Archive for October, 2011

Mark Greenshields’ Aussie Home Loans signs up with Swannies in 2012

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 31, 2011

Mark Greenshields with footy, left (Scott middle, Trent right), at Jaspas, Saigon on Saturday; Aussie Home Loans Mark Greenshields; Mark at the 2010 ANZAC Friendship Match as a Hanoi Hawk

. He is a current sponsor of the Vietnam Swans and, last Saturday, he renewed his sponsorship of the Swannies for our 2012 Season.

Mark brought his family to Vietnam last year for a six month holiday. While they were here, Mark found the Swannies and ended up playing four matches with the Swannies, including the inaugural ANZAC Friendship Match in Vung Tau.

Before returning to Australia, Mark said that, as a broker for Aussie Home Loans, he wanted to become a sponsor of the Swannies in 2011.

Last week, Mark returned to Vietnam for a holiday with two friends: Trent (who happens to work for another of our sponsors in the Linfox Group – pictured on right) and Scott (pictured in middle). Scott works for the SANFL and will be moving to Vietnam mid 2012. Bring that on.

Last Saturday, we met up at club sponsor, JASPAS, for lunch (we had also caught up with each other on the Friday night). There, Mark formally signed up as a sponsor for the 2012 Season. Fantastic support from a fantastic bloke.

If you need a home loan in Australia, you need to go and speak with . Please go via Mark rather than Aussie Home Loans direct as it is Mark who is our sponsor. You will get first rate advice from Mark.

The Vietnam Swans sincerely thank Mark and his Aussie Home Loans for his continued support of our footy club. His generosity is much appreciated.

If your organisation would like to know more about sponsorship opportunities with the Vietnam Swans in Season 2012, please email

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Asian floods expose child drowning epidemic

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 30, 2011

In Vietnam, more children die from drowning than road accidents.

On Friday 28 October 2011, ABC news ran a story by Monique Ross, on .

The Vietnam Swans are proactively involved in raising funds and awareness on child drownings in Vietnam. An extract from the article is reproduced below.

The deadly floodwaters currently ravaging Asia are shining a light on the “silent epidemic” of child drownings in the region.

Children account for almost a quarter of the estimated 800 deaths reported since July across Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines, according to the United Nations.

There are fears the toll could actually be much higher, as many drowning deaths go unreported in Asia because no death certificate is needed for burial.

Former Fairfax journalist John MacGregor works with an NGO in Cambodia that is bringing supplies and medical help to remote flood-affected villages.

He visited one village that knew first-hand the pain of losing a child to the floodwaters.

“The commune we went to [on Wednesday], that was Chreas commune, they told us that two kids drowned on Monday in the floodwaters,” he said.

“A lot of them can’t swim. They’re not like Aussies. So if they get into water that’s over their heads, they drown.

“These people are on little strips of land six or eight feet wide, perched above the floodwater, sleeping on the mud on bits of plastic – that’s been going on for weeks.”

Justin Scarr, the drowning prevention commissioner of the International Life Saving Federation, says the issue of child drowning in Asia did not begin with the floods sweeping the region.

“Most people would think that drowning is at its highest for children during flooding, but it’s actually an issue in everyday life, particularly in rural communities across Asia,” he said.

“We describe it as a silent epidemic. The numbers are a little bit debatable but anywhere between 200,000 and 300,000 children drown across Asia every year.”

That compares to around 40 child drowning deaths in Australia last year…

To read the rest of the article, .

The Vietnam Swans, Montgomerie Links and Swim Vietnam worked closely with Justin Scarr and the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia to organise last May’s inaugural Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day which raised $25,000.

Next year, the 2nd Annual Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day will be held on on 17 March 2012.

Posted in Swim | Leave a Comment »

Navy thanks Swannies for recent Phoenix Trophy match

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 30, 2011

The Phoenix Cup Perpetual Trophy. Photo, Dani Moger.

Three weeks ago, on 11 October 2011, the Vietnam Swans played a twilight match against the Royal Australian Navy for the Phoenix Perpetual Trophy.

Ryan Post, from the Australian Navy, has written to thank the Swannies (and to express his disappointment that 10 of their players missed the match because they were stuck on a bus!).

The email is reproduced below.

Dear Swannies

We were kicking ourselves that we were unable to make it to the match on Tuesday night (11 October). I know that there were at least 10 others on the bus with us, coming back from the Battlefield Tour, who also had their shorts and boots in their bag ready to go. They were equally frustrated we couldn’t make it back on time.

