Nathan Buckley

Nathan Buckley and Gary O’Donnell will attend a Swannies training session / footy clinic on Sunday 14 March from 5 – 6pm, RMIT, D7, in Saigon.

It will be a great privilege to meet these champions over here in Vietnam – and, while in their company, stand justifiably tall with respect to our Club’s achievements and the events we are planning in 2010.

Nathan Buckley

Bucks played 20 games for the Brisbane Bears and 263 for Collingwood. He became Captain in 1999 and would regularly get leather poisoning. In 2001, he picked up a lazy 46 possessions in Round 2 which was a record in its day. While he missed out on that elusive AFL Premiership, he collected all the individual honours such as the Norm Smith Medal in 2002 (which he removed as he descended from the dais), the Brownlow Medal in 2003 and a swag of Copeland Trophies.

Buckley is also the Collingwood Coach in waiting. For two years, he will serve as Micky Malthouse’s apprentice and then, in 2012, he will take the reins.

Gary O’Donnell

O’Donnell played 243 games for Essendon between 1987 and 1998. In 1997 and 1998 he was Essendon’s captain. In 1993, when Essendon won the Premiership, O’Donnell won the Club’s Best and Fairest.

After retiring, he moved to the Brisbane Bears as an Assistant Coach. While there, Brisbane dominated and won the premiership for three consecutive years between 2001 and 2003 – two of which were against, Nathan Buckley’s Magpies… (a game man to sit next to Nathan on that long flight from Australia!)

In 2005, O’Donnell returned to Bomberland where he was Kevin Sheedy’s Assistant Coach. However, when Sheedy’s time finished at the end of 2007, it was Matthew Knights who took the helm.

JD, former Captain and Coach of the then Hanoi Swans, stands atop Africa's highest mountain while wearing his Swannies hat

For sure, Nathan Buckey, who will visit the Swannies on 14 March, is a highly decorated Captain of the Collingwood Football Club. As yet, he hasn’t coached the Pies at the highest level. Jarrod Dale by contrast has done both for the then Hanoi Swans. He’s captained. He’s coached. In the photo above, he stands atop Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro wearing his Swannies hat! This bloke smokes.

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate

About time I got around to this and thought this was a good moment as any after reading the Swannies website. Looks as though footy in Vietnam is gathering a huge amount of momentum and it is another big year to honk yer horn if you love footy, especially in Vietnam!

I took this photo at the top of Mt Kilimanjaro last April and will be heading up there again in a few months time. Let’s hope the Swannies get to the top of a few mountains this year as well. The goals are being set and I hope you can reach them.

JD