Please download the official Vietnam Swans ANZAC Touring Guide for detailed information regarding this years ANZAC weekend in Vung Tau. Incuded in this handy guide is useful information regarding visa information for Vietnam, getting to and from Vung Tau, schedule of events for the ANZAC Day Weekend and memorial services, hotel, restaurant and nightlife info and much more.

ANZAC Poster Layout copy

The 2014 ANZAC Friendship Match will be played on Saturday, 26 April 2014 at the Lord Mayor’s Oval in Vung Tau. It will be followed by the McMillan Dinner featuring the Middleton Address at the Imperial Hotel (which stands on the same site as the former Peter Badcoe Club).

The 2014 ANZAC Friendship Match will be played on Saturday, 26 April 2014 at the Lord Mayor’s Oval in Vung Tau. It will be followed by the McMillan Dinner featuring the Middleton Address at the Imperial Hotel (which stands on the same site as the former Peter Badcoe Club).

PLEASE SEE BELOW DETAILS FOR LAST YEAR, 2013

The 2013 ANZAC Friendship Match poster. Artwork by Ross McRae Design.

The 2013 ANZAC Friendship Match poster. Artwork by Ross McRae Design.

Saturday 27 April, 2013

4th Annual ANZAC Friendship Match

  • 12 Midday – Legends and All Stars Match (4 x 20min Quarters). (Would you like to play in this match? Please email the Vietnam Swans now!)
  • 2.00pm – Pre match formalities inc. national anthems
  • 2.25pm – 4th Annual ANZAC Friendship Match: Vietnam Swans Vs Jakarta Bintangs (4 x 20min Quarters)
  • 4.00pm – Presentations and celebratory drinks
  • 5.00pm – Last person leaves ground (so that ground staff can prepare for the greyhound races that night)

McMillan Dinner

  • 7.00pm – ANZAC Friendship Match McMillan Dinner. 5 Star Imperial Hotel, Vung Tau. $50 or VND1 million. Includes buffet, drinks (3hrs free flow beer, French wine, soft drinks and water. After 3hrs, cash bar (approx $2.50 per beer)), band and Middleton Address*. Bookings essential. Please email nationalpres@thevietnamswans.com (Max 200 tickets). Preferred dress code: neat casual including collared shirt, slacks, closed footwear. Ladies a similar standard.

    The Imperial Hotel, which sits on the same site as the former Peter Badcoe Club, will be the venue for the 2013 official post match gala dinner, the McMillan Dinner.

    The Imperial Hotel, which sits on the same site as the former Peter Badcoe Club, will be the venue for the 2013 official post match gala dinner, the McMillan Dinner.

* Middleton Address

This year’s keynote speaker to deliver the Middleton Address will be Stan Middleton himself. Stan Middleton is the Official Historian for the Vietnam Football League which ran from 1966-71 in Vung Tau.

ANZAC Day, Thursday 25 April, 2013

  • 2013 Pre Dawn: ANZAC Day Dawn Service, Long Tan Cross (seats on buses can be arranged from Vung Tau through Glenn Nolan at Tommy’s Bar.  Tickets cost $5 and buses will leave from Tommy’s Bar at 4am)
  • 5.15am – ANZAC Day Dawn Service, Long Tan Cross. Minimum dress code: collared shirt, dress shorts, shoes. Ladies a similar standard.

*Please note, Australia is one of only two countries to have a memorial site in Vietnam. This is a very generous gesture by the Vietnamese Government to Australians. Visitors to the Long Tan Cross should NOT wear medals or military uniforms, raise or display flags or play music. Speeches should be low key and short.

The Vietnam Swans thank the Vietnamese Government for allowing the ANZAC Dawn Service to be held each year. We also agree to the above listed conditions.

For anyone wishing to attend the ANZAC Dawn Service independently of an organised group, you shall be required to seek approvals from the relevant local authorities.

Please check the Australian Consulate’s website for full details.

  • Live telecast of Collingwood Vs Essendon ANZAC Day Match (MCG), Tommy’s Sports Bar, Vung Tau
  • Live telecast of St Kilda Saints Vs Sydney Swans ANZAC Day Match (Wellington), Tommy’s Sports Bar, Vung Tau

Battlefield Tours; Wednesday 24 April and Friday 26 April, 2013

  • Visit Long Hais, Long Tan Cross, Nui Dat and the Long Phuc tunnels. $40 per person. For full details, email Glenn Nolan at Tommy’s Bar (Tommy’s Bar is a sponsor of the Vietnam Swans).