From all reports, everyone who got out from both ships (HMAS Yarra and HMAS Huon) had a fantastic time and I would like to sincerely thank the Vietnam Swans for the considerable effort that your Club has gone to in order to make the evening such a memorable event.

I hope that all Australian ships who come to Vietnam in the future keep the Phoenix Trophy tradition alive for many years to come.

Once again, thanks for your efforts.

Ryan

For photos of the match, .

Posted in Navy | Leave a Comment »

Match announced: Vietnam Swans Vs Southern Dragons, 7 Jan 2012

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 28, 2011

Southern Dragons' President, Tri, presents Vietnam Swans' President, Phil Johns, with a Dragons jumper in Melbourne, July 2010. the jumper has been framed and now hangs on the wall at Tommy's Bar, Vung Tau.

It has just been announced that the Vietnam Swans will play Melbourne’s Southern Dragons on 7 January, 2012 at RMIT University in Saigon.

The Southern Dragons is a footy club in Melbourne that is mostly made up of players of Asian descent – especially Vietnamese descent.

In April 2010, two of the Dragons, Johnny and Pee, attended a Swannies training session in Saigon.

Three months later, Swannies Fabbo and Damo attended a Dragons’ training session in Melbourne (which was bleeding freezing!).

The Southern Dragons’ President, Tri, presented the Swannies’ President with one of their Club’s jumpers (which now hangs on the wall of Tommy’s Bar in Vung Tau). Damo kicked on and actually played a game for the Dragons.

In the same month, the Dragons also attended the function at the MCG with the Swannies, Vietnam Veterans and Sydney Swans.

In February of this year, the AFL featured the Southern Dragons in a short video called Diverse tastes of local football. See the video on You Tube.

In August, the Southern Dragons won the Transport Accident Commission’s My Blood Oath competition - and picked up a lazy $30,000!

John Hong from the Dragons said that they expected 12 players to make the Saigon tour.

The Vietnam Swans will be delighted to welcome the Southern Dragons, as a team, to Saigon. Developing the links between our two clubs is a very, very good thing.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Swannies, Scorpions make Saigon tour a success

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 27, 2011

Swans' National President, Phil Johns, accepts a framed jumper from the Guangzhou Scorpions' President, Jon Hopper, last Saturday night.

In November 2003, the then Hanoi Swans hosted a tri nations tournament between Hanoi, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Last month, the then Hanoi President, Mick Francis, explained on this website the philosophy behind hosting the tour:

“We wanted the visiting teams to love us and to love coming to Hanoi” (click here for full story).

Fast forward eight years and not much has changed in terms of the culture that underpins the Swannies who believe that the off field is every bit as important as the on field.

That’s one of the reasons why we make up new match day banners. Last Saturday, we gave the match day banner to the Guangzhou Scorpions to take home with them. The Swannies were thrilled to have the Scorpions tour and we wanted to do what we could to support them in their endeavours to become a well established club in Asia.

The Scorpions’ President, Jon Hopper, presented the Swannies with a framed jumper at the after match function which was greatly appreciated. It will be hung at the Boomarang Bistro.

Nathan Lieschke, coach of the Guangzhou Scorpions, wrote to the Swannies during the week:

On behalf of the Scorpions, we’d like to once again thank the Swans for such a great weekend and for helping get the game up and running. We were blown away with the Club’s professionalism and hospitality. It’s great to have a game of football when living away from home. We are all looking forward to repaying you guys when you come up to Guangzhou next year.

The Swannies are also very much looking forward to touring to Guangzhou in May of next year.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Swannies spotted in Tokyo. Pt II

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 26, 2011

Dezza and Fleur were in Tokyo recently wearing their Swannies' gear!

As promised, here’s some more photos of Dezza and Fleur being spotted in Tokyo dressed in their Swannies’ gear.

On the left we have the Saigon Prez in his Swannies’ jumper, somewhere in Tokyo. On the right, we have Fleur, looking very artistic in a field of red flowers wearing her Swannies’ hat.

If they were a month earlier, they would have been eligible to enter the Swannies in September photo competition. Alas, as Maxwell Smart would say, “Missed it by that much”.

Regardless, mega awesome photos, Dez and Fleur and thanks for sending them through to the Swannies’ website!

If anyone else has a photo of some Swannies’ merchandise in some awesome parts of the world, please email them through to the .

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

I think that these blokes have been copying the Swans’ training drills…

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 26, 2011

Geoff Sutherland has written into the Swannies with this You Tube video and writes,

“I think that these blokes have been copying the Swans training drills, except that they are one-dimensional – none of them can kick with their left foot.”

Geoff, the Swannies are hearin’ you. The guys in the video? Clowns!

