Much has happened since our last newsletter and we are fast learning what an enormous amount goes into successfully running a football club, a football season and even a single game of football.

On the field our Swans have suffered two unexpected losses, but kick-started their season with a marvellous win in Adelaide, much to the chagrin of the Crows fans who had desperately wanted to triumph in their first home game at the revamped Adelaide Oval.  

The Oval is stunning. Not only have they built state-of-the-art grandstands, but the playing area has been changed from a long narrow ground – like Kardinia Park and Subiaco – to an MCG-like oval. And didn’t our Swans love it.  

Prior to the game we attended a get-together with about 200 South Australia-based Swans fans. Favourite sons Marty Mattner and Michael O’Loughlin were interviewed by MC Tony Morwood. Tony is a former star player who now runs our Melbourne Office and who is responsible, among other things, for pre-match activities when we are playing out of Sydney. Tony, Sarah and Lucinda do a great job for our supporters.

We enjoyed meeting the Adelaide crew. They are excited at the prospect of seeing their Swans in Adelaide twice in 2014. We greatly admire these supporter groups who are so connected to and passionate about our club, despite seeing them play live so infrequently.

Swans SA is run by Carlene and Don Spencer. The West Adelaide Club is where they meet to watch games during the year. Any SA Swans who would like to be part of the group should contact Carlene on 0403 199 780 or after hours on (08) 82625396.


Maree and Peter with Carlene Spencer

At the pre-match we met the Graham family (all three generations) who had travelled en masse from Geelong by minivan and were returning immediately after the game. Imagine the dedication when you live in Geelong and barrack for Sydney! David Graham is making a documentary film on the family’s support for the Swans and their 2014 experiences following their red and white heroes – and they’ve been heroes going back many generations in this family.

After the match we crossed paths with Harry Cunningham’s aunt, uncle and cousins who had travelled down from Broken Hill to see him play for the first time. Harry’s one of our favourites too. We thought we should consider a revival of the song “I’m Just Wild About Harry”, written in 1921 for the Broadway musical show Shuffle Along, though of course young Harry does anything but shuffle! You can see the song by Judy Garland on YouTube.

A week earlier we had ventured to our second home – ANZ Stadium – where Peter tossed the coin. Nick Maxwell called correctly and it all went pear shaped from there. Maree had the honour, if not the pleasure, of presenting the Lockett/Coventry Cup to Scott Pendlebury.

We both remarked on the precision and logistics which accompanied two such simple things as tossing a coin and presenting a Cup. There must have been ten people involved in various ways, from the Swans staff who organised for us to be ready, to Emilio who took us on the golf cart through the bowels of the stadium to the spot where we entered the playing arena and were met by more Swans staff, to the AFL official who escorted us on to the ground, telling us exactly where we should stand, to the umpire who introduced us to the two captains and who declared who won the toss … and who told Peter he should use a 20 cent, not a 50 cent coin. Then it was the same in reverse as we went back to our seats only to be repeated at the end of the game.

This is a very small example that can be multiplied many times over each match day. Swans staff, including some who have other jobs during the week but are employed part-time by the Club on match day, work so hard to ensure that everything goes like clockwork. We are served by such a professional and capable group at the Swans, and all so pleasant and helpful.

The less said about the GWS game the better, though the storm was something to behold.  On arriving at the ground we sat with a forlorn Alex Johnson, who was coming to terms with the fact that he faces another long break from the game after doing his ACL – again. How cruel this game can be.

In between we attended the Sydney University Blue and Gold AFL lunch, hosted by the irrepressible Rod Tubbs. At our table were Kurt, Mike and Jude, who were all great company and who each have either a past or present connection with Sydney University … as do a number of our other players.

A couple of weeks back, Maree was at a L@SS function while Peter attended a Swans Foundation gathering on the same night. The Foundation was established in 2006 with the aim of securing the long term future of the Club. Since then the Foundation has contributed funds which have paid for the Altitude facility, the refurbishment of the Locker Room and many other vital things which enable our Club to compete with the big, wealthy Clubs. We heard from a number of players and also from Michael O’Loughlin, head coach of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, and one of his students, Isaac Heeney, about whom, by all accounts, much more will be heard over the coming years…a star in the making!

The L@SS function was compered by Nick Davis who, should coaching ever let him down, surely has a career as a stand-up comic! Development Coach Josh Francou was interviewed, as were players Sam Reid, Shane Biggs, Jeremy Laidler and Zak Jones. L@SS sponsors Shane Biggs’ locker and a number of supporters were given a tour of the new change rooms.

It was great to see so many women gathered to talk footy. As one young woman remarked to Maree, she was very envious once in a Melbourne café when she sat next to a table of women about her age, all with the sports’ pages open in their newspapers, deep in serious conversation about a game. She thought how much she would love to do that. So she’s most grateful that L@SS has introduced her to like-minded women and new footy friends.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about the Foundation or L@SS, details can be found by clicking on the links above.

It’s off to the revamped SCG this weekend and another important game. Good luck to all. We hope that the swans we saw swimming gracefully and contentedly on the Torrens as we walked across the park to North Adelaide last weekend are another good omen!

Your 2014 Number One Ticket Holders

Peter and Maree


In the stands at Adelaide with supporters who had also flown in from Sydney