Brilliant football and brilliant writing are two things that DavO takes in his stride. Photo, Mark Stennett Photography.

Dave O’Shea has freshened up after a mega Asian Champs campaign and has returned to the chair to preview tomorrow’s blockbuster in Saigon between the Reds and the Whites.

Where: RMIT, Saigon
When: Saturday 2:00pm
What to wear: Swannies’ jersey – Whites inside out. Reds the correct way.
What will happen: Quick warm up. Teams will be split up into Reds Vs Whites. First bounce at 2:30.

For those of you who like brilliant literacy and want to find out some rumours and gossip regarding the Swannies, read on. If you don’t care about any of that and do not appreciate writing at its best, see you Saturday at 2pm at RMIT.

It’s that time of the month again when the Saigon boys come together for a Reds Vs White scratchie of biblical proportions. Out of four games played so far, we have an even series with both teams winning two games each. Which team will take the lead on Saturday? Will it be the Roaring Rumbling Reds or will it be the Mighty Whites? Only time will tell ladies and gentleman!

Gus was also on fire at last year’s Swannies’ AFL Grand Final Party in Saigon.

The Cinderella story from last match was the return to Saigon of GUS. A bit like The Don; Beyonce and Madonna, GUS only needs one name. No one even knows or cares about his full name or his last name. No one even knows if “GUS” is his real name.

What we do know, however, is that the great man kicked a bag of goals in his return match. A bit like his name, we don’t know the exact number. Some say it was 6, others say 7. The ‘Modest Gus’ simply says, “I don’t remember; it was quite I few. I was on fire!”

All Asian “Mega Jotta” has rearranged his work schedule so he can partake, not only in tomorrow’s match, but every Saturday’s match going forward for an STS (Swannies Training Session). He will be a welcome addition to the mighty Whites. The White team was dominated out of the middle last match. Hopefully, Mega Jotta can make a Mega Improvement to the Mega White Team.

Rumours are floating around that superstar midfielder, Damo Ballantine, will finally leave his corner at Apo (Apocalypse Nightclub) and return to the Swannies. If this rumour has any credibility, it will be a huge boost for one of the teams. We will have to wait to see who turns up on Saturday before naming Damo in a team.

Nick Shiells is another big name that should play on the weekend. After a hectic work load and a few niggling injuries, Nicko is ready for a huge return to form. At Shagga’s birthday party on the weekend, Nick had Swannies’ Hunger written all over his face. He was even harassing Swannies Superstar Captain, Dukesy to bring back the Tuesday night sessions. Nicko’s PUMPED!!!

Nicko’s pumped and wants the return of Tuesday night training. Photo, Mark Stennett Photography.

Will Trav (Fallon) redeem himself after winning WSOM (Worst Swannie of the Month)? Everyone was fined at the Asian Champs for Trav’s “no show” performance. He owes the whole team a mega sized sausage from his Tra Vy Butchery (now open in D2 and also in a brand new location in D7!!).

More Swannies’ gossip is that the next poster boy of the Swans will be Shagga Leahy. Shag will be looking to fire after celebrating his 30th birthday on the weekend. Hopefully he takes his anger out on the field this weekend and not on any DJ’s.

Some of the most exciting news is that Rocket is back in the country after a stint in Australia. When Rocket umpires, there is always less controversy. He will be sharp with his decisions and will be great to have at RMIT!

With the return of a number of superstars. This match is shaping up to be the best one yet. What makes it more appealing is the fact that John MacFarlane is putting up two Auscham Arabian Ball tickets valued at $150 each for the match. One lucky player will be awarded the two tickets for being the “Heart of a Swannie” (click here for full details). What a legend!!!

If you enjoyed this read, you’re not alone. If you would like a double dose you can always read it again. While you’re waiting to read it again, you can also read some of the reviews from the Asian Champs. Some brilliant writing from some brilliant authors. Examples include:

  • Damo Judd – “Swans might not be the toughest sounding bird on paper but if you have ever seen a flock of tightly packed angry swans in action after the same piece of bread…”
  • Mega Bretta Jotta – “Dukesy passed it over to Mega Bretta, who then showed some great running skills and efforts to finish off the first half with a goal to level the scores.”
  • MJ – “It was more a sigh of relief than a resounding cheer that greeted the final siren with the Swans ahead of the Singapore Wombats by 5 points: Another Swannies demon expunged at Nirvana (the mecca lawns of the Polo Club) – Honk!
  • Myself – “Some in the huge crowd of spectators suggested that the Swans went into the match against Thailand with the wrong attitude after a big first win.”
  • (Natty Payne – Ed’s note: Due to another busy week in education, writing skills will be practised in the future.)

Not only are we fantastic football players, we are also geniuses of modern day literature. As always, there is also some other very interesting posts on the Swannies’ website to read. If thevietnamswans.com is not already your homepage, do yourself a favour and make it your homepage.