"Hey! I know that bloke in the middle", says the Flyer. "It's Smooth. I need to spend 5 minutes with him Part 2". (DT at the Swannies' 2nd Annual Cricket Day at the MCG in 2008 with Phil Johns and Chris Batchelor.)
Dave Kainey is “the Flyer” and tonight he’s spending 5 minutes with Daryl Taber, President of the original Hanoi Swans in 2005/06. Here’s Part 2. (Click here for Part 1)
Q3 Now to training. You were always known as a guy that loved to run and you took that onto the field also. How did the recruiting of players and getting them to training / playing / touring work during your time at the Swans?
A footy coach berated me blasting “…and Taber, you couldn’t run outta sight on a dark night!” That’s when I started to run and really haven’t stopped since.
The Hanoi Prez declares, "Mission Accomplished" in March 2006 when the Swannies record our first ever victory. The banner was easily our best to date.
Again, in Hanoi there was a successful formula in place when I arrived. We’d spend about five times longer at the Bia Hoi than time spent on the ‘pitch’. A lot of ‘new chums’ were informed about the Swans at Micky Francis’ Hanoi Backpackers Hostel. Also, word just spread that we were the fun group to be around. A small percentage of guys just wanted to come and get fit.
At one stage we even had two young females training with us. Encouraging the local Vietnamese to join was also a great experience for all involved. There’s also something special about kicking the Sherrin overseas and most of us really just wanted to play matches so even if we only had 5 a side, we’d often slog it out in preparation for an ‘international’.
The Malaysian Warriors arrived in Hanoi (March, 2006) for a re-match (from our first overseas tour in May, 2005) with only 12 players. I remember being really disappointed with that loss. On the flip side, just a few weeks later, an impressive looking Jakarta Bintangs outfit arrived with a group of about 20 and we savoured a convincing victory. It was easy to get players to tour to Bangkok.
Q4. ‘Taber Talk’ – how did this come to be a must read in August / September on the Swannies blog?
"Thursday's Taber Talk" on the Swannies' Blog has been forthright, hard hitting, controversial, insightful - and a big hit with discerning readers each year during the AFL Finals Series.
One of the many things I like about our National President is that he steers the club forward without forgetting the past. I’m unable to help the Swannies as much as I’d like these days but this was something I could do from home.
Like all good journo’s I had a few regular readers but intentionally, I tried to be a bit controversial to seek reader reactions. Our KPI was the number of website hits. I also tried to avoid just tipping the favourite for each game. I had to make a lot of guesses with team selections as there was a deadline to meet. I had fun doing the research, reading all the AFL news articles during the week and would watch ‘On the Couch’, and others, downloaded from the internet.
Q5. Bandung, Indonesia is your current home. ‘A golfing paradise’, how is life there? Do you find time outside of teaching and golf to follow your beloved Princess Park Pretenders?
DT loves Indonesia. Here, Smooth makes another silky move against a Jakarta Bintang!
Unfortunately the ‘paradise’ of Bandung left with the departure of 1,500 expats after the GFC (Geelong Football Club? Or Global Financial Crisis?), although it is slowly recovering.
I escape an overcrowded city by driving 11km up the mountain, each Saturday morning to play golf, mainly for the ‘serenity’. We work with some fantastic people here and enjoy 5 star living at bargain basement prices. For (wife) Cathy and me, life will take another twist soon when we will live apart from both of our daughters. It’ll be tough as I was often referred to as “Father Of The Year”! Strategically, we’ve set the girls up in a tidy little unit that just happens to be 5 minutes walk from the MCG. So with less fatherly duties, I’ll have even more time to follow my beloved Blues.
Footnote: During my time as Prez I fed off the never ending enthusiasm of one Fabulous Phil Johns. Still, he eats and breathes Asian Footy. He inspired me, provided great support and was always so positive. Fabbo even moved in with us for a short time and it amazed me how few hours sleep he survived on. Many friends from UNIS also played key roles in developing the Swans.
The Last Word: The Swannies’ Official Player Profile for Smooth at the Asian Champs.
“Daryl Taber (Smooth) – Fearless, lightening quick ex-Carlton onballer and cross dresser. Credits include teaching Polly Farmer how to handball; running the 2007 Harbour Bridge to Bondi in the buff, and dacking Chopper Reid in the infamous 1984 Hanoi Swans Vs Pentridge Inmates’ Bloodbath.
“Surprised many in 2005 when he let his two daughters put soft drink in his beer esky. Went on to win Father of the Year.” (This player profile was written and authorised by Chris Batchelor, pictured in photo above at MCG.)
