Photos of the 2013 ANZAC Friendship are now available on the Swannies’ .

Special thanks to photographers Anne-Marie Robb, Trent Mears, Richard Quinn and Ross McRae.

to see the full album.

Photos of the Legends Vs All Stars match which was played prior to the 2013 ANZAC Friendship Match are now available and can be viewed in the .

Photos were taken by Anne-Marie Robb and Trent Mears.

to view all photos from the Legends’ Match.

Footnote: Check out the quality of that playing surface! Special thanks to Glenn Nolan, Ron Vernon, Ray Richardson and all the hard working ground staff at the Vung Tau Dog Track.

Photos of the 2013 ANZAC Day Dawn Service are now available on the .

There are also photos of the Two Up played at , Vung Tau.

Photos are courtesy of Ross McRae from .

for the photos.

Rodney “Rocket” Gillett provides the match report below on the 4th Annual ANZAC Friendship Match which saw the Jakarta Bintangs triumph 10. 9. 69 to the Vietnam Swans’ 8. 11. 59.

The Vietnam Swans went down to the visiting Jakarta Bintangs in the annual ANZAC Friendship match played at the old Lord Mayor’s Oval in Vung Tau, Vietnam last Saturday (27 April).

Jakarta came from a 7 point deficit at half-time to record a 10 point win over the Swans. The final scores were Jakarta 10.9.69 to Vietnam’s 8.11.59.

A crowd of more than 500 witnessed a tightly contested struggle for supremacy throughout that was played in good spirit as first one side, then the other, took the lead with the Bintangs in front at the final siren due to a stronger second half.

“It was an honour to be invited to play in this match”, declared Jakarta coach, Brenton Harris at the presentation ceremony. “It was a classic game of hard, contested footy and we were able to make the most of our opportunities to come out in front at the end. We always have a hard match against Vietnam, and this was the case again today”.

The ground was in tip-top condition for the clash after weeks of preparation from the Vietnam club’s volunteers – especially Ron Vernon and Glenn Nolan – in Vung Tau and the weather was hot and sunny reaching a top temperature of 32° at the commencement of play.

The pre-match ceremony that paid tribute to the ANZAC spirit featured the Ode by Vietnam veteran, Ray Malree, and the national anthems of Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.  The line up on the ground featured both teams, umpire Adam McDonald and the three veterans of the original Vietnam Football League who played on the same ground in the 1960s and have been actively supportive of this fixture; Ron Vernon, Stan Middleton and Dick “Johno” Johnston.

Jakarta skipper, Lee van Gils won the toss and kicked to the Peter Badcoe end of the ground. In a hard and fast opening, the Bintangs settled down sooner with Lee van Gils prominent in the midfield booting the first goal of the match. When Jakarta booted another goal soon after by Adam Bray it seemed that it was going to be one-way traffic.

Finally, the Swans settled with Luke “Dukesy” Creamer winning plenty of ball along with winger Alex Lee and they posted two goals late in the first term through key forwards, Nick Moger and Ryan Evans.

At quarter time Jakarta held a 11 point lead, 4.4.26 to 2.3.15.

It took until the ten minute mark of the second quarter for a goal to be scored, such was the intensity and desire of both teams to win the ball. It was the Swans through the hard-run of Dave O’Shea that broke the drought followed soon after by a long shot on the boundary from Luke Creamer that put the Swans in front.

Meanwhile, the Swans defence led by Bill Crang and Phil Ghasseb held out the Bintangs despite the dominance in the ruck by Tom Harvey and hard-nut mid-fielder Adam Bray. When Swans forward Shannon Leahy ran into an open goal late in the term, the locals had established a 7 point break at half-time.

Jakarta regained the initiative early in the third stanza and started to take advantage of Tom Harvey’s ruck work and Adam Bray’s bullocking work in the packs by booting two early goals through hard-running Stew Lyons and nifty winger Dimas. The Swans came back through another goal by Dave O’Shea but the Bintangs had control of the game and a steadying goal from coach Brenton Harris secured them a hard-earned 7 point lead at three-quarter time.

A rousing three quarter time address by Swans’ coach, Andy Glendinning that appealed to the players to play for the club, the guernsey and all the supporters, not just themselves, saw the Swans come out and really challenge the Jakarta outfit at the start of the last term.

However, missed shots for goal cost the Swans dearly while the Bintangs kicked truly; a long range goal by John Redmond, who had come into the game raised hopes for Vietnam, but the Bintangs snuffed that out with a late goal by Goose Bower to seal victory by 10 points.

The win gave the Jakarta Bintangs the four match points in their first outing in the newly established East Asian Australian Football League (EAAFL) while the Vietnam Swans are 0-3.

