Last Saturday in Hanoi, the Viet Celts Blue, the Vietnam Swans and a team from Malaysia played a gaelic football tourney.

Clint Lambert, former AFLer, now Gaelic Footy Tourney Director reports that:

No-one seems to know the exact score as the Viet Celts have stricken it from their memory and the Swans were too excited at winning. But, from memory, the Swans got 3 goals 2 behinds – 10 points to the Viet-Celts Whites 2 goals 3 behinds – 9 points. Game came down to the wire with the Swans size and fitness, and their strategy of swamping the forward line proving too much for the Viet Celts to handle.

But all was not completely good with Clint adding:

Those results were for third place. Malaysia won the competition beating the Viet Celts Blue by 2 points.

Making a special guest appearance for the Swans was Peter Gun from the Bali Geckos.

To see all the photos that were kindly supplied by Clint Lambert, click . To see a selection of photos of the Swans, click onto the .

Last week, Vietnam Swans National President, Phil Johns, sent out the following update email on all things happening around the Club.

Dear Swannies and Supporters

Today, Laura Dundovic, Miss Australia emailed the Vietnam Swans. You may recall that we met her one year and two days ago at the New World Hotel, Saigon, for a photo shoot? Laura wrote, “It was lovely  meeting you all in Vietnam. Guessing you saw the photos (Ed’s note: Ah, yeah… we sort’ve noticed them)? They were great.”  She says she has also heard about some of the Swans off-field work such as raising money for the victims of the Australian bushfires and would like to know more.

Today, the Sydney Swans published an article about the Vietnam Swans match in Thailand on Anzac Day. A photo of Drew, in the ruck, appeared on the . It was linked to a story, “Vietnam Swans honour the fallen” which can be found .

Today, Wayne Driver, an Auskick coach for the Canning Vale Cougars in Western Australia wrote to the Vietnam Swans. He said, “I am writing to see if it is possible to obtain any posters etc of the Vietnam Swans Team to use as incentive prizes for our Auskick Teams and to also show the children that Australian Rules Football has been taken to other countries.” Accordingly, we have forwarded the artwork to him of the Vietnam Swans Auskick Poster, Anzac Day Match Banner and Bushfire Match Banner.

Today, the CEO of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League wrote to the Vietnam Swans to say that they will hold a “small function at Woori Yallock this Saturday at 12.15 for an ex board member who lost a lot in the bushfires. The YVMDFL Board & key people will be there.   It would be great if you can come so we can also recognise the Vietnam Swans contribution to the Black Saturday bushfire fund raising efforts.”

Yesterday, the Vietnam Swans received an email from HCMC’s former Austrade Commissioner, Kev Dacey, asking if there is “any chance of getting a gig as a goal umpire with the Swannies if I can juggle the travel dates” for the Asian Championships in KL on 5 September? Sure can!

Over the last week, we have been working hard to finalise sponsorship deals for our 2009/10 Club jumper. Expect Linfox and Pest Free to both figure prominently in the pending announcement.

Over the last couple of weeks, the following footy matches have been confirmed/scheduled/proposed:

• 26 June, Hanoi – GAA Cup, the Viet Celts Vs Vietnam Swans (Gaelic Football match)
• 8 August, Hanoi – Vietnam Swans Vs Lao Elephants
• 5 September, Kuala Lumpur – The 10^th Annual Asian Championships
• 31 October, Manila – The Philippine Eagles Vs Vietnam Swans (tbc)
• 28 November, Bangkok – The Indochina Cup
• North Vs South match, Hoi An – tbc

In the last couple of weeks, the Vietnam Swans in Hanoi have secured a new training ground – an island in the middle of the Red River next to the Long Bien railway bridge! Bring that on.

Encouraging discussions and negotiations with various parties are continuing with respect to establishing a swimming program that will teach children how to swim. Each year in Vietnam, drownings account for more fatalities among children than road accidents.

Good luck to the Swannies participating in Hanoi’s Gaelic football match on Saturday!

Honk yer horn if you love the footy.

Tomorrow at midday in Hanoi at UNIS, the Vietnam Swans will be trying some of their Irish luck with a spot of gaelic football against the Vietnam Celts.

The weather will be stinkin’ hot but the boys will be pumpin’ to perform strongly.

A key organiser of tomorrow’s event is Ben from Jafa Bar & Restaurant who always does a sensational job for the boys after training.

Also, for those in Hanoi wanting to watch the AFL footy on the small screen tonight (Ess V Carlton, 6 -9pm) and Sunday (Geelong V Port Adeliade, 11.30am – 2.30pm), try the Culi Cafe at 40 Luong Ngoc Quyen in the Old Quarter. Culi is offering:

First drink for free (beer, soft drink, water, smoothie, mixed spirit, hot drink) and a bowl of chips per table to get the night started.

Yesterday, Miss Australia, Laura Dundovic, contacted the Vietnam Swans. It was the first time we had heard from Laura for one year and two days. On 21 June last year, a few of the Vietnam Swans caught up with Laura at the New World Hotel in Saigon for a photo shoot. Laura, as the reigning Miss Australia was in Vietnam for the Miss Universe pageant. Below is her email:

Hi Boys!

How are you going?

How is the season going??

Was lovely meeting you all in Vietnam! Guessing you saw the photos? They were great!

