Vietnam Swans

The Irishman, Johnny “JR” Redmond was playing for the Swannies on the weekend against the Hong Kong Dragons in Saigon.

Below is JR’s Top Ten highlights/recognitions of the weekend!

1. First things first, in Fabbo’s booming, charismatic voice “How good is footy in Asia?!” What a weekend that was; major thanks to Hong Kong for touring like true champs. They came, partied hard and played hard. They are a great bunch of characters and it seems we owe them two tours in the near future.
2. It’s not always easy to accommodate touring teams with the busy lives and schedules we all lead but the fellas who met up with Hong Kong, showed them the hotspots around town and kept them all relatively safe deserve a big thanks. Key mentions go to Billy, Rowan, Fabbo, Andy and Trent who at some stage or another were guiding, funding or calming Hong Kong down. Stellar job gents.
3. Onto the game, and what a performance that was. Whilst there were some outstanding individual displays; it’s important to recognise the team effort. The manner in which the Swans approached the game was commendable. We were professional, hard-working and, most importantly, smart. Our decision making on the day was great and there was a lot of dangerous situations that were dealt with quickly and effectively by our back men and a lot of smart scores taken by our forward players.
4. Talking of smart scores, how AWESOME was Pottsy’s flying bicycle kick for his goal in the second quarter? With the ball dropping into the pack, Pottsy decided it would be far more efficient, smart and AWESOME to out jump his man and punt it first time than risk one of the Hong Kong players spoiling his mark. It was a piece of ingenuity which gave the team a lift going in at half time.
5. Of course, if we are talking about special goals then praise must go to the best player on the ground, Mitch, who scored two real humdingers from a combined distance of 90 metres. His first was a beautiful goal from the right hand boundary line that curled between the sticks. The second, which came four seconds after the resulting centre bounce, saw Mitch break through the Hong Kong centre to stroke the ball home again. It was a passage of play that set the tone for the Swans and proved invaluable by the end of the game.
6. Another player who was a candidate for BoG was Josh Leary who dominated the ruck. Whilst you will see plenty of tall ruckmen plying their trade in Asia, there are only a few who are as effective and smart as Leary. He has a sixth sense for knowing where his players are; as he picked out teammates with the majority of his taps. His kicking for a ruckman is exceptional and he has strength and speed to drive through the middle when others around him are fading. If the Swans are to retain the ICC, then Leary will inevitably play a big role.
7. Whilst Mitch, Big Josh and Pottsy rightly drew plaudits from players and fans, a number of performances may have gone unnoticed but are worthy of recognition. Josh Lee (Big Dog) was fantastic at centre, keeping Hong Kong dangerman Babbs quiet whilst instructing players around him what to do. It was the type of performance that flies under the radar but is incredibly important. Similarly, Mark Bremond had a tremendous game at half back flank, weighing in with a number of spoils and keeping his man quiet all game. Whisper it softly, but the native French man is quietly carving out a position for himself in the half back line ahead of a few more experienced AFL players.
8. Speaking of experienced players, with Damo Judd sidelined for a number of weeks, the big, not-so-gentle giant, was head coach for the day and what a great job he did. His experience on the pitch transitioned nicely to off-field tactics, keeping a close eye on proceedings and spotting danger before it was allowed to develop. If he is not careful, he may end up “benched” in the future so we can pick that footballing brain of his.
9. Travy continues to prove critics wrong with another top notch performance in the forward line. He’s been spouting rubbish for months that he should be playing centre forward but after his latest performance it is hard to argue otherwise. He is getting among the goals and proving to be a very useful outlet. Long may it continue.
10. Finally, with the IndoChina Cup a mere two weeks away, the Swannies will be keen to build upon last weekends result. With key men coming down from Hanoi and Hoi An, this Swannies squad is looking in great shape for what is sure to be a great tournament. Let’s end the year on a high Swannies.

HONK!