Dear Swannies, Sponsors and Supporters

The Vietnam Swans started flying out yesterday. This morning, the rest will fly out from Saigon. The destination is Shanghai for the 11th Annual Asian Champs and the Shanghai Showdown between Melbourne and Brisbane. We’ll get to see professional footballers playing footy in Asia. They will get to see professionals who choose to work and live in Asia – a region in which footy is a very big part of our lives.

The trip to Shanghai requires players to take two days off work and to stump up a reasonable amount of cash. Inevitably, this means that not everyone can make this trip. Also, the Flyer is with his sick mother back in Australia. Saigon Prez, Dez, is back in Australia after booking his wedding before the date of the late Champs was announced. Two days ago, work tapped Sam, the Hound, on the shoulder and said, “You can’t go on this footy trip. Too much going on”. Ross could never make this trip – but that didn’t stop him from making our amazing match day banner.

But for the 41 of us (including women and children) who will make this tour, the excitement and sense of anticipation is palpable. In Asian footy, we seem to have great tours and fantastic tours. This one has the potential to set a new benchmark.

During the week, the Sydney Swans forward flanker of the century, Tony Morwood wrote to the Club:

From all of us here at the Sydney Swans, Good Luck!

Morwood added that just retired Captain Kirk, the new Ambassador for the 2011 International Cup would also have wished us the best – but he is currently in Sri Lanka with Adam Goodes assisting some of the tsunami victims. Ryan O’Keefe, meanwhile, has just finished a cycling trip through Vietnam to raise money for children’s cancer research. Those Sydney Swannies do a lot of unheralded good things.

Brisbane Lions and triple premiership player, Clark “Crackers” Keating also wrote to us during the week. He says that the Swannies have “come a long way from (the days of) Dead Cat Stadium” in Hanoi when the CARE AFL All Stars played us in a scratch match in 2006.

All the best for the coming weekend. Sounds like it will be a cracker. Let me know how it goes and… Go the Swannies!

See what Clark wrote to us prior to our inaugural appearance at the Champs in 2007 – It’s today. It’s now! There is no next week!. He’s a three times premiership player s he should know what it’s all about. Clark now works in property development with . They currently have a townhouse development in .

The Weekend’s itinerary:

Today (Friday)

Morning – Fly from Saigon to Shanghai

Evening – Jumper presentation. Representatives from each of the Asian footy clubs, including the Vietnam Swans, will attend an AFL cocktail function with AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and other AFL heavy weights.

Saturday

Day – Asian Championships; 8am – 5pm, (During afternoon, Vietnam Swans will also present our jumper to Melbourne Football Club player, Rohan Bail)

Evening – After match function. AFLers Paul Salmon, Steven Silvagni, Paul Licuria and Brian Taylor will also attend.

Sunday

Afternoon – Shanghai Showdown: Melbourne Vs Brisbane.

Monday

Fly back to Vietnam.

Footy in Asia. Clearly, it’s not just the Vietnamese who are honkin’ their horns.

Vietnam Swans donate VND52.625million to Tri Bob Hoi An Swimming Program

On Wednesday night, the Vietnam Swans donated VND52.625million (USD2,699) to the Tri Bob Hoi An Swimming Program. The money was raised at the Vietnam Swans Grand Final Parties (VND40million) and Replay Parties (VND12.625million) in Hanoi and Saigon. See the attached photo with the cheque.

It’s a great effort. And again, it would not have been possible to achieve without the support of our very generous sponsors – and the people who then spend their money. A great partnership.

This weekend in Shanghai… Go you Swannies!