And where is the match-winning toe poke? Amateurs.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Age newspaper runs article on Australia Network bid

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 24, 2011

Will "Aunty" continue to run the Australia Network - Official Media Sponsor of the Swannies' 2011 AFL Grand Final Parties?

Today’s Age newspaper (24 October 2011) has run an article under the headline, .

The article looks at the process used to appoint an organisation to run the Australia Network. This story is of interest to the Vietnam Swans and Asian football as it will have an impact on the televised coverage of AFL into Asia. But no one seems to be able to tell us what impact it will have. Yet.

Below is an excerpt.

Kevin Rudd rejected plans to allow the ABC to keep operating Australia’s official TV service in Asia, despite a confidential government review that gave a gold star to the public broadcaster for running Australia Network.

The detailed ”mid-term” report by the Foreign Affairs Department was never released to the ABC but was prepared last year to help decide the future of the $223 million service.

But Mr Rudd – toppled from the prime ministership only days before the report was finalised – decided, on taking over as Foreign Minister after the election, to demand a more intense process. This resulted in putting the service out to tender in February and allowing Rupert Murdoch’s part-owned Sky News to compete with the ABC for a new 10-year contract.

A final draft of the official review, obtained by The Age, states the ABC ”consistently met or exceeded” the performance markers set out in the existing contract.

”The quality of the programming was assessed as good, credible and timely and provided far better coverage of the region than other international broadcasters,” it said.

A decision on the future of Australia Network, now more than a month overdue, is shaping as a major headache for Labor.

The government is sitting on two separate independent reports that recommend Sky News should take over the service after lodging a superior bid.

But some cabinet members have baulked at the prospect of handing the contract to a company linked to News Corporation over the publicly funded ABC and are privately blaming Mr Rudd for creating the mess.

Related articles

Asian footy clubs make submission re AFL on Australia Network. This submission was prepared and lodged by the Vietnam Swans on behalf of 26 Asian footy clubs. 3 July, 2011.
DFAT reply re AFL footy on Australia Network. 11 July 2011.
Australian Business Asia bats for footy on the tele. 23 June 2011.
, The Australian, 4 July 2011.
, The Age, 4 July 2011.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Saigon Prez swans around Tokyo in limmo! (Maybe.)

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 24, 2011

Is it Eddie or is it Dezzie over there in Tokyo?

A week prior to this weekend’s hit out between the Swapions and the Scorns, the Saigon President had been conspicuous in his absence from the training track.

Turns out that Dezza was in Tokyo. Swanning around in his Swannies’ top.

Looking more Presidential than Eddie McGuire, here Dez can be seen jumping into his car to go and pick up his lovely wife, Ms Fleur.

And don’t you worry about Ms Fleur. She’s also sent in a Swannie photo of herself – to appear very soon on this website!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Swapions beat Scorns in an awesome match

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 23, 2011

Swaparoo, Kev Hornblower (Swans' jumper) is being chased down by Scorn, Billy Cranger (Scorpions' jumper)

Yesterday, at RMIT University in D7, Saigon, the Swapions beat the Scorns in a keenly contested match.The final score was 10. 9. 69 to 7. 11. 53.

The Swapions (wearing Swans jumpers) and Scorns (wearing Scorpions jumpers) were both hybrid teams with a mixture of players from Hanoi, Guangzhou, Saigon and Vung Tau.

The match was played in an awesome spirit and was umpired by Adam McDonald, a 200 game AFL boundary umpire who now lives in Hanoi.

Afterwards, the teams went to the Boomarang Bistro for the post match function which included a three-way boat race between Hanoi, Saigon and Guangzhou. With the help of Schwerdter (a Hanoian), Saigon triumphed over Guangzhou by a tenth of a sip.

The Guangzhou Scorpions also presented the Vietnam Swans with a framed jumper. Everyone raved about the day and evening.

Vietnam’s return tour to Guangzhou has been slotted in for May of next year – the next match after our ANZAC Friendship Match.

How good is the footy in Asia? At the beginning, middle and end of the day, it’s all good. Honk!

Best players:

Best Swannies, as judged by the Guangzhou Scorpions: Heater (Swapions) and Nat Payne (Scorns).
Best Scorpions as judged by the Vietnam Swans: Timmy (Swapions) and Matt (Scorns).

Much more to follow.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Photos of Royal Australian Navy match

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 22, 2011

Skipper Dukes. Photo, Adam Martin.

The Vietnam Swans have just received the photos from last week’s Royal Australian Navy match taken by .

Click onto the to see his photos.

Also, be sure to look at where he has some amazing photos from around Asia.

