It’s just five months before the 2014 ANZAC Friendship Match in Vung Tau between the Vietnam Swans and the Malaysian Warriors. And interest is well and truly building.
Last Thursday, Swannie, Patrick Stringer (who now lives in Shanghai) called to say that he had been speaking with a former gun AFL player who had expressed a very strong interest in playing in next year’s curtain raiser, the Legends Match.
A day earlier, Vietnam Football League Premier, Ron Vernon, returned to Australia. Before leaving, Ron confirmed he had already purchased his ticket back to Vietnam in February. Ron works with Glenn Nolan each year to restore the playing surface of the Lord Mayor’s oval (now the dog track) to tip top condition for the ANZAC Friendship Match.
Brad Vernon has been clamouring for promotional posters to spread around his home state of Queensland. Steve Nolan has promised to turn up to next year’s ANZAC Match with a Go Pro camera. John Corrall, Water Safety Vietnam Director – and father of Swannie, Adam – has said a trip to Vietnam next April is “very likely”. Last month at the Gaelic Championships in Kuala Lumpur, members of the Malaysian Warriors team were speaking excitedly of the upcoming match. Tourists to Vung Tau now are also promising to return next April…
Not to be outdone, Vietnam Football League historian, Stan Middleton has leap frogged 2014 and is talking about bringing a tour group of 30 in 2015.
Meanwhile, Golf Life Tours, co founded by Swannie, Phil Jordan and a Silver Sponsor of the Vietnam Swans, is running a special golf tour through Vietnam timed to coincide with the ANZAC Weekend in Vung Tau. A percentage of the price of the tour will be donated to Swim Vietnam and the Vung Tau Orphanage.
Click here for further information re Golf Life Tours’ ANZAC Weekend.
The Vietnam Swans ANZAC Friendship Match continues to grow in significance.
For more information about teh ANZAC Friendship Match, click here.