Final Scores:
VIETNAM: 2.3  5.5  6.7  8.11.59 def. by
JAKARTA: 4.2  4.4  7.8  10.9.69

Goals:
Vietnam: R. Evans 2, D. O’Shea 2, N. Moger, L. Creamer, S. Leahy, J. Redmond
Jakarta: A. Bray 2, L. van Gils, N. Gandolfo, S. Lyons, D. Prasojo, B. Harris, T. Harvey, N. Masters, G. Bower

Best Players (as judged by Rocket):
Jakarta: T. Harvey (awarded Official BOG by Panel), A. Bray, S. Lyons
Vietnam: L. Creamer, P. Ghasseb, A. Lee

Umpire: Adam McDonald (Hanoi)

Crowd: Estimated 500

Lord Mayor’s Oval (now Greyhound Racing Track), Vung Tau, Vietnam

More to follow.

The Jakarta Bintangs have taken the 4th Annual ANZAC Friendship Match 10. 9. 69 to the Swannies 8. 11. 59.

Quarter by Quarter

Vietnam Swans             Vs              Jakarta Bintangs

2. 3. 15                                  Q1             4. 2. 26
5. 5. 35                                  Q2            4. 4. 28
6. 7. 43                                  Q3            7. 8. 50
8. 11. 59                                Q4          10. 9. 69

Congratulations to the Jakarta Bintangs and well done to the Vietnam Swans. It was a match very worthy of its billing as an ANZAC Friendship Match.

Tonight, 220 people will attend the 5 star Imperial Hotel for the McMillan Dinner and Middleton Address.

More to follow.

“My name is Lindsay Gillbee. And I am now a retired AFL footballer.

“I finally reached my childhood dream to be there on Grand Final Day. The problem is, I was sitting in a car and I wasn’t playing.

“I played more games than I can remember on the MCG. But going around the boundary line that day, waving to the crowd, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I will never get to run out there on Grand Final Day.”

To be eligible for the Vietnam Swans ANZAC Squad, among other things, a player must be a resident of Vietnam.

Hewy played in last year’s ANZAC Friendship Match and returned to Australia. Tomorrow, he is back in Vung Tau and, therefore, will run out onto the turf of the Lord Mayor’s Oval in the Legends and All Stars Match.

Tomorrow, will be the last time that some Vietnam Swans players will be eligible for the ANZAC Friendship Match. Our Skipper, Dukesy, is among them.

The video above is from (Sydney) Swans TV: . It opens with Lindsay Gilbee sitting an empty warehouse explaining that he will never have the opportunity to play in an AFL Grand Final again. It then cuts to pre 2012 Grand Final addresses by coaches Longmire and Clarkson. Then there is actual footage form last year’s AFL Grand Final.

As Clarke “Crackers” Keating once told us Swannies in the lead up to our first Asian Champs: There is no next week. It’s today. It’s now.”

Click here to watch the 9 minute video, .

Sue and Ray Pascoe, Uncle and Aunty of Swannies’ superstar, Heath Ellis were in Vung Tau on Wednesday to attend the ANZAC Dawn Service at the Long Tan Cross the following day.

They met up with Swans’ President, Phil Johns to present the Club with three jumpers to auction for charity at the McMillan Dinner.

The three jumpers are:

• Brisbane Lions home jumper signed by Coach, Michael Voss and Captain, Jonathon Brown
• Brisbane Lions away jumper signed by Coach, Michael Voss and Captain, Jonathon Brown
• Penrith Panthers jumper signed by the Club.

All proceeds raised will be shared between the Vung Tau Orphanage (Centre for the Protection of Children) and Swim Vietnam.

Interestingly, the two people involved in securing the Brisbane Lions jumpers were Club Doctor, Paul McConnell and Fitness trainer, Craig Starcevich (who was also a 1990 premiership player with Collingwood). Both these men played against the then Hanoi Swans at Dead Cat Stadium (Hoang Cau Stadium) in Hanoi back in October, 2007.

The Vietnam Swans would like to thank Sue, Ray, Craig, Sue and the Penrith Panthers for their generosity in supporting our ANZAC Friendship Match: Honouring lost lives; save young lives.

Related items

• Yesterday at Tommy’s Bar, Peter Taylor reports that VND11 million (approx $550) was raised for the Vietnam Veterans and Friends Charity (VVFC). Tomorrow, Peter will open the 6th refurbished local school.
• Cameron Lagler, from Swannies sponsor, Lagler Australia arrives in Vung Tau today for tomorrow’s match. He has just posted on Facebook: “Dear friends. For those that have helped me raise some money for the orphanage in Vietnam here is your VND62,472,000 exchanged at a very kind rate thanks to the Commonwealth Bank Vietnam. This afternoon I will visit the orphanage in Long Hai to present them with your gift. Many thanks.”

Yesterday, Vietnam Swans, Ross McRae and Phil Johns lay a wreath at the Long Tan Cross.

