Dave O’Shea takes on the Royal Australian Navy (HMAS Sydney) last November.
Swannies Superstar, Dave O’Shea, previews Saturday’s Scratchy in Saigon between the Reds and the Whites.
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls,
The Vietnam Swans will christen a new ground this Saturday for the second scratch match of the season. The match will be played at the new Estella Development in District 2, opposite Parklands. The ground is brand new. The word around Sai Gon is that there is more interest in this new ground than an overdue credit card. I can’t believe Harvey Norman has ‘no interest’ – he will never be a Swan. Get there early – we’re expecting a sellout!
- Where: Estella Development, District 2 (opposite Parklands on the Hanoi Highway)
- When: Saturday, 13th March 3:00
- What to bring: Red or white playing top
Previous Match
The first match of the season was a real ding dong battle. The Whites had the lead for most of the match, but the Reds came back strong at the end to win a close match. They now lead the best of 5 series 1-0. The Whites will be looking to bounce back and even the series on Saturday.
Where it will be won
After a successful tour of KL. the Swans will welcome back a number of their gun players. Both backlines are very strong. The Whites will rely on hard nuts Damo Judd and Phil Ghasseb to rebound the ball from their backline. The Reds will be looking for some hard running and accurate kicking from two of their stars in Big Bad Bustlin’ Billy Crang and Trav the Butcher. Three of the four mentioned above are some of the angriest people you will ever meet. Only ‘Powell Daddy’ can accurately decide which one has the most anger.
The battle of the midfield was one for the age’s last match. Josh got more ball than Ricky Martin at the Mardi Gras and Dirty Brian was running feral all match. But it was the Reds’ midfield that got it done when it mattered in the final quarter. The midfield battle is once again shaping up to be a beauty.
The battle of the ruck was nothing short of spectacular. There was sledging before the match. Mr Powell told Luke that he was fat and slow and then pulled out one of the best games of his 45 year career. Lukey Miller responded to Mr Powell’s criticism with a blinder of his own. Both these talls will be looking for another big match on Saturday.
The Forward battle will also be one of great importance. How will the forwards go at the new ground is the question that all of Saigon is waiting for. Last match Moggy cried because he wasn’t listed on a team then came out and booted goals at will. He is now listed in the Whites team and the Reds will need to stop him on Saturday.
All players will be looking to impress new gun coach Andy before the crucial ANZAC Day clash. Andy will keep a close eye on the match in making up his mind when choosing the squad.
