This morning the Swannies in Hanoi were hard at it in a 10km fun run.

Dan Kindness, the North’s fitness coach, completed it in 50 minutes. Aidan did it in 46 minutes, Big Ryan in 48 mins, Caitlin in 62 and Jordyn in 68 minutes.

If you’re wondering about MJ’s and Willy’s times, well, you’re not alone. Dan didn’t have that information.

Meanwhile, down south, Gus and Angry Dave are both competing in today’s Madagui Triathlon.

In breaking news, the Australian Consulate in Saigon has just forwarded the following email through to the Vietnam Swans:

Good morning Swannies

I’ve just received news about the upcoming football visit, tour, AFL extravaganza.

This morning’s phone call was to confirm that the trip will be going ahead.

The advice was that the Swannies should get themselves fit and ready for a clinic with Nathan Buckley and Gary O’Donnell on Sunday 14th March.

I believe the venue, kids etc is up to the Swans.

More to follow.

As you may be aware, the Vietnam Swans will kick off our 2010 campaign with a match against the stomping Lao Elephants in Vientiane on 20 March 2010.

Elephants’ Prez, Langas, has sent through the attached photo to give us an idea – and an appreciation – of the high standard of facilities that they enjoy over there.

Langas says,

Thanks to (last year’s)  SE Asian games, the facilities in Vientiane have improved – well, not so much for Lao Elephants training runs but true for potential games.  There’s a real possibility of not requiring a pre-match ‘emu bob’. Almost unheard of in SE Asia!

Just look at that surface…

Langas, we’ll give you the tip: it’s not ‘unheard of’ for the Swannies to be hearin’ the Elephants. Stomp, stomp, stomp!

PS Lao visas are available on arrival with USD 30 and 1 passport sized photograph.

Last week, Vietnam shut down to welcome in the TET Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger.

As you can see from the photo above, Saigon’s main street through the CBD, Nguyen Hue (see ) was shut down to vehicular traffic and returned to the people.

Throngs of Vietnamese, each evening, would come to Nguyen Hue to see the decorations which even included a rice field over the top of the bitumen.

But, the week of fresh air and blue sky is coming to an end. It’s back to business as usual on Monday. All the factories and offices will reopen.

And so too for the Swannies. In Hanoi we will be back to the gym on Thursday night at the Australian Embassy and UNIS on Saturday afternoon to kick the pill. In Saigon, the boys can expect a few tight hammies after next Saturday’s first training session since the Indochina Cup on 29 November last year! Talk about a slack attack!

Off the field, the Swannies have been busy in terms of preparation for some mega events in 2010. More to follow.

With the recent decision by the Vietnam Swans to play a footy match in Vung Tau on ANZAC Weekend, 24 April 2010, it is a fitting time to remind ourselves of the footy’s earliest years in Vietnam. The unedited passages below, have been taken from .

Australian rules football was first played in Vietnam during the .

A match was played in May 1966 between members of the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

A social game was organised in 1969 by Captain Bill McMahon of , a former and footballer, “Diggers” vs “The Rest” which was played with Vietnamese soldiers in August at the headquarters of the Free World Military Assistance Organisation.

In 1971, Australian Force Vietnam (AFV) and 110 Signal Squadron played a match in organised by Private Conboy of a previous member of Under 19s squad.

There was at least one contest between 110 Signal Squadron and 104 Signal Squadron in 1970, one being played at a police or army academy at the sea-side village of Vung Tau and a little later another between the based units of 104 Signal Squadron and 106 Field Workshops on a pretty rough ground at the Reinforcement Wing at the Dat.

Lance Corporal Ian Granland of 104 Signal Squadron organised a game of Australian Football at Nui Dat in 1970. There weren’t too many grounds of a suitable size on which the game could be played, but luckily it was learned that there was one within the Task Force Area in the area of 1 Australian Reinforcement Unit.

Lance corporal Geoff Morris and Granland did a recce and located the ground. It was big enough for Australian Football and it even had posts erected but the grass literally ranged from 20 cm to 1m in height. That meant that it would have to be cut!

In the meantime Granland organised a game against 106 Field Workshops.

Next job was to locate a slasher. Word of mouth informed the two that 105 Field Battery had an old Massey Ferguson Tractor with which they used to tow their guns around, plus a slasher.

Permission to use it for mowing the ground was given. Morris became the driver and the machine was driven over to the field and he began driving it round and round. He got the grass down reasonably short but certainly not bowling green stuff however good enough. The mowing had to be done the day before the game because any earlier and the grass would have grown significantly enough to require another cut.

This was pre centre square and 50m arcs so a hand mower was used for the goal squares, centre circle and boundary.

Lance Corporal Granland umpired the game.