Posted in Navy | Leave a Comment »

Swapions Vs Scorns – Tomorrow, RMIT University, Saigon

Posted by Vietnam Swans on October 21, 2011

Tomorrow, the Swapions will take on the Scorns at Saigon's RMIT University! (Banner, Ross McRae)

National President, Phil Johns send out an update regarding tomorrow’s big clash between the “Swapions” and the “Scorns”!

Dear Swannies, Sponsors and Friends

Tomorrow: Swapions Vs Scorns, RMIT University, Saigon
Angry’s reflections from afar: “My time with the Swannies.”
Thank you again to the sponsors of the Vietnam Swans AFL Grand Final Parties in Hanoi (JASPAS) and Saigon (Boomarang Bistro)

While the Vietnam Swans’ AFL Grand Final Parties may have been held three weeks ago may have drawn the curtains on the AFL’s 2011 season, our season’s just warming up!

Last week it was the Royal Australian Navy; tomorrow it’s the Swapions and Scorpions (!) and next month, we have the 5^th Annual Indochina Cup in Lao. Then it’s Swannies’ Christmas parties, annual cricket days at the MCG, golf in Melbourne…

Tomorrow: Swapions Vs Scorns, RMIT University, Saigon

The Guangzhou Scorpions, Asia’s newest team, said at the start of the year that they would tour Vietnam. Touring is always tough due to the costs and time away from work and families. And it’s tougher for the new teams with smaller playing lists to draw upon. The Scorpions have been further challenged by some key injuries – but the Scorpions have already started arriving in Saigon!

The Vietnam Swans welcome the Scorpions and congratulate them for proceeding with the tour.

Embracing the spirit of Asian footy, together with the Swannies from Hanoi who are flying down for the weekend, we shall mix the teams completely to have a real contest. Gunagzhou, Hanoi, Saigon and Vung Tau will all be split into two teams named, the Swapions and the Scorns. The Swapions shall wear the Swannies’ jumpers and the Scorns shall wear the Scorpions jumpers.

This weekend will be another important building block in the developing story that is Asian football. And to mark the occasion, Ross McRae (you’ve done it again), has prepared another ripping match day banner.

Players from the Vietnam Swans shall wear black armbands in memory of Hoa’s grandmother who passed away during the week. Hoa, from Kangaroo Indochine Wines, is a great and active supporter of the Vietnam Swans and Auscham.

Tomorrow’s match will be played at RMIT University in D7, Saigon from 1.30pm – 3.30pm. Free entry. Al Fresco’s will be selling food and drinks. International SOS will be in attendance at the match. Afterwards, we shall all move to the Boomarang Bistro Saigon. All welcome.

Angry’s reflections from afar: “My time with the Swannies.”

Dave “Angry” Hadley left Vietnam five months ago. From Oslo, Norway, he has reflected upon his three years with the Swannies and his post appears on the Swannies’ website.

Dave has a list of “many memorable moments both on and off the field“ which serve as a reminder of the role that this club plays in people’s lives – and just how busy the Club has been.

Click here to read Dave’s post.

Thank you again to the sponsors of the Vietnam Swans’ AFL Grand Final Parties in Hanoi (JASPAS) and Saigon (Boomarang Bistro)

We mentioned the Swannies’ AFL Grand Final Parties in Hanoi and Saigon at the beginning of this email. They were great parties and we had amazing sponsors.

To see just who we had as sponsors, click onto Hanoi’s Grand Final Party and/or Saigon’s Grand Final Party.

Posted in Navy | Leave a Comment »

« Previous Entries

Vietnam Swans

Australian Rules Football In Vietnam!

Albums

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Top Posts

Blog Stats

Archives

Follow Blog via Email

Subscribe

Meta

8th Annual Indochina Cup, Thailand

Next

Asian Footy

Vietnam Links

Community

Archive for October, 2011

Mark Greenshields’ Aussie Home Loans signs up with Swannies in 2012

Asian floods expose child drowning epidemic

Navy thanks Swannies for recent Phoenix Trophy match

Match announced: Vietnam Swans Vs Southern Dragons, 7 Jan 2012

Swannies, Scorpions make Saigon tour a success

Swannies spotted in Tokyo. Pt II

I think that these blokes have been copying the Swans’ training drills…

Age newspaper runs article on Australia Network bid

Saigon Prez swans around Tokyo in limmo! (Maybe.)

Swapions beat Scorns in an awesome match

Photos of Royal Australian Navy match

Swapions Vs Scorns – Tomorrow, RMIT University, Saigon

Follow “Vietnam Swans”