Asian Champs. I trust you’re all busy this weekend writing player profiles for the Asian Champs as we have to submit them at the start of next week. Attached is a submission I have received for Taber. Must admit, I had nearly forgotten about that match in 1984…

Daryl Taber (Smooth) – Fearless, lightning quick ex-Carlton onballer and cross-dresser. Credits include teaching Polly Farmer how to handball; running the 2007 Harbour Bridge to Bondi marathon in the buff; and dacking Chopper Reid in the infamous 1984 Hanoi Swans v/s Pentridge Inmates bloodbath.

Surprised many in 2005 when he let his two daughters put soft drink in his beer esky. Went on to win “Father of the Year”. Diminutive in height, a stand out in the showers.


Bangkok Accommodation. We have two choices:

  • Novotel on Soi 33 – Novotel Lotus in Soi 33 BKK. Single room rate incl Breakfast is A$147 (US$122) nett per night. Double occupancy room rate is A$162 ($134) nett /night

  • Maxims, Soi 7, next to the Skytrain’s Nana Station. 990THB (30USD) per day, aircon, minibar, TV & shower.

For bookings, let us know what you need.

Airfares. Because people are arriving and departing at different times (eg some want to see the Friday night Socceroos match, others want to stay for the Monday Socceroos match), there won’t be any single “Vietnam Swans” flight. What I’m saying here is, book and pay for your own tickets!

We need Umpires! At the Champs, each team is required to provide one field umpire, one goal umpire and one boundary umpire. So you closet umpires, please reveal yourselves and get on board!

The Most Critical Information. There will be ten teams competing – Bali, Jakarta, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong (who will travel with 35!), China and Dubai. Each team will play a minimum of 4 matches. Each match will comprise 2 x 15 minute halves with a 5 minute break between halves. The two best teams then play off in the GF.

Well may it be true that too much footy is never enough – but it’s probably equally true at the moment that too much training and fitness work will also never be enough. For anyone wanting to brush up on their history of the Champs and footy in Asia, see-attached.pdf .

Recent form. The Bali Geckos are apparently in top form at the moment. They accounted for the Thailand Tigers at the Annual Anzac Day match – 9.6.60 to 3.5.23

The Socceroos. On the Friday night, the Hong Kong Boys are off to the Iraq match. On Monday, 18 of the Jakarta Bintangs boys are going to the Thailand match. In the Bintangs area, tickets are about $30. If people are keen Chris Newport has offered to try and get seats near them to increase the size of the Aussie contingent.

The Saigon Geckos Vs The Hanoi Swans – The match report from the 2nd Derby. For the full story of what really happened (from a Hanoi Swans perspective), read micky-js-match-report.pdf

The new QBE Vietnam Swans Hat judged a success! The response to the new Vietnam Swans hat has been very positive.

hat-with-logo.jpg

  • The CEO of the Sydney Swans wrote to us to say “Awwwwwwwwwwwesome” (actually, that’s probably my interpretation of his “Great result – Well done!”).

  • A bloke calling himself Will Sandman from the Louisville Kings Footy Club says that he is coming to Saigon in September/October and wants a hat reserved for him. Come on down Mr Sandman!
  • Snags Canty from Melbourne is willing to pay hard-earned money for a hat.

  • Greg Banova, also from Melbourne fame, believes that the latest Swans release will turn his Hanoi Swans hat into a collector’s edition! (But he also wants to know when you will deliver his hat, Josh!)

The Melbourne Dragons. The Melbourne Dragons, the new Vietnamese footy club in Melbourne, had a hit out last week against the Fitzroy Reds (apparently 2 ex Hanoi Swans players now play with the Reds: Andre and Jack). The Dragons won 9 – 11 – 65 to the Reds 6 – 8 – 44.

Check out the following names of the goal kickers!

Goals: Long Nguyen (2), Tony Ng, Andy Truong, Huy Vuong, Peter Nguyen, Khoa Nguyen, John Tran, Jamie Tang

If you want a look at their website, try www.dragonsfc.com.au