The players turned up in their Land Rovers and trucks. What jumpers they wore is till a mystery but it certainly wasn’t ‘skins v shirts’. There were players of all ages, size and shape and some bloody good footballers amongst them too. A photograph of this game would be a gem today.

104 Signal Squardron won the game. The umpire copped a bit of abuse from the opposition but that was par for the course. It was in the days of the one central umpire.

The out of bounds on the full rule had only just been introduced and of course it was applied. Some of the older heads were not too happy but recognized that it had become a law of the game. Many of the blokes who had probably been pretty fair footballers in their youth but now in their late thirties or so they were no match for youth and speed. Some of these tried to slow the youngsters down by wacking them but the umpire was on top of that.

There was no function after the match or anything, just back to the units. But, it was a good relief because obviously everyone who played etc. just loved the game.

If anybody knows of the whereabouts of any of these footballers from the Vietnam / American War era, please email now.

A commemorative football match will be played in Vung Tau (1.5 hrs ferry ride from Saigon) on ANZAC Weekend 2010.

The match will be played on Saturday 24 April at the Greyhound Dog Racing track in Vung Tau (see ). Very kindly and generously, the management of the venue have given us access to the facilities on the day free of charge.

In the evening, we shall return to the race track for a night at the dogs! There’s even a small chance that a game of two-up may be played.

In the early hours of Sunday 25 April, we shall attend the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Long Tan (see ). Then, back to Vung Tau for a hearty breakfast while the Gallipoli Dawn Service is shown live on the Australia Network. After that will be the telecast of the blockbuster ANZAC Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon.

Currently, we are still to confirm whether the Vietnam Swans will play an internal match between the North (Hanoi) and the South (Saigon), or, whether we invite an international side.

The Vietnam Swans appreciate that there are significant sensitivities involved with this initiative. Our intention in Year 1 is to lay a foundation from which we can build and develop an event and a tradition that brings people together in the coming years.

Did you know…

Do you know who played the first footy match in Vietnam? The Vietnam/ Hanoi Swans? The Saigon Saints? The Hanoi Hawks?

Well it was actually a match between members of the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment back in May 1966.

More to follow.

During the week, the Vietnam Swans confirmed our National Committee for Season 2010.

The names and positions are detailed below:

• • • • • National President – Phil Johns (Saigon)
        • National Treasurer – Danny Armstrong (Saigon)
        • Secretary – Dan Kindness (Hanoi)
        • Hanoi President – Mark Williams (Hanoi)
        • Saigon President – Derrin Limbrick (Saigon President)

We wish the National Committee well and may the Vietnam Swans have another very successful year.

Former Secretary of the Swannies in Saigon and fiance of Saigon Prez, Derrin, of the Saigon Shooters Netball Club – sent out the email below to the clan.

Hi Ladies,

This week we have our last training before a week long break for TET. Beginning at 7:00pm we will warm up and run some ‘set play’ training to hone our skills when taking throw ins, penalties and centre passes.

In news this week…

SAIGON SHOOTERS ELECTS A COMMITTEE!!

We were very lucky to have a modest turn out for the AGM last week and EXTREMELY fortunate to have a group of go-getting women who are keen to be an active part of the running of the club. The following roles have been allocated for the Season of 2010.

• Club Coordinator – Fleur Gamble
• Club Spokesperson – Carrie Farley – Roche
• Treasurer – Paula Ellis
• Secretary – Alison Jones
• Tours and Social – Andrea Watson and Lizzie Pollard
• Communications and Web – Helen Bartlett
• Kit andEquipement Manager – Cathy :-)

Coaching Committee: Fleur Gamble, Emma  Tyler, Keryn Dowling, Sarah Dunstan

Thanks again ladies for coming to the meeting. With all these helping hands, it should be a great season for us all.

UPCOMING GAMES AGAINST THE HANOI OI’S!!!

Ladies, we have confirmed our first competition for this year! The Hanoi Oi’s will be visiting us (in Saigon) on Saturday, 20 March for some games of netty and swimming and a bit of a party. We would love to have as many girls as we can turn up on the day to play or spectate. if you are interested in playing – and remember it’s all about having a good time on court with the girls from the club, so don’t feel like you have to be the best to have a go. It would be ace to make 2 teams so that the Oi’s and us can have a good lot of netball to play on the day!

TET BREAK

We will NOT train on Wednesday, 17 February because of the TET Break. Training will resume on Wednesday, 24 February.

See you all tomorrow night for one more run before the break!

For further information about the Saigon Shooters Netball Club, please contact Club Coordinator, .

Some of the Swannies, together with many in the crowd, wore yellow ribbons at yesterday’s Saigon Sixes Cricket tournament to remember the victims of Black Saturday on the first anniversary. Micky J in Hoi An also came out with a yellow ribbon and Tommy Sherrin.