By Lee Gaskin
Not only does he stop goals, Canberra Olympic goalkeeper Angelo Konstantinou scores them too.
When there's a penalty to be taken, this stalwart of ACT football steps up to the spot, takes aim, and smashes the ball into the back of the net.
Canberra FC captain Aidan Brunskill and Canberra Olympic skipper Angelo Konstantinou with the trophy they will be playing for in Sunday's ACT NPL grand final.Credit: Graham Tidy
Konstantinou is the old head among an otherwise youthful Olympic squad, one that has come from fifth on the table to reach Sunday's NPL grand final against arch-rivals Canberra FC at McKellar Park.
Olympic missed four straight penalties across a number of games before Konstantinou took on the responsibility in his side's 4-2 win against Belconnen United two weeks ago.
"A couple of the other boys took them and missed and I thought I needed to step up," Konstantinou said
"I'm used to being on the other end of penalties, so I know how someone would want to take it.
"I just have to do the opposite."
Olympic wouldn't be in this position if the FFA Centre of Excellence - a crop of Australia's best under-17 players - was allowed to play in the finals.
But the COE's absence has opened the door for Canberra's two oldest clubs to square off in the biggest game of the season.
Konstantinou is the only player from former NSL team, the Canberra Cosmos, still running around in the NPL.
"We trained twice a day, five days a week, it was just football all week, which was awesome," said Konstantinou, who played 25 NSL games from 1999 to 2001.
"That's what they're trying to get now with a Canberra team in the National Youth League and eventually another Canberra team in the A-League.
"All the kids have to leave Canberra to try and make it, so hopefully we can have our own team so that doesn't happen."
The rivalry between Olympic and Canberra FC goes back more than 50 years.
Olympic was established in 1956, with Canberra FC - under the name Canberra Croatia - being born in 1958.
While Canberra FC has the edge in league championships with 22, Olympic took the honours in the 2013 grand final with a 2-0 victory.
Canberra FC went close again last year, conceding in the final minute of extra-time before losing to Belconnen United in a penalty shoot-out.
It's a feeling Canberra FC Aidan Brunskill wants his side to draw on.
"It was heartbreaking to lose on penalties last year and the final before that against Olympic we lost, so we've got something to prove this weekend," Brunskill said.
"The week off has helped because we had a congested fixture list heading into the finals.
"Sometimes it can come back to bite you, but training's been good, so I see no reason why we shouldn't be able to perform."
Olympic knocked off Cooma Tigers FC in last Sunday's preliminary final to book its spot in the decider.
The men's grand final will be played at 4pm.
Preceding it will be the women's Premier League grand final between Belconnen United and Canberra FC at 1pm.
ACT NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
Sunday: Canberra FC v Canberra Olympic at McKellar Park, 4pm.
WOMEN'S PREMIER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
Sunday: Belconnen United v Canberra FC, 1pm.