In the 1989 Geelong Vs Hawthorn Grand Final, Yates cannoned into Brereton; Gary Ablett Snr crunched Dippers’ rib cage – and a 17 year old Nathan Buckley was part of the half time entertainment.

Fast forward 19 years to today. Gary Ablett’s son, Junior, is now a superstar in the Geelong team. Nathan Buckley has already played his entire football career. A whole football generation has come and gone between the Hawthorn-Geelong Grand Finals of 1989 and 2008. “Ah, luxury”, say the Vietnam Swans!

Due to an extremely transient player list, we get to experience generational change seemingly every 12 months! That’s why forming a National Club was so important as it allows us to draw players and support from two cities.

And it’s working. Earlier in the month, we travelled to Singapore to play in our 2nd Asian Championships. In July, we were effectively able to play an impromptu match in Lao because, with players from both cities, we were able to scrape together a team for those wanting to make the trip. While there, Dan Kindness from the Embassy in Hanoi floated the idea of the Vietnam Swans playing a match in Saigon against a visiting Australian naval ship, the HMAS ANZAC. Last month, that idea became reality. Thanks to Hanoi, the match and event in Saigon happened and was a significant success. The crew from HMAS ANZAC described it as a “momentous occasion”.

The Vietnam Swans have successfully held Grand Final Parties in Hanoi for many years. This year, today, we will hold our first in Saigon.

It’s an important development for us. We need to be actively associated with the premier sporting event of the football code that we play around Asia. The Grand Final also provides the Vietnam Swans with an opportunity to increase the exposure of our sponsors. It provides us with a platform to raise funds which subsidises the costs of playing footy – whether that’s paying the $1,000 registration fee to play in the Asian Championships, buying medical insurance for the players or buying goal posts. When visiting teams come to Vietnam, we provide buses for the visiting teams, pay for the hire of the ground, pay for promotional materials and often, for the medical personnel to attend.

Playing in regional competitions and international friendlies whether at home or abroad is vital. They are key building blocks designed to strengthen and develop the Vietnam Swans into a vibrant and dynamic Club. As a Club, we are creating:

• Opportunities to play footy more regularly
• Fitness opportunities
• Socialising opportunities

If we’re doing these things properly, we’re effectively creating Bruce McAvaney-like “special memories” for those who are part of the unfolding story.

Rather than detracting from the story, the fact that we experience generational change every 12 months actually adds to it. We have ex Swans in far flung corners of the globe who continue to stay in contact with the Club. The Swans Blog is a key vehicle for communicating with current, former and future players and supporters. With 6,000 hits for the month of September, there is genuine interest in the Vietnam Swans.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for those of us in Hanoi and for those of us in Saigon, have a cracking Vietnam Swans 2008 AFL Grand Final Party!

Photos have just ben uploaded onto the of the Grand Final Party in Saigon.

Photos from Hanoi appearing later today.

If anyone has more photos, please contact the Swans at

Above are some photos of the Vietnam Swans 2008 AFL Grand Final Party in Saigon.

1. The face painters work on Super Savvy Scotty Stacey
2. The wardrobe of autographed AFL jumpers from the Sydney Swans, West Coast, St Kilda and Carlton
3. Some of the glamours: Bec, Christina and Jo
4. Cam with arguably the hottest date in Asian football, Miss Australia
5. Face painters at it again
6. Emma and the Hawks newest recruit, Jesse Johns
7. Bec and Matt Johns
8. The den where all the competition action happens
9. A moment during the match
10. Super Sav and Phil Johns
11. The Swans Signature Shot
12. Jerry wins the ticket to Hong Kong courtesy of Flight Center
13. Sam Grigg wins the Jim Beam and the hearts of the Jim Beam Party Crew!

Click onto the to see more.

In 2005, the Sydney Swans triumphed over the West Coast Eagles in an absolute “ball-wearer”. Thanks to Bubbles (not his real name according to his birth certificate), he had the (then) Hanoi Swans assemble under the Big Screen when Paul Roos and Bad Barry held the Cup aloft.

And have a look at that Swans signature photo shoot! A classic, never-to-be-forgotten, photo.

In 2008, we know the Vietnam Swans will be in both Hanoi & Saigon. We also know that we will be doing our traditional photo shoot during the presentation ceremony.

But one nagging question: will it be Geelong or Hawthorn holding the Cup in the background?

To see the story that Geelong published on their website during the year about the Vietnam Swans, click on .

Last year, Di and Neil from Bairnsdale in Victoria (Australia) were in Vietnam for the 2007 AFL Grand Final.

Di wrote to the Blog this morning to declare that, “We are suffering this week, thinking back to where we were this time last year floating around in Halong Bay.

“We wish you a fantastic Grand Final Day and wish we could be there again. We still have the big banner from last year (Ed’s note: We had been wondering where that banner had got to!) and it will be displayed proudly at home on Saturday at our own Grand Final Day bash”.

Di and Neil, it was great having you at our Grand Final Party last year and we thank you for the update! There’s no doubt that Aussie Rules and AFL Grand Finals are particularly special in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, less than special was the news that Di also tried – but was unable – to vote for the Vietnam Swans jumper in the “Australia’s favourite footy jumper” competition.

Di says, “I tried a couple of times to vote for the best jumper (we’ve assumed Di was voting for ours…) but couldn’t get the vote to go through”.

If the Blog received just one vote for every person who says they couldn’t get their vote through in that competition, we might have memories rather than delusions of grandeur!

Do not be so focussed on next week’s Vietnam Swans AFL Grand Final Parties that you overshoot the Vietnam Swans 3rd Grand Final Cyclo Parade!

On Thursday 25th September, the Grand Final Cyclo Parade will kick off at Le Pub, 25 Hang Be Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Basically, it’s a pub crawl through the Old Quarter in Cyclos dressed up in club colours. Everyone dresses up in their favourite footy colours (Adam usually dresses in Richmond’s colours as “A Tribute to 9th Place”). Not surprisingly, most of us will be wearing our new Vietnam Swans jumpers.

It’s great fun and gives the Vietnamese another opportunity to reflect upon the strange ways of foreigners. Back in Australia, the event is seen as a novel curiosity and so, last year, the of organiser, Micky J in his Cyclo on the night.

The fun will start at 6pm on Thursday 25 September at Le Pub, 25 Hang Be Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi. The price is 200,000VND. All are welcome and bookings are essential (because we need to book the cyclos!). Contact Le Pub, or for further information.