Members of Adelaide City’s first NSL championship side to attend 80th Gala

Adelaide City Football Club is proud to confirm that members of the Club’s historic 1986 National Soccer League Championship-winning side will attend the 80th Anniversary Gala.

The 1986 triumph marked a defining moment in Adelaide City’s history, with the Club securing its first national league championship and firmly establishing itself as a force in Australian football.

Players including Alex Tobin, Neville Flounders, Charlie Villani, Adrian Santrac, Aurelio Vidmar and Bugsy Nyskohus were part of the side that delivered Adelaide City’s breakthrough national success, will all be in attendance at the Gala.

The squad of that era was built on quality and resilience, featuring names that have since become legends of the sport.

Defensive stalwart and 36-cap Socceroo Bugsy Nyskohus transitioned his on-field leadership into a coaching role, while Charlie Villani’s 14-year senior playing career was followed by a successful tenure as head coach in both the NSL and State League.

Midfield engine Adrian Santrac used the momentum of '86 as a springboard for a career that eventually saw him lead the Matildas to a World Cup and the Olympics.

They were joined by versatile talents like Neville Flounders, who claimed three Ampol Cups during the era, and a young Aurelio Vidmar, whose 267 games for City were the prelude to becoming Oceania Player of the Year and a top scorer in the Belgian First Division.

That championship team laid the foundation for a golden era that would see Adelaide City become one of the dominant clubs of the NSL period.

Be part of our story — 80 years in the making.