The Swans Blog has just learnt that Singapore will host the 2008 Asian Champs. They expect the event will be held in mid August 2008.
Archive for the ‘Asian Champs’ Category
Singapore to host 2008 Asian Champs
Posted by Vietnam Swans on November 23, 2007
Posted in Asian Champs | 2 Comments »
Who will host the 2008 Asian Champs??
Posted by Vietnam Swans on September 11, 2007
The airwaves are abuzz again with talk about hosting the 2008 Asian Champs. Where should it go? Who has the facilities? Who has two decent-sized ovals next to each other? Who has a location that is relatively cheap to fly to and is relatively inexpensive?
Yesterday, the Thailand Tiger’s President, Rhino offered Bangkok again as a venue for consideration as currently, no other venue has been locked in. If it is held in Bangkok, it would have to be held on 16 August (already, that is the only available date to book the Patana Grounds).
It must be said that the Tigers did an absolutley outstanding job this year.
In an earlier email, the Philippines believe that the Champs should be moved around the region “to showcase the game to the local community”. This is particularly important to the Philippines whose “main goal is to develop a proper league comprising of juniors and schools and just to be able to show every 5 to 10 years a major Aussie Rules event would no doubt be a massive help to any team”. Another option would be to formailise an Asian League with a North and a South Division; the top 3 of each division play off in Bangkok.
The Bali Geckos favour a permanent home which would also help raise sponsorship.
The Bintangs prefer a rotating system. It is a revenue generator for the host team. They can attract extra sponsors and give existing sponsors additional exposure. It’s also an opportunity to showcase footy to the locals which in turn, becomes a showcase to the AFL.
Singapore has said that they have two suitable ovals and they would be “more than happy” to host. Having said that, Bangkok is an exceptional venue with it being extremely accessible for all teams. However, it’s unfair to expect the Tigers to carry teh full burden of organisation each year. Perhaps a professional events management company could play a major role?
Well, that’s a snippet from around the region about where the Champs should be hosted next year.
What do you think? Post a comment.
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Swans Blog on fire at 7,000 degrees
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 18, 2007
Yesterday the Swans Blog had 114 visitors which took us up to 7,000 hits. Today’s posting is the 200th.
Surely, in some culture it must be lucky to announce 7,000 on your 200th? If there is, the Swans will give them an honourary membership.
In other statistics, it’s just 3 days more than 100 since we launched the Blog on 7 May with the story, “2 months and 10 days before Asian Champs”. Speaking of 10 days, it took just that many after the Champs for the Blog to record our 5,000th hit on 24 July. Coincidentally, 24 was the number of days it took us to collect the 2,000 hits needed to reach 7,000.
Conspiracy theorists momentarily suggested something more sinister than the above being just a random collection of unrelated coincidences. The Swans Blog considered their suggestions to be nothing more than malicious gossip – so we burnt them at the stake.
But back to the Blog’s stats: Vietnam accounts for 43.15% of the traffic (compared with 46.5% at 5,000 hits), Australia 30.85% (30.2%) and the US 6.83% (6.5%). The total number of countries that have logged on to the site has increased from 48 to 58 countries.
In other Swans Blog related news, Marty Hartigan, who lives in Melbourne, will be in Hanoi on the day of the AFL Grand Final. He got onto the net, found the Blog and emailed us requesting a couple of seats at the Vietnam Swans 2007 AFL Grand Final Party. For sure, Marty!!
Marty also mentioned that The Age ran an article a couple of weeks ago that included a reference to the Vietnam Swans.
It’s official: you don’t have to wait ’til the end of the day to discover that it’s all good. Hearin’ me?
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Match Report: Vietnam Vs Thailand Tigers
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 14, 2007
One month to the day since the Asian Champs, we can now bring you the Match Report on the 4th and final match of our campaign; Vietnam Vs the Thailand Tigers. Special thanks to our Assistant Coach, Micky Johnston for the insights.
A final chance to gain some glory against our old foes, the Thaigers…
Everyone was knackered, but no one wanted to go home yet.
Hard work from Scott Beasley and Andy Wall (kept his head down and got a whack across the noggin for his troubles – our first blood rule candidate) in the back line saw the ball pushed forward for Kempie to dob one with a quick left foot snap. A second one to Will floating down from the half-back line and letting loose from the 50-metre mark saw us go in ahead at half time by a goal.
