in the squad was consistently apparent on Hibs’ way to the title, celebrating the season’s standout moments together off the pitch. Firepower from the likes of 49-goal league duo Kathleen McGovern and Eilidh Adams – plus a low drive or two from Stacey – was among the essential elements, but don’t forget Danny and the boys.

“‘For the First Time’ by the Script was one we loved to belt out last season,” Stacey reveals.

A unified atmosphere follows on from what she enjoyed at Western United; a vibe she had a direct hand in igniting when sharing playlist shifts with American forward Hannah Keane. If Hibs’ stalwart defender Siobhan Hunter ever opts for a day off, they have Papa ready to plug in and play.

“Shiv is the team DJ. Tems – ‘Love Me JeJe’ is big in the change rooms at the moment.

“We also are loving ‘Fireball’ by Pitbull (featuring John Ryan). Before a game, I’m pumped, very in the zone, listening to music as loud as possible on my headphones.

“I love music before a game; I feel like that’s my time to prepare myself and get in the right mood. I vary up what I listen to each game day: sometimes it’s rap, sometimes it’s rock, sometimes it’s grime, sometimes it’s pop.

“It’s when I start to envision the game and picture myself in different moments throughout the game.”

Picturing herself as provider and finisher before the recent 5-0 win at Motherwell would have been right on the money; a peach of an assist from the left for Ellis Notley and a looping header of her own. A giddy celebration is something that fans and colleagues have come to love from her.

When the greatest opportunity to let loose arrived, however – the league-winning night back at Easter Road – she had thrown a spanner in the works.

“I made a very big mistake. I had a flight out the next morning, I was going to America, so that was not great by me.

“I didn’t hold back (on the night); I probably shouldn’t have done that, though!”

The reasoning, she insists, was her excitement to get back to San Diego with wife Allie to see their dog, rather than not believing that Hibs would actually win the title. As for the team photo in a beer-sprayed changing room after their decisive Ibrox result, where she appears to be wiping manager Grant Scott’s head…

“Yeah…I don’t think I’m allowed to do that again! I think that was a one-time thing!”

On top of their European-competition travels, this past pre-season included time away together for the champions in Florida. Life on the tour bus is one aspect that they already have covered (private jet still pending) but what if they went the whole hog and took their squad harmony into the studio?

It just so happens that they possess a couple of standout candidates for what would be one of the more daring instrumental sections for a new group on the scene.

“Rowena (Armitage) can play the recorder and Eilidh Adams can play the bagpipes, which I think is massively impressive.”

Word on the grapevine, however (‘EXCLUSIVE!’), is that the A&R folk have been telling Stacey how she is the real talent in this as-yet-unformed Leith Street Band and should leave them behind to go solo. They plan to test the water with a cover version. Ever the team player, though, Stacey wants some friends to join her.

“I would probably do a cover of ‘You’re the One That I Want’ (John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John) from Grease; I sang that song with my best friends at a karaoke bar at my wedding and it was so much fun. I would probably do it again with my teammates from Western United: Catherine Zimmerman, Kahli Johnson, Emma Robers, Sydney Cummings.”

If that isn’t enough to set your imagination swirling, get a load of these plans for a foray into the festival business.

“One stage would be pop: Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Hozier, Noah Kahan, LANY. Another stage would be rap/r&b: Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Chance the Rapper, Eminem, Tems, Tyla, Stormzy, Central Cee, Nicki Minaj, Drake.

“Another stage would be pop rock: The 1975, Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Green Day, Turnstile, Wet Leg, Arcy Drive, Simple Plan, Kings of Leon, All Time Low, All-American Rejects. I feel this best describes my musical taste; I would love to go to a festival where anything and everything is on full display.

“Lots of tents with fun activities, lots of food vendors, lots of rest areas for people to chill, lots of toilets and showers – nothing like Fyre Festival! Something where everything runs smoothly and everyone has the best time.

“I would probably have (Hibs attacker) Rosie (Livingstone) be in charge of crowd engagement; she always brings the energy and vibes, and I feel like she would be the best in front of a crowd!”

