Tracking the footy. By Beth Young.

Beth Young is Tracking the Footy in this month’s issue of AsiaLIFE magazine. In the article, she meets up with Vietnam Veteran, Ron Vernon – who won a premiership in 1967 in the Vietnam Football League – at the 2011 ANZAC Friendship Match. Below is an excerpt.

To commemorate lives lost in war, Aussie Rules team The Vietnam Swans put on a game of footy at the dog track in Vung Tau. Beth Young speaks to a veteran who once played the game on the same field.

Down at Lord Mayor’s Oval in Vung Tau the greyhound racing has been put on hold for the day. Instead, a game of footy—of the Australian variety—is underway.

Expatriate players from the Vietnam Swans and the Hong Kong Dragons have converged for the friendly match. It’s an annual event that began last year to celebrate ANZAC Day (a public holiday in Australia and New Zealand held on April 25 that commemorates lives lost in war).

Several special guests have made the journey from Australia to participate. Former Aussie Rules star Richard Osborne and Vietnam Veteran Ron Vernon are among the VIPS.

While Richard took to the field, representing the Swans in the first half and the Dragons in the second, 67-year-old Ron says he was keen to have a kick, too. “I wanted to put my boots on and go out there!”

Seeing the young blokes toss the footy on this particular ground brings back many memories for Ron. During the American War, he also played footy on the Lord Mayor’s Oval…