The effort in the sun all day meant there were 32 tired bodies on the ground for their 8th half of footy for the day, but of course they wanted more. So much so, that Griggie and his mate with the cap decided to see if the game could be settled in the Sin Bin!
Johnny Fosters in the ruck continued to give bottom feeders like Greg Eggins first opportunity at centre bounces, but it was the Tigers who got the first goal for the half. Mixo Kris did some nice work across the full back line to work the ball around the flank, and Will crashed hard into the back of his opponent to make sure he earned the ball, but the Thaigers continued to push forward and scored a late goal to win a tough encounter.
Final Score: Vietnam 2.3 (15) – Thailand 4.3 (27)
PS Bottom right photo – How’s Scotty Stacey’s impersonation of a Nazi playing footy?
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Match Report: Vietnam Vs China Reds
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 13, 2007
Special thanks to Assistant Coach, Micky Johnston for the following match report from the Asian Champs.
Game 1: Vietnam Swans Vs China Reds – Everyone arrived at the bus pick-up: Good start.
Scotty said, “For the next 8 hours, what I say goes”. No one quibbled – looking good.
Ground arrival. Lots of other buses, so obviously at right place.
Other teams in corporate uniform (especially liked the batik outfit from Indonesia), but we’d sold lots of t-shirts and caps on the bus to up our image.
10 minutes of “G’day, my names McGooly, what’s yours?”, followed by Scotty reading out his first team as the coach of the bestest mob in the world. Then, it was GAME ON!
At first bounce, we knew we’d discovered a centre combo that could work together – bliss! Drew Franklin, Sam Grigg, Mick Hassett and Peter Bossink combined together (as they did tirelessly all day) to get the ball into our forward line for the first point of the entire Asian Cup 2007 to David Kemp.
Unfortunately, our scoring opportunities were very limited over the next 19.5 minutes, but there were some highlights, not least of which was Travis’ tussle against big Greg Stafford. Twice, T was able to outmuscle the big S and deliver the ball in the Brothers Sharpleseseses’ direction. The first time, Sharples Marty was closest and almost bagged one, but alas, another point.
From then on, we struggled to keep up with the team chosen from the first country in the world to reach a population of 1 billion.
Captain Gus & Mixo Kris combined with Will across the half back line to keep the Red’s forwards honest, and the bastard son of A. Downer, M. Growder, got his hands on the ball a couple of times across the half forward line, but kicking goals was proving a challenge.
When the skies opened up 5 minutes into the first half, Scotty managed to keep his coaching notes from smudging, but was unable to gain heavenly intervention on the ground.
Final score did not reflect the close nature of the game, but they knew how to kick sausage rolls and we could only muster behinds.
Final Score: China Reds 4.2 (26) – Vietnam 0.3 (3)
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Former President escapes fine
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 12, 2007
Former Swans President, Dave “Flyer” Kainey, often points out what’s good and what’s not in Asian football.
It’s since been pointed out that the Flyer was the Bintang’s runner during the recent Champs - for which he miraculously escaped the wrath of the Fines Master, Pago. This has raised eyebrows and questions in some circles with whispers of favouritism.
Kevan Dacey, by contrast was belted by the Fines Master for wearing a Brisbane Lions t shirt on match day and then a China Reds shirt during the fines session (what was Kev thinking there??).
While people are able to understand the Kevan Dacey situation, the same cannot be said for Dave Kainey.
Perhaps it’s time for the Fine Master to explain. When two people commit the same offence but only one is fined a double shot of Thai whiskey, you have a double standard. Plain n simple.
Posted in Asian Champs | 2 Comments »
The rumble of the Elephants is getting louder…
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 12, 2007
If you thought those Elephants would have quietly returned to Laos, never to be seen again, think again. The rumble from the jungles of Laos is turning into thunder.
The boys have just received a burst of publicity from World Footy News. Marty Sharples says that the Elephants are attracting 10-15 regular trainers and they train twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. Numbers have become so prolific that they have had to take the “unprecedented step of using two footies at training”.
The guys training come from Laos, Australia, UK, Japan and Norway (I wonder if the Rooster has played for Norway).
After training sessions, Marty says they drink Beer Lao (maybe not unprecedented) and “talk of greatness and awesomeness”. In the next breath he mentions , “We hope to take on a Vietnamese side either in Hanoi or Saigon at year’s end or early next year”.