Documentary of 2012 ANZAC Friendship Match Weekend

Click on the You Tube clip below for a documentary on the 2012 ANZAC Friendship Match which includes interviews with Vietnam Veterans, players and other key people.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlVZ3K33XDw&w=560&h=315]

*** Click for the Official 2012 ANZAC Friendship Match Footy Record. Includes articles by Alex “You Beauty!” Jesaulenko, Tony Morwood (Sydney Swans), Tony Woods (AFL), the Australian Consul General John McAnulty and Vietnam Veterans Stan Middleton, Kev McMillan and Ron Vernon. Former Saigon President Derrin Limbrick also has a say.

*** For a copy of the 2012 Official Press Release, click here.

Channel 7's Sunday Night program returns to Long Tan with Ben Roberts-Smith on 15 September 2013. Click to play.

Channel 7’s Sunday Night program returns to Long Tan with Ben Roberts-Smith on 15 September 2013. Click to play.

To see what happened in 2010 and 2011, see below.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LILcyxj-eDo&w=420&h=315]

To see Adam Martin’s video on the 2011 ANZAC Friendship Match, click here.

The Hanoi Hawks, wearing two black armbands, hold the plate aloft after a thrilling one point victory in the inaugural ANZAC Friendship Match, 2010.

See Peter Harvey’s report on Channel 9 News regarding the 2011 ANZAC Friendship Match. Click here to view on You Tube.

Background on the ANZAC Friendship Match

Vung Tau served as the Australians logistics base during the Vietnam/American War and, more specifically, the match will be played at the Greyhound Racing Track. The Greyhound track was formerly known as the Lord Mayor’s Oval – and the venue for footy tournaments back in 1966-71

The Vietnamese Government allows the French and Australians, only, to have a memorial and service.

In Vietnam, the Government only allows two countries to honour their fallen with a memorial. They are France (Dien Bien Phu) and Australia (Long Tan). In exchange, the Vietnamese Government requests that those who visit the memorials must not wear medals, uniforms, raise or display flags or play music and that any speeches should be short and low key.

Against this backdrop of sensitivities, the Vietnam Swans feel extremely privileged to be able to host our ANZAC Friendship Match. We wear two black armbands to respect all who have fallen and to share the vision of one bright future.

Our Friendship Match brings together two worlds from two different eras: Vietnam 1970 and Vietnam 2011.  For all of us who have chosen to live and work in Vietnam 2011, Vietnam is such an exciting, vibrant, generous and welcoming country.

We also use the occasion to raise money for local orphanages and swimming initiatives that will save young lives. In Vietnam, more children currently die from drowning than road accidents.

We warmly invite people to attend the ANZAC Friendship Match in the spirit of friendship and respect – and to have an amazing day at the footy.

Orphans run around Swans President, Phil Johns, as he welcomes the crowd at the 2010 ANZAC Friendship Match

Below is the welcome message from the Vietnam Swans’ National President in 2010:

Dear Players and Visitors to the Vietnam Swans Inaugural ANZAC Friendship Match, Vung Tau

In Australia, Australian Rules Footy is very closely aligned with ANZAC Day – the anniversary of that terrible dawn back in 1915 when the ANZACs landed on the beaches of Gallipoli. In Asia this weekend, ANZAC footy matches are being played in nine countries, in memory of Australia’s and New Zealand’s fallen.

This year, for the first time, Vietnam will host an ANZAC match, played between the Hanoi Hawks and Saigon Saints. Commemorating ANZAC Day in this place will have particular significance for those of us fortunate enough to be here today: we will be reminded first hand that wars end long before the pain and suffering they cause – to all involved.

The Vietnam Swans is just an Aussie Rules Club made up of ordinary people from different backgrounds who are living in an extraordinary country. We are humbled by the generosity shown to us by those who have so warmly welcomed us into their country, and we share together our sorrow and mutual respect for the sacrifices of our peoples.

While we are daunted by the prospect of hosting our first ANZAC Friendship Match, we are strengthened by the knowledge that sport is a formidable force in building relationships. The Vietnam Swans hope that this match will help build the ever strengthening friendship between two friends: Australia and Vietnam.

Have a great day and enjoy the footy in Vietnam!

Below are items of related interest:

2011

2010

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gmgwx77osw&fs=1&hl=en_US]

Click on the You Tube link above to see Redgum’s film clip about the Vietnam War, I was only 19.