Premiership-winning duo Kieren Jack and Heath Grundy were each awarded the honour for reaching their 150-game milestones in 2014, while outgoing Football Manager Dean Moore, South Australian recruiter Andrew Scholefield, and acclaimed journalist and author Jim Main were also recipients of Life Memberships.
Jack, who played his 150th match for the club against Port Adelaide in round 13, was described as one of football’s ‘great stories’ on the night, given his journey from the Swans rookie list to an All-Australian midfielder, Bob Skilton Medallist and co-captain of the club.
Addressing the crowd of almost 1,000 on the night, Jack said he was immensely proud to have achieved so much at the Sydney Swans.
“It’s a privilege to be associated with this football club,” he said.
“It’s something I’m tremendously proud to be a part of and it’s given me the tools to learn and grow as a player and as a leader.
“I never thought it would have happened when I got picked up; in fact I never thought I was going to get drafted or rookie listed to a club, but I got an opportunity here and I just wanted to make the most of it like so many others have.
“We’ve got a blue-print here and if you buy into it you can achieve success.
“It’s given me the tools now and I know I’m going to commit to making sure I become a better player in the off-season and a better player for next season and a better leader.”
Grundy, who reached his 150th game against the Gold Coast Suns in round 12, was described as a quiet achiever at the Swans despite his on-field feats.
The 28-year-old, who arrived to the club as a rookie in 2005, made the switch from a key forward to defender and regularly battles some of the opposition’s dangerous tall forwards.
Speaking on the night, Grundy said he was extremely honoured to now hold Life Membership at the club that showed so much faith in him over the years.
“It’s a great honour to play 150 games for this great club,” he said.
“It’s probably still sinking in a little bit because it’s a great club and all of the boys have been fantastic, so it’s a great honour to be a part of it.
“I’d like to thank the whole footy club and ‘Horse’ (coach John Longmire) has been fantastic over the journey for me and has given me the opportunity and confidence to play at such a great club.”
Described by coach John Longmire as one of the nicest and most committed men in football, outgoing Football Manager Moore was also presented with Life Membership this year.
Moore, who joined the South Melbourne Football Club as an administrator in 1979, was part of the group who made the move to Sydney in the early 80s, and returned to the club five years ago and has since experienced premiership success with the Swans.
Moore described his experience at the Swans as a ‘love affair’ and said he could not have imagined a better place to spend the majority of his working life.
“I moved to Sydney when the club relocated and that really changed my life,” he said.
“To have that experience and to meet those people, many of whom are still close friends today, it started off a love affair really with this great club.
“To then have the opportunity to come back and spend the last five years here and be part of what we achieved under John and the playing group has just, for me, been an absolute dream.
“Every day I walked into that club I thought about how privileged I was to be in that position.
“If you love the club, and I do, it was never hard work.”
Another long-term servant of the club was honoured on the night, with South Australian Recruiting Manager Andrew Scholefield also achieving Life Membership.
Scholefield, who has devoted countless weekends over the past 21 years to unearthing the best young talent, said he felt truly touched to be recognised by the Sydney Swans.
“As is known, (recruiting) is an inexact science,” he said on the night.
“But when you watch a player for a few years as a young fella and then they really do come through, it gives a lot of pleasure.
“It’s been a great privilege to work right through these years for a club that’s so successful and so widely admired throughout the football industry as the Sydney Swans.
“Obviously I feel greatly honoured by it and I certainly thank the Board of the Sydney Swans for honouring me this way.”
The final recipient of Life Membership in 2014 was acclaimed journalist and author Jim Main, who has played an important role in capturing the history of the South Melbourne and Sydney Swans Football Club.
Main, who authored ‘In the Blood’, ‘Shake Down the Thunder’ and Michael O’Loughlin’s biography, said he was overwhelmed to receive the honour.
“It’s the greatest moment of my life - apart from family and the premierships,” he said.
Jim Main receives his Life Membership off Sydney Swans chief executive Andrew Ireland