But where can you find this landmark event in pop-culture history, perhaps the most ambitious festival since…Wayne’s World 2’s Waynestock (is Rip Taylor still available?)?

“I would say somewhere in the English countryside in the middle of summer would be perfect, or somewhere in Scandinavia surrounding a really pretty lake or something.”

The subject of which performer(s) from all-time she would choose to see in concert then brings her to a conversation with teammates from earlier this season.

“We were all talking about how expensive Oasis tickets are and how we couldn’t imagine paying that much for them. And then we said, ‘Who would we pay that much for?’

“I think someone said Michael Jackson, which is fair enough, but myself and Hannah Jordan said Queen; seeing Freddie Mercury would be insane. I also went to Eminem when I was younger and that was pretty iconic; similar to Taylor Swift, she’s actually fantastic live, and it was honestly just banger after banger.”

Nostalgia for Stacey, though, also has another distinctive sound and aesthetic – when singers and bassists came with hair straighteners, and in the case of the latter, a marriage to Ashlee Simpson.

“The first album I ever bought was ‘Infinity on High’ by Fall Out Boy! I listened to a lot of pop/punk rock when I was younger and still do.

“Every time I listen to a song from that album, it reminds me of playing it non-stop in the car with my dad on camping trips when I was younger, so it’s super nostalgic and happy. I’m proud to say that I bought CDs, and then Spotify came about, and it is nice having Spotify, but buying CDs was super fun.”

If there is something else that she has been longing for – and not just her “guilty pleasure,” The Lord of the Rings films – it is a gleeful circle of people dancing to Greek music. The big occasions together with family are what she has been missing most in her time away.

“Christmas, Easter, people’s birthdays, we don’t do anything half-arsed as a Greek family – we go pretty big for every occasion!”

That she can converse in the language today owes plenty to the well-meaning pushes from someone in particular.

“I spoke English, that was my first language, and then I went to Greek school as a teenager, and my parents quickly realised that was kind of pointless; I wasn’t really learning anything and I was just being a little bit of a rascal. I picked up more of it hanging out with my grandma; she would always speak to me in Greek, and I would be like the angry teenager, ‘Speak to me in English!’

“‘You’re gonna learn Greek whether you like it or not.’ Honestly, I’m really glad that she did that, because I’m very proud of it, and I love that I’m able to speak the language as fluently as I can.

“I think when I’m around my dad, my Greek side definitely comes out a lot; he was born in Greece and moved to Australia when he was five, so he speaks fluently. My mum’s side is all Greek as well.”

Ten thousand miles or so from her Preston suburb of Melbourne, the Scottish capital has been every inch the alternative she had searched for.

“Edinburgh just reminds me so much of home. There’s so many things to do, in terms of coffee shops, which I love, there’s so many restaurants and food options.

“I just think it’s incredibly charming. The downtown area is so nice, the architecture and the way everything looks.

“We still have a little bit of greenery as well, with all the parks, so I just feel like it’s such a good balance of things that I really love and enjoy. My partner, she absolutely loves it here, and I think that makes me love it more as well.”

With eight points currently separating them from leaders Glasgow City after a dozen games, 5th-place Hibs maintain belief that the ever-uncertain SWPL title race will twist and turn to their tune by its May conclusion. Having signed just over 18 months ago on a two-year contract, meanwhile, Stacey’s move goes down by now as an unequivocal success – a true romance, if you will.

Whether this love story on Leith has seasons still to run or not, she intends to continue treasuring the most rewarding stop yet on a multi-national journey of self-discovery.

“I think I’m definitely ready to put down roots somewhere. Being in Scotland has been amazing, and with whatever the future holds with that, we’ll see, but I am ready for a bit of stability somewhere – wherever that is!”

To catch each of these interviews, you can follow: @chris_brookes (or on Bluesky here)

You can also like the Facebook page and stay updated

 Share

Published by Christian Brookes