Bobby Skilton “makes an appearance” the Hanoi Swans Grand Final function, 2005In the words of former Hanoi Swans President, Dary Taber, Bobby Skilton is arguably the greatest South/Sydney player ever – and he has now emailed the Vietnam Swans to wish us well (see below) at the Asian Championships this weekend.

“The Chimp” was a “fairly tidy” player playing 237 games for South Melbourne (now Sydney Swans) mostly in the 60s. During those games, he collected a lazy 3 Brownlow Medals (one of only 4 players to have won football’s most prestigious individual award 3 times), 8 Club Champions, Club’s Leading Goal Kicker 3 times, 25 hats as a State Representative and officially inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame. Oh yeah, he was also Club Captain from 1961 – 1971 and State Captain on two occasions.    

 Bobby Skilton wishes the Swans well The Greatest Swan ever

 Click on the thumbnail above to hear from the “Chimp” to the Swans re the Champs.

The Hanoi Swans are lucky enough to be on Bobby’s radar. When the photograph above was taken of Skilts on the MCG immediately after the Sydney Swans had won the 2005 Premiership, we decided to send Bobby the photograph, mounted. We weren’t sure what to expect – and then our President, Daryl Taber, received the following email:

Hi Daryl

I will do my best to say a very genuine thank you for both your email and the mounted photos. My wife thought that much of the shot of you guys with myself on the screen that it now sits neatly on the shelf behind the bar very close to what is now my pride and joy – a mini Premiership Cup that the Club recently sent to me. It is a replica of the real thing with the team on it; just sensational.

I think it is great to have a Bobby Skilton Bar and you may be sure that if either I or my boys manage to get to Hanoi at any time, you will certainly know and have us in the bar. 

All the best to all involved. Thank you once again.

Regards

Bobby Skilton

Mick Francis in the Bobby Skilton Room, HanoiBack in 2001, a guy called Rick Trewavas who was a mad keen Bloods supporter, seized the day when the Hanoi Swans were born and named the Club Rooms after his idol, Bobby Skilton. Mick Francis, in the side photo, will be touring to Bangkok this weekend with the Vietnam Swans.