The ANZAC Day Dawn Service was attended by 700 people.

Lest We Forget.

Saturday’s ANZAC Friendship Match will also be the 4th Kainey Cup that has been played for since the Jakarta Bintangs and Vietnam Swans first met in Hanoi, 2006.

The Kainey Cup is named after Dave “Flyer” Kainey who is an Official Club Legend at both the Jakarta Bintangs and the Vietnam Swans.

Kainey, who will attend the ANZAC Friendship Match on Saturday, will attend with a brand, spanking new Kainey Cup. It’s a Cup that reflects the growing status and prestige of this event.

The ANZAC Footy record is now available to download. For your free copy, click onto (size, 10MB).

Designed by Ross McRae Design, it is jam packed with content.

Articles have been written by a long list of people including the following people:

• Australian Consul General to HCMC – John McAnulty.
• Vietnam Swans National President – Phil Johns
• Jakarta Bintangs President – John Eddy
• Pres Release from AFL about ANZAC Day
• AFL Chairman – Mike Fitzpatrick
• CEO Sydney Swans – Andrew Ireland, CEO
• Dave McMillan – son of Kevin McMillan who gives his name to the McMillan Dinner
• Stan Middleton – Official historian of the Vietnam Football League and the inspiration behind the Middleton Address
• Richard “Johno” Johnston – Dual 1968 premiership player in the Vietnam Football League
• Glenn Nolan – Key organiser of the ANZAC Friendship Weekend
• Greg Kennett – Vietnam Veteran who recited the Ode at the 2012 ANZAC Friendship Match
• Thien Nguyen – original Hanoi Swan whose family business manages the Lord Mayor’s Oval / Vung Tau Greyhound Racing Track (venue of the ANZAC Friendship Match)
• Adam McDonald –  200 game AFL boundary umpire (including two ANZAC Day matches) and field umpire for this year’s (and the 2012) ANZAC Friendship Match
• Mark Williams – Former Hanoi President
• Sam Conroy – Former Saigon President
• Damien Judd – Current Vietnam Swans’ player
• Rodney “Rocket” Gillett – Umpire for the 2013 Legends and All Stars Match and also football writer
• Darren Adamson – General Manager Power Community, Port Adelaide Football Club
• Michael Jamison – Carlton player
• Adrian Enright – Former Hanoi Coach

Official history of the Vietnam Football League (VFL), 1966-71

Provided by Stan Middleton

Other ANZAC Games being played across South East Asia

• Grant Bell – Singapore Wombats President on the Tri Nations Cup between the Singapore Wombats, Malaysian Warriors and Cambodian Eagles
• David Paterson – President of the Thailand Tigers on the ANZAC Match at Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Includes a history of the Thai Burma Railway
• Dean Reardon – President of the Borneo Bears on the ANZAC Match in Balikpapan, Borneo between the all national Borneo Bears and all national Jakarta Garudas. Includes history of Australia’s WWII experience in Borneo

Messages from the Vietnam Swans Sister Clubs

• Ron Fowlie – General Manager, Queanbeyan Tigers, Canberra
• Jiaming Pi – President Southern Dragons, Southern Football League, Melbourne
• Wesley Hull – Coach, Pyramid Power Junior Football Club, Cairns

Also provided are details of the weekend’s events and team and player profiles.

The Vietnam Swans sincerely thank all people who contributed to the footy record. And again, thank you to .

Download the 2013 ANZAC friendship Match footy record

Click onto (size, 10MB).

Last night, the Vietnam Swans in Saigon and Hoi An played “The Club” with Graham Kennedy and Jack Thompson.

There was an entry fee of $5 with all proceeds being donated to Swim Vietnam.

It was a mega awesome concept. Alas, numbers in Saigon were restricted to the Baker’s Dozen. But we did have the mighty Craig “Hewy Hewson from last year’s ANZAC Friendship Match amongst the crowd.

But a great movie and great night.

It’s game on. It’s the week of the ANZAC Friendship Match.

Footnote: later today, don’t miss the footy record for the 2013 ANZAC Friendship Match. Only on vietnamswans.com

The Official footy record for the 2013 ANZAC Friendship Match will be available to download on this website tomorrow.

The Record has doubled in size since last year growing from 32 pages to 64 pages.

As designer, Ross McRae has said, it’s packed full of “info, stories, teams and controversy”.

Special articles have been written by the AFL’s Chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick; Sydney Swans’ CEO, Andrew Ireland; Carlton player, Michael Jamison; official historian of the Vietnam Football League (VFL), Stan Middleton; VFL Premiership player, Dick Johnston and many others.

There is also a special section devoted to the other ANZAC games being played around South East Asia including Kanchanaburi, Thailand and Balikpapan, Borneo.

The footy record is available to download tomorrow. Only on http://vietnamswans.com