We look forward to warmly meeting the Elephants anywhere, anytime.
For the full article, click onto World Footy News.
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Asia’s Best Bars
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 10, 2007
Peter “Harbs” Habel from the Malaysian Warriros did some good, solid research prior to the Asian Champs.
He produced a White Paper on Asia’s Best Bars.
So whether you’re living in or going to Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong etc, you really need to read the attached bible.
Do you agree or disagree with those that have appeared on the list? Post a comment.
Posted in Asian Champs, Unheard of | 2 Comments »
The Bali Geckos
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 8, 2007
You may remember an incident during the match against the Bali Geckos where there were a few people who were sin-binned.
The first guy sent off for the Geckos was a guy by the name of Sam Pritchard. Shane’s a best mate of a best mate of the Swans’ Matt Wenke’s business partner at Juice Cafe in Saigon (Wow, talk about six degrees…).
The second guy sent off for Bali was Gunny. Our Sammy was also sent off for arguing the benefits of Gunny not wearing his hat! How, for goodness gracious sakes can you play footy in a hat?
The Swans Blog has learned that not only is Gunny, apparently, a funny bastard, he also has an OBE for saving people at the first Bali Bombing and he followed up by building a contact list and information service for locals.
If you would like to know more about the Bali Geckos, including their runners up performance at the Champs and their miraculous win against the Swans, read the Geckos Newsletter.
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The 2007 Narita Cup & Melbourne Vietnam
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 8, 2007
Last week, World Footy News reported that the Japan AFL has officially started promoting the 2007 Narita Cup. The Narita Cup will be held on 6 October in Tokyo and will coincide with the 20th anniversary of footy in the country.
Japan has been on the move in the last 20 years and now has a senior and a university competition. Further, the All-Japan Samurais played in the 2002 and 2005 International Cups. You may also recall the number of Japanese Nationals who represented Japan at the Asian Champs last month in July.
At this year’s Narita Cup, 5 teams have committed – the Tokyo Goannas, Eastern Hawks, University Samurais, Osaka Dingoes and Box Hill North (VAFA, Australia).
Box Hill North is, of course, the Mother Club of the Elgar Park Dragons. Additionally, because of our loose links with Box Hill North and the Dragons, Box Hill North have extended an invitation to the Vietnam Swans to join them in their Narita Cup Campaign.
Meanwhile, the Samurais will tour to Australia from 30 August to 9 September 2007. On 4 September, they will play Melbourne Vietnam at Elgar Park.
How good would it be if the Melbourne-based Vietnam Swans could make a special appearance at Elgar Park for that game?
For full details of the 2007 Narita Cup and the upcoming Samurais tour of Australia, click on the World Footy News link.
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Different camera angles
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 6, 2007
The beauty about playing in major international championships is that you have heaps of camera angles to see what really happened.
Here, Bossink bares his teeth and says to Thailand’s Cameron Sinclair, “Come and get me!”. So Cameron did and laid the tackle. Hate that.
Surprisingly, Cameron says that his origins are Kiwi and rugby. Really? We would like to see a third camera angle to confirm that statement.
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The Rooster crows again
Posted by Vietnam Swans on August 6, 2007
What is the definition of an international footy sl*t?
The answer is the Rooster.
Rooster, pictured with Will Martin to the left, has recently written to the Swans asking for contact details of the Brunei Sharks and Laos Elephants. The reason? He wants to play with both those teams against us (Rooster, pet, would you just like to go and play out on the road for a little while?).
The Swans obviously were very happy to forward on the relevant contact details because we don’t care who we play against. But in passing, we did ask what he had against Vietnam.
The Rooster replied that:
“I have nothing against the Swans… but I have already played for Vietnam (the Saints that time… in Bangkok against Thailand in 98/99 – mostly Saigon but 2 or 3 from Hanoi and me from China. Actually, (I) kicked the first ever communist goal on democratic soil that day).
“…and Brunei and Laos would make my 18th and 19th countries to earn a test cap for (will have a run for VN if you need the numbers against someone else, but guess you don’t need the numbers at home).”
Rooster is an international footy sl*t.
By the way, Will currently plays for the University BATS. So did the Rooster.
Rooster is an international footy sl*t.
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