Lurch, centre, receives his farewell trophy from National Coach, Andy Glendinning (left) and Saigon President, Nick Shiells (right) at the Spotted Cow in Saigon on Wednesday night.

On Wednesday night at the Spotted Cow a group of Swannies gathered for some pizzas and beers to farewell departing Swannie Marty (Lurch) Beecroft.

Saigon President Nick Shiells was there and he has filed the following report.

Marty has been on loan from the Monash Uni Blues which, coincidentally, is the former club of Skipper, Luke Creamer. He has been undertaking an exchange program with RMIT University in Vietnam completing his studies.

While Marty may have been in Vietnam for only one Uni Semester, he has really taken to the Club  touring to Malaysia, the Philippines for the Manila Cup and Vung Tau for our ANZAC Friendship clash against the Jakarta Bintangs.

On the field, Marty has been seriously awesome in his role as our ruckman and, off the field, Marty is very well known in the Club and a fantastic bloke.

Well done, Marty, and as the trophy says: “You can leave the country, but you can’t leave the Club. Honk!”.

So we wish you well now as you head off on your travels and hope that if you’re in Melbourne at the end of the year we will catch you at the Golf Day or Boxing Day Test (28 and 29 December 2013) with all the other Swannies back in the mother land.

Marty left Vietnam for Cambodia yesterday with his brother as he makes his way back to Australia.