Tomorrow, Revo hopes to be on song for the Reds Vs Whites Grand Final in Saigon. Today, he delivers the preview.
Is there no end to the stream of Swannies players who are capable of brilliant writing with devastating insight? It would appear not. Today, in the preview for tomorrow’s Reds Vs Whites Grand Final Blockbuster, Revo Evans unleashes brilliant passages of poses that will leave hardened men roaring and women weeping.
Read on…
When you think of classic rivalries you may think of the Richmond and Carlton games of the early seventies, the great grand finals between Hawthorn and Essendon in the eighties, or even the Billy Crang and Apocalypse Now bouncer bouts of Saturday evenings. Well, over the past year, or so, a new classic footy rivalry has arisen which is sure to captivate spectators for a long time to come – the competition between the Vietnam Swans Reds and Whites which is surely seen as the classic rivalry of modern times.
After completing a trio of hard fought games, which the Rugby State of Origin tri series organisers can only dream of, both teams will again front up to RMIT on Saturday to battle it out for bragging honours in the “Vietnam Swans Red vs Whites Grand Final”.
Members of both teams are battle weary after the recent campaign for the Manilla Cup and convincing victory against the Australian Masters tourers last weekend. Both teams, however, still carry fresh in their minds the memory of the last time they met – which resulted in an anti-climatic draw with both the Reds and Whites team members feeling denied their dues.
The Swans and Whites are both evenly matched for the final with regulars Damo Judd, Shagger Leahy, Kev Hornblower, Andy Glendinning , Lukey Miller and the two “New, New” Joshes all expected to be called upon to perform for their respective teams again. Nick Sheills and Timmy “Allah Akbar” Clements are also recent welcome additions to the line-ups.
There will, however, be a few notable absences with both Milner boys back home in Australia, Mr Powell ‘living the dream’ on his yacht in Queensland and Marty Beecroft also on his way home, meaning both teams will be down a key play maker and a ruckman. This could, however, pave the way the way for the exciting return of the Silver Fox (Phil Johns), Dave Robb and Ross Munn.
In the end I believe the result will come down to a number of key match ups:
Luke “Dukesy” Creamer vs Dave “no nickname” O’Shea
Dirty is a serious player who has just created a seriously funny video on Hitler ranting about the number of Swannies leaving.
There are none keener for this game than these two mid-field heavy weights and both are in tip top shape at the moment. Dukesy, fresh from being named the “Player of the Tournament” at the Manilla Cup, and Dave, the best player in last week’s Masters game will soon be leaving a big hole in the Swannies midfield when they depart the country in the coming weeks. Both are therefore keen to give their all for their teams, and the end result may yet hinge on the performance of each of these players on the day.
Brian “Dirty” Farrell vs John “JR” Redmond
Not even the battle between the Catholics and the Protestants can come close to matching the fierce competitiveness that burns between these two Irish lads. Brian, who soon will be relocating to Scotland (just as he was getting good!), and JR, who his keen to atone for his sin of choosing soccer over the Swannies last week, both want to live up to the reputation of being the ‘fighting Irish’. One thing is for sure… both players will be throwing their bodies around like a sack of Irish potatoes and touching more leather (ie the ball) than Michael Weissbluth at a Berlin S&M party.
(Ed’s note: Dirty Brian yesterday revealed his other side: a You Tube video titled, Hitler in massive rant over Dukesy and Revo leaving Swannies! Do yourself a favour. Click on the link to watch it.)
Bill “Slapper” Crang vs Angus “the Gus” McEwin
Even Gus is in awe of his guns.
Both of these boys have points to prove. Bill wants to show his team why he was chosen as the Swannies captain-in-waiting, and with the impending departure of Revo Evans, is keen to pursue a position in the forward line in the coming months. To do that, he still must humble his main rival, Gus McEwin, so that the coaching staff are forced to make drastic changes to the team’s lineup. Gus, a long time Swannie, can attract a ball like midget boxing attracts Billy. The number of times Gus can beat bustling Billy to the ball could ultimately determine the fate of the game.
Ryan “Revo” Evans vs Phil “The Human Steamroller” Ghasseb
Revo and Phil are soon departing for Australia, and soon to be lining up for their respective Masters teams. Both are therefore likely to be going into this game knowing it is the last time they can sling tackle, jump into opponents backs and basically ‘hit their opponents hard’ without being penalised, and be keen to go in hard. Revo has been kicking bags in recent times and Phil, who along with Dukes excelled in the recent ANZAC Day clash, has been formidable in defence. It could all come down to who wants the ball most; Revo has been on the receiving end of several of “the Steamroller’s” bumps in the past and is sure to be keen to get the upper hand – a classic battle awaits!
Nick “Moggy” Moger vs Travy “the Butcher” Fallon
Moggy – will also host tomorrow night’s Mega Swannies Farewell in Saigon for 9 players.
Another key forward/backup match-up which is sure to attract attention is that of Moggy and the Butcher. Both players can be extremely damaging on their day; if Moggy (another player soon departing this great land) can find space to run into, then he will be very hard to stop. Travy, who reads the Dustin Fletcher playbook before going to bed each night, is however a very formidable opponent and, once again, the respective futures of the two teams could ultimately be determined by their individual performances on the day.
Michael “where was he for the semi-final?“ Weissbluth vs Kurt “The Kiwi” Walker
These two Binh Duong boys are both sick of living in the shadow of fellow staff member, Dave O’Shea, and are keen to battle it out for the honour of being Binh Duong’s best. Both ‘non-natives’ to our great game – one a Yank and the other a Kiwi – have made impressive steps forward in recent times and a game changing performance could be on the cards for either or both of them. I would not be surprised to see a bit of ‘argy bargy’ between these two players and a possible “Bruce Doull -like” throwing of Michael’s orange bandana should the heat this game get too hot. They are definitely a pair to watch!
So there you have it – who will win is anybody’s guess but one thing is for sure, and that it is going to be a fierce contest! Surely the chemists of Saigon will run out of sleeping pills tonight as we all try to get some sleep, each of more excited than a six year old waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve! It will definitely be the battle of the ages and I, for one, will definitely not be missing it!
Go you Swannies!!
