Vietnam Swans

The Vietnam Swans received the email below from Jim Kiernan of the Viet Celts Gaelic Football Club  in Hanoi. The email was sent on 23 April – the day of the ANZAC Friendship Match and just two days after Willy’s mother passed away.

On behalf of the Viet Celts, just a few words wishing the Swans the best of luck today against the Hong Kong Dragons in Vung Tau (in the ANZAC Friendship Match).

I met Willy and the Swans for a few drinks on Thursday before Willy headed for home. Willy spoke about his mother’s love of South Adelaide and also coming down to watch him play in the juniors every Saturday.

Yesterday, as a tribute to Mrs Williams, I did half a training session in Aussie Rules with the new U13 team of Vietnamese kids that I’ve been training for the past eight weeks in Gaelic Football, here at the Vietnam Australia School (VAS) in My Dinh.

They were quite good at transferring their Gaelic Football skills once they came to grips with the bounce of the Sherrin. It also tied in well with ANZAC weekend.

We used a set of modified rules that myself, Stanno, Adrian and Crazy Dan devised a few weeks ago for playing Aussie Rules on astroturf. Some photos provided with the Sherrin and the O’Neills. Big Jon Holden from Australia has been helping me out with this team and we hope to do this type of split Gaelic Football/Aussie Rules session again with the Vietnamese kids.

Footnote: On 14 May 2011, Saigon will host the South East Asian Gaelic Football Championships and the Vietnam Swans will support the Vietnamese sides.

The Vietnam Swans have confirmed that we will play the Jakarta Bintangs in the 5th Kainey Cup in Jakarta on 23 July 2011.

This will be a particularly important game for the Jakarta Bintangs who will be determined to win for their former skipper, Matt Stephens who will be playing in his 100th game.

Matt Stephens is a terrific bloke and played in the first match between the Bintangs and the then Hanoi Swans back in March 2006 at the UN International School in Hanoi.

The Bintangs are one of the founding clubs of the Asian Champs and Asian footy more generally. It will be fascinating to see how they celebrate and recognise a player and official who has given so much to the Club over such an extended period of time.

No doubt, the Flyer, Dave Kainey, will make the short trip from Singapore to Jakarta for the 5th Kainey Cup.

For the record, that first match between the two teams was an important milestone for the Swannies as we recorded . Last July, we also played the Bintangs in Saigon and beat them by just .

Just when it all looks good for the Swannies based upon our track record, in October 2009 we travelled to Jakarta and were taught a football lesson: . Definitely, the home ground advantage is a big one between these two teams.

Expect the 5th Kainey Cup in Jakarta to be an absolute cracker!

For the rest of the Swannies 2011 Calendar, click here.

Stan Middleton is a great friend of the Vietnam Swans and the official historian of the Vietnam Football League. Below he responds to the 2011 ANZAC Friendship Match.

Hi Vietnam Swans

Great to hear of the response to my article that appeared in the footy record at the ANZAC Friendship Match!

I have sent a soft copy of the  onto heaps of Vietnam Veterans and I am getting a lot of excellent responses.

I think our history during the war ties in beautifully with what the Vietnam Swans do now! Well done to the Vietnam Swans for embracing us!

Very happy to hear you have modelled the Friendship Trophy on our old shield from the War (see here for photo of original shield). We are very proud to know that! The photo you put up with Kevin Back & Bob McKenna holding the shield was excellent. We had just got home from Bob’s brother’s home when I received it! We had a BBQ there with about nine of the former 2AOD footballers (including Bob). Sadly Kevin Back died of a massive heart attack in 2003. I have emailed his widow with the article that included the photo.

Sounds like the game went well and good to hear the Swannies won!

ANZAC Day went very well here in Melbourne apart from Collingwood winning. However we did scare them and the 2 goals they kicked in the last minute of the game did not reflect how close we got to them!

Went on Tuesday as well but Hawks failed after a good start. Got one of the Vets into the Hawks room before the game and he was rapt! (through John Kilpatrick from the Swim Program).

I have kept a copy of the Footy record with Ossie’s story in it for you (see a soft copy here). Hope you have some hard copies of the the Vung Tau record for me! I will get Ossie back to Noble Park RSL to talk about the ANZAC weekend in Vietnam.

Also hope you met Jan Williams who has joined our Vietnam Swim group. I think she was one of your trainers for the game in Vung Tau. She is a real goer!

Glenn Nolan is coming to Noble Park RSL this week which will be excellent! (Ossie visited Noble Park RSL just prior to coming to Vietnam)

Regards, Stan & Sinh

Footnote: The Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day shall be played at Montgomerie Links on 14 May 2011.

Below is a message from the National President of the Vietnam Swans, Phil Johns. The message appeared in the .

Below is a message from the Australian Consul General to HCMC, Mr Graeme Swift. The message appeared in the .

Friends, I’d like to welcome you to the 2nd Annual ANZAC Friendship Weekend in Vung Tau. It’s my honour to be involved in an event that celebrates the modern friendship between Australia and Vietnam, particularly on a weekend when Australians pause to remember the sacrifices made by their compatriots in places across the world.

Monday’s Dawn Service is a chance to show our respect to the fallen, reflect on the tragedy of war and how selfless service by many, many thousands has been a major part of the formation of the modern society we all call home.   More and more veterans are returning to Vietnam each year to commemorate the service of their friends and contribute to the building of friendship between our two countries, and I especially welcome them today.

Australians are a practical people, and this event is also a tremendous example of the efforts Australians bring to bear in helping others. Each of the three charities benefiting from the weekend’s events are having a positive impact on the communities in which they work, and they exist because of the dedication and generosity of their organisers and volunteers. I encourage each of you to consider how you might make your own contribution.

Of course, the weekend kicks off with a football match on the historic Dog Track Oval, and what a match it promises to be! I’d like to pay tribute to the Vietnam Swans and their supporters throughout the country and their efforts to grow this ANZAC Friendship Weekend into the celebration and commemoration that the occasion deserves, noting the work of the community here in Vung Tau in particular. I’d also like to welcome the Hong Kong Dragons to Vietnam, and thank them for accepting the invitation to take part. As the first international side to play the ANZAC Friendship Weekend game, I trust that the occasion will be one they remember fondly in years to come.

I wish the weekend’s events every success.

Sincerely,

Graeme Swift
Australian Consul General
HCMC, Vietnam

Click onto to download a full copy.

The message below from the President of the Hong Kong Dragons appeared in the 2011 ANZAC Friendship Match footy record.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

The opportunity to combine playing Australian Rules Football in a foreign country whilst at the same time making a meaningful contribution to strengthening local cultural ties with Australia is rarely offered.

When asked by the Vietnam Swans President, Phil Johns, to participate in the first international ANZAC Friendship Match, the Hong Kong Dragons quickly responded with a resounding “yes”.

The Hong Kong Dragons and Vietnam Swans have had a long standing friendship over a number of years and the ANZAC Friendship Match not only strengthens our relationships with the Vietnam Swans but gives our players and club the opportunity to contribute to the enormous good will being generated in bringing Vietnam and Australia closer together as neighbors and friends.

We look forward not only to a closely contested game on the field, but also to a few cold drinks and stories shared with friends afterwards.

The tour to a Local Orphanage and the Dawn Service on Easter Monday will be highlights of the tour.

The Hong Kong Dragons feel humbled and honored be to invited as the first team to contest this first international ANZAC Friendship Match.

We look forward to this event running for many years ahead and thank the Vietnam Swans in advance for their hospitality.

Robert Burns
President
Hong Kong Dragons