The Flyer in Malaysia on the Swannies first ever tour, May, 2005.

Dave Kainey is the Flyer and this time, he’s found Club Legend, Mick Francis who played a key role in starting it all at the then, Hanoi Swans, back in 2001.

Q1. Mick, there are only a handful of blokes that were around at the time when the then, Hanoi Swans, began to get fair dinkum about their footy and you were one of the main drivers. How did footy actually get to the 5th floor of Pepperonis (part of the Al Fresco’s Group which is a current club sponsor) in Bao Khanh, Hanoi, in the first place?

We actually started around the corner in Ly Quoc Su street on the 3rd floor. I was trying to sell some pizzas and wanted to watch the footy while I was working. I got a few boys around and there it was; footy on a Friday! I do remember we had to use a satellite dish to get the feed for it. When the wind blew hard enough, the dish would move and the signal would be lost. So, up we go on the roof and try to point it back in the right direction with the boys down stairs yelling out when the signal returned!

In 2002 we opened a new Pepperonis and it came with a brand new 5th level; perfect for watching the footy! The panel was put together with Potsy, Pumper and Bubbles. Everyone knew where to be on a Friday and we started to bond and form a club.

Mick Francis, Pepperonis' Pied Piper, in the Bobby Skilton Room, circa 2002.

The Bobby Skilton Room was named by Rick (Trewavas) who organised the legendary photo of Bobby and the gold plaque. It became our home. We even named the bar the Captain Blood Bar after Jack Dyer – but no one remembers that (sorry Josh (Magennis) ). Andy (Wall – from Coca Cola and Jim Beam – both of which are current sponsors) rolled up with some jumpers and that was how the Hanoi Swans were born. San Miguel were our first sponsor and Ryan (Jeffery – organiser of the Vietnam Swans’ Annual Golf Day in Melbourne each Christmas) drank all the Fanta…

It became our Club Room. It became our place where Hanoi was an easier place to be. We had so many legends that have helped make our club great and the 5th floor was their home.

Q2. Training runs outside the Australian Embassy and a few runs at Dead Cat Stadium ensued and all of a sudden the Swans are hosting Honk Kong and Thailand in a 3-way tournament at an industrial park. Again, Pepperonis was where it was all happening, ‘The Nerve Centre’, in the lead-up. Good memories? I felt the Swans made a statement that day also. The Swans were welcomed into Asian footy on the field and stamped themselves as being an accomplished host to the visiting teams – thanks to your expertise.

The Hanoi Swans first ever team, Tri Nations Cup, Hanoi 2003. Mick - far right.

The lead up was amazing. Everyone was pumped for it. All we wanted was to be the greatest hosts possible. We wanted the visiting teams to love us and to love coming to Hanoi.

We held a fundraising function and flogged off a few things to help stage the tournament. But, when you have a bloke like Josh Magennis in your Club, things were always going to be fine. He showed huge generosity in the auctions with a football signed by the Sydney Swans. Josh bought the footy and donated it back to Club. And then he bought it again. And donated it back to the Club again! Before it got too silly, a second person bought the footy.

If anyone deserved this footy to come back, it was Josh Magennis... Against Jakarta's Matt Stephens, Hanoi, March, 2006.

However there were two things that week which were amazing. One, we had no ground a week away from the game. Enter Paddy (Griffiths) who, with me, went on a desperate search of Hanoi and, thank god for the Thanh Long Industrial Park and the help of Mr Son who knew all about the AFL! Who would have thought? Second the birth of Bubbles’ (Wayne Tinlin) goldern girls and Willy (Mark Williams). Amazing.

Q3. Then onto the first International in Malaysia against the Warriors in May 2005. An exciting time for the Footy Club?

The Flyer (Dave Kainey) was the man who gave the Swannies wings! We can travel! We can mix it up on foreign soil! Bring it on! When you need someone to think big, just ask the Flyer. It was not in anyone’s mind to actually travel to play! It was a very exciting time for everyone involved.

Related photo albums

For Part 2, (Another) Five Minutes with the Flyer, Mick talks about last month’s Asian Champs, the role of the Club in people’s lives and key people who have served the Club since its inception.