Tomorrow's Super Saturday will see the Swannies take on Malaysia in Singapore while the Singapore Wombats will host the Jakarta Bintangs.

Tomorrow’s Super Saturday will see the Swannies take on Malaysia in Singapore while the Singapore Wombats will host the Jakarta Bintangs.

Swannies CoCaptain, Billy Crang, delivers the match preview for tomorrow’s Super Saturday EAAFL blockbuster between the Vietnam Swans and Malaysian Warriors in Saigon.

When and Where

  • 20th July – RMIT University, District 7, Saigon @ 2pm

Tomorrow, RMIT University will host its first ever EAAFL match as the Malaysian Warriors pay a return visit to HCMC to battle the Swans on our home turf. Expect some of the hottest footy action Vietnam has seen as the Swans look to get on the EAAFL scoreboard after a start that would have Greater Western Sydney feeling disappointed.

The players will feel some further pressure to perform as this match will be the first ever official Ladies’ Day at a Swannies’ game with the girls enjoying the action with a glass of champers in one hand whilst the other gets manicured.

The Teams

The Swans have embraced the recent departure of most of our stars as a chance to rebuild and have the internal belief that we’re coming back bigger and better.  For the Swans, it’s all about the new recruits and how they will take to the heat of Asian Footy in the EAAFL.  Coach Andy will be very carefully watching to see if Luke Philpott can take his great training form and hurt the Warriors on the ball; whether Dan Morrison will look as good on the Malaysian Centre Half Forward as he has in his two training sessions to date; whether the new Irish guns Mark, James and Ben (not so new but not many games in the Red Black and White) will follow the previous Irish successes and, most interestingly, the impact of the Swans’ French connection of Mark and Manu who have both used the Swans to avoid playing ‘rubbish’ sports, like touch, whilst living in Vietnam.

The Warriors are bringing an imposing reputation to the ‘Gon.  They have bolted to top spot on the EAAFL ladder and just are one win away from taking out the competition’s first year.  It is understandable that they felt bitterly unlucky in the Manila Cup after the Singapore Wombats used their last qualifying game as a training drill, in turn, pushing Manila out in the qualifying rounds.  With absolutely no love to lose, they accounted for the Wombats on home turf a few weeks back.  Modestly the Warriors captain Snakes has been talking down the touring party size but there’s no doubt the Warriors will throw all their big game experience at the Swans to seal a perfect EAAFL season leading into the Champs next month.

Last time they met

The Swans and Warriors are building up one of the most famous rivalries in Asian Footy.  The Swans toured earlier this year with a depleted line up and limited numbers but were a genuine chance of causing a huge upset until they faded in the last 5 minutes of the game.  Malaysia will remember that and know that, in the Swannies back yard, it’s going to be a far tougher proposition.  Last year’s Asian Champs saw another memorable Swans V Warriors battle as both teams went scoreless in an enthralling arm wrestle of a second half.  The Swannies were just one point up at half time and qualified for the Semi’s through that performance.  Although Malaysia qualified for the finals, despite that loss, they blame the grind against the Swannies as costing them a crack at Hong Kong in the decider.

Who will win and why

The Warriors are a genuine powerhouse of Asian footy and can win anywhere but the Swans, in this rebuilding phase, are as determined as ever and will have a huge numbers advantage.  Without a bench cap, the Swans have an enviable problem of getting all their players enough of a run whilst the Warriors engine room will surely be digging deep going into the second half of the game.

Expect horns to be honking throughout Vietnam come 4pm on Saturday when the Swans will pull away to win by 20-30 points.

Another point on the EAAFL’s Super Saturday…

This Saturday is “Super Saturday” – not just in HCMC but across Asia as two more big guns, the Jakarta Bintangs and the Singapore Wombats, battle it out in Singapore. With the Asian Champs just around the corner, all eyes in Asia will be on the outcomes of these two huge matches.  This is exactly what the EAAFL’s founder Mark Stennett had in mind as all games now have a new relevancy to the whole Asian Footballing community.