The Swannies News - Bigger than Saturtday's Age newspaper.
National President Phil Johns speaks about today’s AFL Masters’ match – and a whole lot more!
Dear Swannies, Spectators and Sponsors
- This afternoon – Vietnam Swans Vs AFL Masters, Saigon
- The Wash up from the Inaugural Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day – $25K with thanks
- The Wash up from the 2011 ANZAC Friendship Match – incl. $2,728 (+$600) raised.
- Rewind… The 2010 ANZAC Friendship Match Video to be screened at Consul General’s Residence, Saigon
- Asian Champs – Lively discussion re eligibility of players
- Lagler Australia sponsors Vietnam Swans
- Televised AFL Matches in Vietnam looking wonky post August
- Live comedy – “A Bedful of Foreigners”, Saigon- 2nd, 3rd, 4th June, Saigon.
- And finally…
This afternoon – Vietnam Swans Vs AFL Masters, Saigon
At 5pm today, the ball will bounce out there at RMIT University in Saigon when the Swannies take on the AFL Masters.
Can the Masters be tamed by the Swannies as they continue their whirlwind footy tour of South East Asia that will see them play the Swannies, Singapore, Malaysia and the Bali 9’s in the space of two short weeks? No doubt their Chairman of Selectors, Hassa Mann (triple Melbourne premiership player and former Melbourne Captain in the 1950s and ’60s) thinks his Captain, Richard Champion (200 gamer for the Brisbane Bears), will lead his team to victory.
Tell ’em they’re dreamin’!
The Swannies have a lot to play for. This will be the farewell match for both Dave Hadley and Rob Visentini.
On a very sad but equally proud note, the Vietnam Swans will wear black armbands as a tribute to Peter Roache’s mother and Nick Shiells’ grandmother, both of whom have died very recently.
If you can come out to the twilight match that will be played from 5 – 6.15pm, do so!
The Wash up from the Inaugural Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day – $25K with thanks.
As previously advised, USD25,000 was raised earlier this month at the Inaugural Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day. The event, held at Montgomerie Links, piggy backed the Royal LIfe Saving Society of Australia’s (RLSSA) global conference on drowning prevention. All money raised was split between the RLSSA’s Swim Safe Program and Swim Vietnam.
The CEO of the RLSSA, Rob Bradbury, has written to the Vietnam Swans to say:
On behalf of RLSSA and the Swim Safe Danang program, I sincerely thank the Vietnam Swans for your efforts to assist through the Swing to Swim fundraiser.
You have a fabulous group of supporters doing a great job and the Vietnam Swans are a credit to Australians working internationally.
It was a pleasure working with you and your colleagues and the money raised will be a great help for the Swim Safe program during the coming year. I have separately thanked Jon Tomlinson and his wonderful team at Montgomerie Links.
The founder of Swim Vietnam, Joanne Stewart, wrote that the result was:
Fantastic news! Thanks again to everyone at the Vietnam Swans for all your support.
The Wash up from the 2011 ANZAC Friendship Match – incl. $2,728 (+$600) raised.
Last week, the Swannies National Treasurer, Rowan Luke, wrote to confirm that USD2,728 was raised at the ANZAC Friendship Match for various charities. The money shall be distributed to Swim Vietnam, Vietnam Veterans’ Schools Program and two orphanages in Vung Tau (Trung Tam Bao Tro Tre and Thich Nu Tien Lien Orphanages). Separately, a former player for the Swannies, now living in Melbourne, contacted us to advise that he was donating an additional AUD600 to Swim Vietnam.
Thank you to all for your amazing generosity.
During the ANZAC Friendship Match, we also had the services of a trainer, Janice Williams. Janice’s primary reason for her brief sojourn to Vietnam was to look at swimming programs including Swim Vietnam She recently wrote to the Vietnam Swans:
“WOW” what a trip. Left Australia 6 weeks ago without any knowledge, any friends and any idea of the sort of people who I might meet. Came home with a network of the most wonderful, caring, compassionate and PASSIONATE people… Thank you for your friendship and kindness.
Last week, a man named Peter wrote to the Vietnam Swans,
Had such a great time at the 2011 ANZAC match that we want to book now for 2012. Can you please advise the date of the 2012 match.
Peter, the 2012 ANZAC Friendship Match will be played on Saturday 21 April. Bring it on!
Rewind… The 2010 ANZAC Friendship Match Video to be screened at Consul General’s Residence, Saigon
That’s right. We’re talking about the 2010 ANZAC Friendship Match… In a Dog Eat Dog production that has been 13 months in the making, Tony Burchill has put together an amazing video of last year’s ANZAC Friendship Match between Hanoi and Saigon. No doubt this video will be interwoven with loads of Tony’s unique flair and colour.
A highlights package of the video shall premiere at the Consul General’s Residence in Saigon on 15 June for a select audience that will include the committees of both Auscham and the Vietnam Swans as well as each organisation’s respective sponsors.
The full length version, as well as screening at Village, Hoyts and Greater Union, will be screened in at least one public place in Saigon. Details of this screening to be advised.
Asian Champs – Lively discussion re eligibility of players
The Asian Champs will be held in Bangkok on 13 August. And, lively discussion is currently taking place between the Asian footy clubs as to rules surrounding eligibility of players and new teams.
Currently, 12 teams are expected to play in Bangkok. Rest assured, Asian footy is alive and well!
Lagler Australia sponsors Vietnam Swans
The Vietnam Swans are delighted to announce that Lagler Australia has just become our Club’s newest sponsor.
Lagler Australia is a leading supplier of timber floor sanding equipment and supplies in Australia and is the Australian agent for the Lagler range of floor sanding machines from Germany.
While Lagler Australia does not operate in Vietnam, its CEO, Cameron Luke did attend this year’s ANZAC Friendship Match. Cameron has “commended” the Vietnam Swans for the spirit and intent of the ANZAC Friendship Match. He has also “applauded the Swans for their many other social initiatives… and is proud to be a new sponsor”.
The Vietnam Swans look forward to working very closely with Lagler Australia. For further information, visit www.lagler.com.au
Televised AFL Matches in Vietnam looking wonky post August
There may be lots happening in footy around Asia, but according to Bruce Dover, CEO of the Australia Network, “sports programming – be it NRL, rugby or AFL – will be significantly restricted on the (Australia Network) after August 2011.”
The ABC’s current management rights expire at the end of August and the winner of the next 10 year tender, is yet to be announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. Dover is recorded as saying, “DFAT has indicated… (that) in the future, sports programming on the channel should be limited, as ‘much of the Sports [football] historically shown appeal more to the expatriate community rather than the target audience.’ ”
Live comedy – “A Bedful of Foreigners”, Saigon- 2nd, 3rd, 4th June, Saigon.
Not enough non football entertainment in Saigon? Swannies player, Nathan Rayner is in a Bedful of Foreigners which is a live comedy surrounding “two couples on vacation in a dilapidated hotel in France. A case of mistaken identity soon causes great nuisance, confusion, misunderstanding, and of course hilarity prompted by (but not limited to) moments of infidelity and funny accents. We are promising you a bellyful of laughs for two hours.”
Shows start at 7:30pm at the ACG International School, An Phu Ward, District 2 on the East-West Highway.
And finally…
Last night, the AFL Masters commented on the amount of honking going on in the streets of Vietnam.
That’s because we all love the footy. Especially when there’s a big game happening at RMIT at 5pm this afternoon.
As Johnnie Walker once remarked after enjoying a Jim Beam, Keep honking.
