Adrian “Ado” Enright is awarded the 2012 National President’s Trophy. Photo, Mark Stennett Photography.

Last year, graphic design artist extraordinaire, Ross McRae was awarded the “Most Outstanding Contribution” trophy. Hanoi President, Dan Hopkins, was awarded the trophy for the Most Outstanding National Contribution.

This year, the National Committee resolved that the National President, Phil Johns, would award the “National President’s Trophy” to the Swannie that he, as National President, deemed “most appropriate”.

In Hanoi on 11 November, the day after the Indochina Cup, Phil awarded the 2012 National President’s Trophy to Adrian “Ado” Enright. Phil explains below.

Casting my eye around the Club, I feel a great sense of excitement as I am reminded of the depth of talent we have on and off the field. There are candidates aplenty for the National President’s Trophy. It then dawns on me what a big responsibility I have to make the “right choice”. But how do I choose? What is the criteria? Or, in recognition that the whole of our Club is greater than the sum of its parts, do I use the award like a spotlight to highlight different aspects of the Club each year?

Dan Hopkins, our Hanoi President, has also had another outstanding year on and off the pitch. In Hanoi, there is a real buzz about the Club which feeds nicely into the national structure. Dan has really grown into the role of Hanoi President and enjoys enormous respect from players and members from one end of the country to the other. This year’s Indochina Cup in Hanoi, the first international hosted by Hanoi in two years, was an outstanding success in terms of the organisation (and on field success). We’re keen to get more international football back to Hanoi next year.

The Treasurer, Rowan Luke, on the waters, at the 2012 AFL Grand Final party in Saigon. Photo, Ross McRae.

Our Treasurer, Rowan Luke, does an amazing job in accumulating and accounting for the money in the Club. He’s the clubman most people don’t notice because he does such a good job of seemingly making the money “look after itself”. He finds sponsors, he pays bills, he manages the Club’s finances, he plays a major role in helping organise our main events such as the ANZAC Friendship Match and the Grand Final Party (in Saigon). I am also well aware that in the wider community, as a senior executive with the Commonwealth Bank, Rowan gives our Club great credibility and confidence. Rowan also offers me greatly appreciated feedback, advice and insights into the direction of the Club. And, Rowan doesn’t even play (well, he did make a cameo appearance at the Champs and in the Legends’ match)!  He is an incredibly selfless man who gives and gives to this Club.

Mark Stennett came across to the Swannies from the Malaysian Warriors. Often, changing clubs can be difficult: the club culture will be different, and there may be a reluctance to jump in and say, “at my last Club, we used to…”. Mark has come into the Swannies and has quietly been increasing his level of involvement that makes the rest of us hungry for more because he does such a great job. As well as playing, Mark takes amazing photos of our matches that we use for promotional purposes, puts together presentations for the Best & Fairest and the Hanoi/Saigon Grand Final Parties. He also looks after the national kit and has an ever helpful attitude. Essentially, Mark is a top notch recruit from the Warriors.

Ross McRae – Saigon’s 2012 Clubman of the Year. We keep talking about the quality of this bloke and his equally impressive graphic design work that positions the club in a spectacular place. People notice Ross’ work – whether it is posters, banners or merchandise. All of it is top quality. After the presentations at the recent match against HMAS Sydney, the Sydney’s Commanding Officer approached me and requested Ross’ match banner so that it could be hung on their ship. Soon after, one of the helicopter pilots from Sydney also requested a match day banner to take back to his air squadron. Ross’ artwork brings people together around the Swannies and makes them feel proud. It also gets our sponsors’ logos into places they wouldn’t normally get access to – thereby increasing the value of a Swannies’ sponsorship. Ross’ iconic artwork for the ANZAC Friendship Match is a key reason for the growing prestige of this increasingly iconic signature event of the Swannies. Somehow, Ross also finds time to get Swannies to spend their own  time on Supercoach.

National President’s Trophy, 2012 – Adrian “Ado” Enright

This year, Ado is awarded the 2012 National President’s Trophy.

Ado has made a massive contribution to the Club again in 2012. He has worked very closely with Dan in Hanoi to really get the Swannies cranking where we are going from strength to strength.

Ado is an incredibly inclusive person. Just like our triple Best & Fairest Skipper, Dukes, our guys with the most footy skill often spend the most time with the least technically skilled in our Club making sure that they improve their skills and confidence – and always feel like a valued member of the team. Ado does an outstanding job in this respect.

Ado blitzes with his idea to organise a group of Swannies, Ois and Celts to run in the Sapa Half Marathon – and raise more than $5,000 in the process for Swim Vietnam.

On the footy field, Ado gives his all for the Club. He has a penchant for flying high before landing square on the middle of his back (click here for his amazing mark at the Indochina Cup). Ouch! No problems for this tough nugget who slowly picks himself up; dusts himself down while still sporting horizontal hair and then trots off in preparation for the next contest. And it all happens with a smile on his face. In terms of promoting the core values of Swannies’ culture and the spirit of Asian footy, Ado is a terrific ambassador.

Unfortunately for us, Ado is about to finish his two year stint in Vietnam and will return to Australia to be part of the growing Swannies’ alumni. Before he leaves, Ado wanted to say “thank you” to the community in which has felt privileged to live in. So, two months ago, Ado assembled a number of Swannies, Hanoi Oi netballers and Viet Celts Gaelic players to run the Sapa Half Marathon (near the Chinese border). In the process, they raised more than $5,000 for Swim Vietnam.

It was a great story of creating something from nothing in terms of giving back to the community and using a cause to bring other like minded sporting groups in Hanoi together.

It was a great story that I, notwithstanding that I live in Saigon at the other end of the country, found myself proudly relating to an increasing number of people. It was a great story about a national football club called the Vietnam Swans. Here was Swannie, Ado, working with others in Hanoi to achieve a result that was entirely consistent with the values of our Club and accordingly, it resonated equally with Swannies whether we lived in Hanoi, Hoi An, Bing Duong, Saigon, Vung Tau or overseas.

Ado’s departure is another reminder that our players, while they remain Swannies for life, keep leaving Vietnam! However, what Ado et al did with the Sapa Half Marathon, apart from being a good thing to do in itself, further promoted the culture and profile of our Club. That in turn, helps us recruit top quality people (who may or may not also be top quality players) more quickly, wherever they are, when they first arrive.

Being able to recruit effectively means that the Club is in a perpetual state of continual renewal. And that continual renewal will underpin the ongoing development and progression of the Swannies in 2013 and beyond.

Ado, congratulations on being such an outstanding recipient of the 2012 National President’s Trophy.