Sam Conroy with a black and bruised eye.

Hanoi President, Dan Hopkins, tells us all about last weekend’s scratch match between Hanoi and Saigon in Hanoi.

Thanks to all the took part in last Saturday’s Hanoi Vs Saigon scratch match.

After a few beers on the Friday night, Saturday morning was a bit slow though it was time to get out
to My Dinh and put on the boots. After a meet and greet between some of the new members of the
Club and also some of the Hanoi Celts (Gaelic Footy) who turned up for the day.

The game got under way and it was Hanoi who drew first blood but Saigon answered quickly through its midfield. This was going to be the way it was going to go for the day as the runners of Saigon had to much pace for Hanoi.

Come the third quarter, we mixed it up and threw the round (GAA) ball in. This was to bring about a
kick from Dave Diviniy who was trying to put the ball up into the Hanoi forward line. The Saigon Pres, big Sam Conroy put his head down and stuck his arms out for a smother. Thwack!!! Straight to the eye. To Sam’s credit, after shaking it off, he continued with the game.

The fourth quarter came about and Saigon continued to run hard although Hanoi kept
on keeping on and had some good passages of play at the death.

A special mention must be given to Nick Shiells who kicked 12 goals throughout the day beating Shagga’s record of 8 last year. Wasn’t afraid to let all the boys know about it ether.

On the Saturday night a dinner was had at Club Sponsor, Jaspas. Then, we kicked on to a few fine establishments throughout town.

A good weekend had by all and a good lead up to the ANZAC Friendship Match in Vung Tau on 21 June 2012.

Yesterday was no exception when this man from the north in Hanoi contacted the Blog to give a spray to the southerners in Saigon.

Adam was referring to the upcoming photo shoot with Miss Australia, Miss Universe and the Vietnam Swans: 

I just want a photo of both these stunners… No footy boof heads in the pic… Out of love for your footy brothers up north in Hanoi, I will expect some pics! Don’t let me down!

Adam, there’s a fair chance that your photos of the Swans will have the two stunners air-brushed out.

When is this likely to happen? Next week.

Again, it seems that glamour stalks, arguably, Asian Football’s best dressed Aussie Rules Football Club, the Vietnam Swans!

Unheard of.

Swans superstar Mark “Willy” Williams, as always, is hard and focussed (he’s pictured to the side behind Captain Gus who was posing for a photo at the time).

While the rest of us are sleeping, Willy focuses on thinking. The other morning he wrote to the Swans blog with his latest idea:

“Mate, we should start a tally board for lost phones within the Club and then have an end-of-season phone award. Put me down for one in the last two months.

“You hearin’ me? Ahhh!! Guess not if you don’t have a phone.”

Don’t worry, Willy. The Blog hears all and tonight the Blog is hearin’ you!

The jumpers weren’t there for long but they were there for long enough for local Swans Dave “Flyer” Kainey and Andy “Mr Jim Beam” Wall to grab one each in the Beam Bar.

The crowd was thinking they were looking pretty good in the new jumpers. And they did - until a princess appeared and stole the show.

Last Saturday, the Vietnam Swans unveiled their new club jumpers which are sponsored by Linfox and Loscam. Coincidentally, the same day a photographer back in Australia spotted the above Swans hat parked on a post at Lindsay’s beach house on the Mornington Peninsula.

With none of the new jumpers in Australia, a few of us wondered whether an excited Lindsay could be about to don his cap, hop into his copter and make a surprise visit to Hanoi.

Anyway, as of 7.53am on the Tuesday after, there are still a few of us camped out at Hanoi International Airport. Alas, we we can report no such sighting of the flying truckie.

Unheard of.

The Manila Cup will be hosted by the Philippine Eagles and it looks like it might be an unofficial sneak peek at the Asian Champs which will be played later in the year. 

The competing teams are as follows: the Philippine Eagles, Hong Kong Dragons, China Reds (not the China Tigers), Malaysian Warriors and… the Hongila Dogs!

The Dubai Dingoes were also a chance to get there, but alas, it was not to be. That’s where the Hongila Dogs seized their chance with all four awesome paws. For the full story, see World Footy News.

Meanwhile, in a shock announcement, Matty Johns has declared himself unavailable to play in the Swans tilt at the Lou Milsevic / Mick Francis Cup. He blames a work commitment.

If the Swans could bottle that level of commitment, we’d be odds-on to win the Champs.

That’s right. Previously, the then Hanoi Swans were actively involved in supporting the Warmhouse Orphanage in Hanoi. We would go to the Orphanage and start off kicking the footy before the kids would force us to kick the soccer ball! It was great fun – and leading the charge always were Mr Ed and Kate Smith. They really enjoyed being with a very extended family! 

Ed and Kate have since returned to Tassie. The Swans Blog is proud to announce that they have successfully downsized from heaps to one. On Mother’s Day, 11 May 2008, Kate gave birth to Ms Meg – “(E)M” for short. Ed describes it all as the perfect Mother’s Day present. Ms Em “weighs in at a hefty 8.8lbs and is stacking on the kgs”.

Attached are some photos of Ed, Kate and Meg (interesting to note that Ed has found a new use for the esky). Also, attached are some photos of Ed and Kate at the Warmhouse Orphanage.

But how are Ed and Kate coping with life after the Swans? Ed explains, “We still love getting all of the mighty Swans emails. Sounds like the Swans are having a pretty busy year – makes me nostalgic. We had such a great time with you guys.”

Given the shirt Ed is wearing with Em appears to be the same shirt he was wearing at the Orphanage, we’re hearin’ him when he says he’s feelin’ nostalgic. Hearin’ me?

Congtaulations Ed, Kate and Em – from all the Vietnam Swannies.

Well, the Swans are no exception.

Last week 4 of the biggest Swans names took their sticks to the greens: Former President Kainey; Super Savvy Stacey the Coach, Current Swans President Phil Johns and the biggest of them all, occasional Ruckman Drew Franklin.

At the Song Be golf course on the 12th tee (truth be known, it could have been the 15th tee), there’s a ”hole in the wall”. Rather than having an ATM, they have hawkers on the other side selling golf balls. We chose to shop at Tina Gold’s Thien Thanh Shop. She even has business cards. Her card reads:

Vocational:

• in every way golf Ball
• special free on Board
• good Ball

You see, at the beginning middle and end of the free on board golf ball, it’s all good.

Motorbikes in Vietnam often have too much to carry. In this situation, the pillion passenger must sit on the floor of the motorbike because of the load on the back.

A Vietnamese colleague explained that It’s new style. Given they’re chickens in the basket rather than dogs, we guess it’s “Chicken style”.

That would go some way to explain the head moving back and forth.

Hearin’ me?