What’s your story?
Hard to define, isn’t it. We all see things differently, feeling different passions and hatreds; we laugh at different things, and different stories transport us. But, the story of this club unites us all, and it's closing in on one hundred and fifty years.
The Swans’ history is teeming with memories of those that inspire us to embrace our collective past while forging ahead with purpose and optimism.
Kenny Williams’ story is one to admire. A giant of the Swans, he volunteered for forty years. Kenny passed away last November, and Monday would’ve been his 94th birthday. In a touching, fitting tribute, his wife Yvonne scattered her husband’s ashes on the SCG, and they now have their names on two red and white seats behind the goals in their regular Noble Stand spot, immortalised.
The club’s most recognisable and loyal supporters will cheer, cheer, side by side, forever - always connected to their people.
So, what is it that connects us? What creates the undeniable sense of belongingness that we all feel?
Again, that’s hard to define. But, after forty-one years in Sydney, we now have a place to share. The Sydney Swans HQ at the Royal Hall of Industries is the perfect canvas to mark the club's extraordinary life, to show who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we’re going.
It’s a place to build new memories.
When the Swans moved to Sydney in 1982, Rick Quade coached a group of footballers going where none had gone before. Those who went with him remain close, and those pioneers recently got a first-hand look at the place we now call home.
‘Every year, we catch up with all the guys who originally brought the club to Sydney. There’s Tony Franklin, Greg Miller, Dean Moore, Barry Lyons, Mike Sheahan, John Phillips, and Ray Ball - they did a lot of the heavy lifting back when things became pretty acrimonious,’ Quade says.
‘Tom (Harley) organised a tour for us, and I think their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they saw the quality of the new facility; it’s absolutely magnificent.’
Without them, we’d have no club.
If you're heading to the SCG this weekend, be sure to arrive early at Swans HQ - and stay back late - to celebrate all the festivities of the long weekend! #Bloods
— Sydney Swans (@sydneyswans) April 5, 2023
Last month, I was fortunate to be shown around Swans HQ. As supporters, we want something to believe in, and if I didn’t already, I left believing in us, wholeheartedly believing in us.
When the CEO makes your strong flat white to order, and you’re enjoying that coffee with him as the senior coach drops past to say hello, before the AFLW senior coach and general manager stop to ask about your family; you know you’re in a special place.
Whether you consider yourself a fan, supporter, member, or otherwise, we’re all linked by our love of the club. ‘I feel very proud to be a part of this club. It’s so well respected now, on and off the field, with a culture that’s second to none,’ Quade says.
Our homes are our memory machines. They help keep alive some of the strongest resources that give our lives meaning and enhance wellbeing and happiness.
Two weeks ago, we got our first taste of what Swans HQ can provide to the entire Swans community. As thousands strolled toward the SCG on a sunny Sunday morning, a red and white swarm gravitated toward the iconic building. It’s already the meeting place. Supporters ate, drank, and were indeed merry.
As they stepped into the vast foyer and looked up to their right, they saw the story of the Swans summarised by a rotation of the most iconic images ever captured. The ten premiership cups also tell their own tale.
Legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is a self-declared ‘pragmatic romantic.’ When asked about his responsibility to his club’s red and white army, he responded, ‘We are in entertainment. The groundwork is to win, but that is not enough. You need the ambition to give more. To go deeper into what the game can give to people.’
‘To give something more than just an individual expression of a player, but a collective expression of the team, to transform it into art. You can say it’s naive, but you need to give something special to people to bring them out of their hard daily life.’
And, special is what we’ve got. I’ve long believed we are the most fortunate supporter base in the league. Our team plays with grit. The club embraces change and equality. We dare to innovate. And now, we’re being invited to experience this industry-leading home base. Together.
‘I recently took a mate for a drive past our new facility,’ Quade says. ‘He’s from a well-known Rugby Union family, and he said, ‘what’s that?’ I told him it was our Swans headquarters, and I think he thought I was bullshitting when I said we’ve got the whole thing!’
Whether you’re in the plaza, dancing to the DJ, in the member's bar, or in the locker room, you’re part of it. It’s remarkable, but it's been hard-earned.
‘The biggest problems I had as a coach when we moved to Sydney were the poor facilities, as in showers, gymnasium, medical, we just didn't have any of that. And we had no ovals to train on. It was a hell of a shock’, Quade recalls.
‘It’s such a tremendous achievement to do what they’ve done with the Royal Hall of Industries. A huge amount of work is done behind the scenes that most people just wouldn’t be aware of. There were quite a few times a few of us thought the whole Sydney move wasn’t going to work. We had to hang in there and to see what the club has become today; I feel very proud.’
That’s it. It’s pride. See you Saturday.
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