Check back for the photo gallery from the night and look at CFC TV throughout the week for highlights of the Kouta Testimonial

That is how this scribe would describe the Anthony Koutoufides Testimonial Dinner on Sunday evening. We all know Kouta was a great player and is a great person and the Testimonial was in keeping with his role at the Carlton Football Club; full of great memories. Such is Kouta’s standing in football and at the Carlton Football Club that almost 1,400 guests were in attendance with hundreds more on a waiting list to be a part of this very special evening.

Multi Aria Award winning singer Kate Ceberano opened the evening setting the standard for a night of high class entertainment. The official toast was delivered by Stephen Kernahan and as ‘Sticks’ said the highlight tape alone of Kouta’s career would be worth paying to see such was the domination Anthony Koutoufides had on the competition in 1999 and 2000. And to remind the guests of the super player Kouta was the first of two special highlight tapes was played.

Hearing from special guests during the function provided a further insight into the career and life of Anthony Koutoufides. Former coaches David Parkin and Wayne Brittain were joined on stage by former team-mate and assistant coach Barry Mitchell. While David confirmed that Kouta had “filled the pages of his youth in glory”, ‘Britts’ suggested Kouta’s knee injury probably cost him becoming accepted by the Carlton faithful (Brittain believes that to be truly accepted as a coach you need to coach Carlton to a premiership and Kouta was on target to lead Carlton to a flag prior to being cut down by injuires). Barry Mitchell spoke about playing and being an assistant coach while watching Kouta strut his stuff on the big stage.

Great mate Ang Christou and Glenn Manton spoke about Kouta on and off the field with Ang finishing the segment by presenting Kouta with his 1995 Premiership guernsey as a special gift for the occasion. Current players Lance Whitnall, Nick Stevens and Marc Murphy provided further evidence of just how much Anthony Koutoufides means to the players and to the Carlton Football Club.

Perhaps it was the next panel that provided the greatest compliment to Anthony Koutoufides, the person and the footballer. James Hird, Nathan Buckley and Matthew Richardson were unanimous in their praise of Kouta, confirming that at his very best they had seen no player able to do the things that Kouta did. It was an amazing event to see these three players from rival clubs receiving such a wonderful round of applause from the Carlton supporters. As James Hird joked, the only thing he got sick of hearing during the night was the continuing reference to the 1999 Preliminary Final, a game he didn’t play in. He did say that such was the display by Kouta that Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy said in the coaches box immediately after the siren that Essendon had been beaten by one man; Anthony Koutoufides. “With all due respect to the other Carlton players on the day,” Hird added.

Video tributes were received from Michael Voss, Bruce McAvaney and Andrew Gaze adding further to the glowing tributes for Anthony Koutoufides.

Guests were treated to a special video presentation on the guest of honour, including his family life, growing up in Lalor, his athletics career, his football career and of course his wife and family. Before hearing from Kouta we heard from his brothers, his wife and his mum and finally it was time to hear from Anthony Koutoufides.

Anyone who doubted his love of the Carlton Football Club only needs to hear what he had to say, Anthony Koutoufides is a true family man and the Carlton Football Club is his second family, he loves the club and from the standing ovation he received on his way up to the stage and again on his way back to his table, the Carlton supporters certainly love Kouta.

Another highlights package of his wonderful career brought the official proceedings to a close and then it was Kate Ceberano back to entertain the guests for a further 45-minutes. Kouta you are a legend – Oh What A Night!