Dukesy, seen in the poster for this year's ANZAC Friendship Match, spends 5 Minutes with the Flyer.

In the lead up to  big events, the Flyer, Dave Kainey, is often seen stalking current and former Swannies.  Armed with a microphone and half a dozen questions, he invites interviewees to spend “5 Minutes with the Flyer”.

On the eve of the 2012 ANZAC Friendship Match, the Flyer caught up with Swannies’ Skipper, Luke “Dukes” Creamer.

The Flyer: Yes Dukes, your time has arrived to spend “5 Minutes with the Flyer”.

Dukes: Flyer, what an honour. Hope all’s well in Singas. Good to hear that your nag came home a few weeks’ back (Ed’s note: Excel n Strike also won last Friday in Singas). Hope to see you at a Swannies gig soon.

1. Duksey, you are known (and rightly so) by the Vietnam Swans fraternity for being a very humble man who just gets the job done. As Club Captain, you have been a superstar both on and off the ground. How does this sit with you and what / who has been your inspiration?

My inspiration is everyone’s inspiration at the Swannies: the great one, the Silver Fox, Phil “Fabulouso” Johns. No one, not even Obama, works as hard for his nation as Phil!

Dukesy picks up the 2011 Player of the Indochina Cup in Vientiane, Lao.

2. I reckon your trophy cabinet would be pretty darn full. How do the Best and Fairest Awards for the Vietnam Swans stack up amongst them all?

B&F’s are an honor, for sure (though last year’s one (with the Vietnam Swans) should have been Heaters). But team rewards far outweigh them, such as the first wins for the Swannies at the Asian Champs in Shanghai two years ago; two Indochina Cups and one premiership back home for the mighty Monash Blues are what you play for.

3. The final 22 players have been announced and congratulations to them. There must have been a few players unlucky to miss the main game, but the lead-up Legends and All Stars should be a cracker of a match.

Unfortunately, as is always the case, a few quality players have missed out. Not being a maths teacher, we just couldn’t fit 40 blokes into a side of 22*. The All Stars and Legends match at Vungers last year was a highlight and was a good quality game. As Fabbo says, this year will be even bigger and there are some big names out there. Just listen to this: a full forward line with Godra Shag in one pocket, Danny “Royce Hart” Armstrong at full forward and Shagger’s Dad in the other pocket. What more do you need?

4. One of your team mates – ex captain Gus McEwen – has suggested your ability and looks are akin to Lenny Hayes, but mentioned that you have given off less handballs than Kevin Bartlett (and that’s very few). Your thoughts?

Along with Cyril and Richo, Lenny is one of my favourite players and I am a Richmond supporter as well. So, the KB reference is fine. In response to Gus (who by the way is no longer my favourite Swanny), as an ex World War 2 gunner once said to me, ”kick long”.

5. From your viewpoint, how do you feel certain parts of the community have embraced or otherwise the presence of the Vietnam Swans in HCMC?

Everyone loves the Swannies. That’s why all Saigon is honkin’, right? Seriously though, the Vietnamese that see us playing at RMIT, and all over Vietnam, would clearly think we are mad and playing a mad game. But, I think the things the Swannies have done off field (in particular with Swim Vietnam) has had a huge impact on the Vietnamese community. It would be great to recruit more Vietnamese players but this is a future challenge for the Swannies.

6. Finally mate, the ANZAC Friendship Match – how special is it to you?

My Dad (who passed in 2006) was actually a Vietnam Veteran and served in Nui Dat. So, just the fact that I am now living, working and playing footy in a peaceful Vietnam is an absolute spin out for me and I know would have been for my Dad. So yeah, it is very special for me and a huge honour that I don’t take lightly.

Honk! Honk!

Flyer: Dukesy, thanks for spending 5 Minutes with the Flyer.

*Ed’s Note on behalf of Dukesy: “not being an english teacher, i just couldn’t fit more than six capital letters into an interview of six questions.”