I hear you are doing a bit of charity work also? Fill me in!

Hope you are well!

Kind Regards, Laura Dundovic

Laura was a sensation and the Vietnam Swans were extremely pleased that she was the one to represent our country in the Miss Universe competition. Incidentally, we did happen to notice the photos that she refers to above. To see them, have a look at

Today, the Sydney Swans published a story about the ANZAC Day match that was played between the Thailand Tigers and Vietnam Swans in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, on 25 April 2009.

The article was written by the Sydney Swans Communications Department and can be found on their website. The article is named .

As we keep saying, it was an amazing weekend. To read some of the original speeches from that day, look back at this website from 1 May 2009.

Willy has always been special. And it took a willy big and special effort to spirit some photos of the recent Kainey Cup, between the Vietnam Swans and the Jakarta Bintangs out of Hanoi in the north and into Saigon in the south where they could be published tonight.

While Hanoi’s President, Potsy, and his crew, have been every bit as secretive as North Korea’s Kim Jong il in holding onto those photos, they were no match for the street smarts of Willy.

Willy loves free speech and speaking freely. That’s why he was so determined to smuggle the photos out of the north for the world to see. Tonight, the free world acknowledges his courageous effort.

To see more photos of the Kainey Cup, click on the .

Last week, the Sydney Swans wrote to the Vietnam Swans to say that upon reading an email from us regarding:

the Anzac Day match at Hellfire Pass, our Chairman Richard Colless was very moved, and requested that our communications department put a story about the event on our website.

The communications department has since written a story that is expected to appear on (but has not been posted yet).

Richard Colless visited Hanoi in 2003 armed with 20 Sydney Swans jumpers. Richard presented the jumpers to the then Hanoi Swans on a sportsman’s night which was described by Scotty Stacey as being one of the highlights of his 8 years in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Phil Murphy from Hanoi has been in Melbourne. Last week he wrote:

Went to a Hawks dinner tonight and Mal Brown was the speaker. Had a chat with him about all that is Swans in Vietnam. He is planning a trip to Vietnam and was very interested about the place. Have swapped details to see how we could get him to participate in an event.

For the record, Mal Brown, father of Hawthorn’s Campbell Brown, was a controversial figure. He played most of his footy in WA. In 1974 he played 14 games for Richmond but alas, he missed out on the Grand Final that year due to a suspension. He threw a footy at the ump!

We also had an email from Tony Duffy requesting information about the author/copyright owner of the photo on the right which appeared on our website regarding the Black Saturday fires. Peter wants to use the photo (taken from the ) in a slide show that I’m putting together to circulate around the world freely via the net and emails to help raise more money for the still struggling bushfire victims.

All good in Vietnam for the Swannies.

Coach in the North, Mr Willy, fires up the troops re training tomorrow beneath the Long Bien train bridge.

Howdy boys,

As mentioned previously, with UNIS closing down due to school hols, there is a new training venue. Mighty Trav has gone to a bit of trouble to book the ground and ensure there are plenty of refreshments for us after.

Essentially, it is a beauty of a spot not at all far from the Old Quarter. I’m sure plenty of you know it already, but just in case you don’t the Swannies’ new ground in Hanoi is a soccer pitch next to Hanoi’s famous Long Bien railway bridge on the Red River.

This has to be one of the most surreal AFL training spots in the world. Training will start at approx 12.30, and mainly comprise of hav’n a few dobs and then a few coldies after. By all means bring any of your children etc who might want an Auskick.

If ya have not done a train’n session down here before, I would really recommend that you bring a camera as well, as it makes for some memorable snaps to put in your AFL pool room one day. By all means with the weather bein’ damn hot at the moment, you can just come along for the beer.

Go you Swannies!!

The first photos from the recent Kainey Cup against the Jakarta Bintangs have finally emerged from the the Stalinesque-like Hanoi.

The grainy photos – believed to be from a mobile phone’s camera – show Mick Francis as MC at the huge and mega Jim Beam raffle on the Friday night before last month’s Kainey Cup in Hanoi. There is also a photo of Dave Kainey himself after winning a bottle of Jim Beam – and a Jim Beam t shirt.

The Swans Blog had expected to be inundated with an avalanche of photos from the weekend. Key people flashing included the Hanoi President, Potsy and Dan Hopkins’ girlfriend. Despite the promises, there’s been nothing but tears with not a single photo being delivered – until last night’s exchange of the grainy photos under the cover of darkness…

On Saturday, the Vietnam Swans in Hanoi did the switch. Following a mid week inspection by Trav and Willy, the Swans changed their training venue moving from the UN International School to an island in the middle of the Red River.

A soccer pitch has been cleared and a fence put around it. It’s next to Hanoi’s famous Long Bien railway bridge. Willy reports from the Nation’s capital:

This has to be one of the most surreal AFL training spots in the world. On an island, located near the famous Long Bien railway bridge on the Hong Song (Red) River. The bridge was designed by Gustav Eiffel, who also of course designed the Eiffel Tower.

The bridge, which crosses the Red River to connect two parts of Hanoi, was one of the four biggest bridges in the world when it was built in 1902.

The Long Bien Bridge is regarded as a symbol that connects the past and the present to create an “immortal” Hanoi.

Training will be back on again in Hanoi next Saturday at 12.30pm.