In 1965 I worked in Melbourne as a cadet journalist with ambitions to be a football writer.

As luck would have it, Austin “Ocker” Robertson, the fast-leading, dead-eye Dick full forward at South Melbourne, was cutting his teeth as a journo in an office across the corridor.

Not a day went by without us talking about the mighty Bloods and, whenever possible, I would go with “Ock” and watch him play.

So while games were rarely won, Austin kicked 60 goals in his only season and my love affair with the club began in earnest.

It intensified in the late 1960s when I was presented by mates with full forward John Sudholz’s training guernsey before I left for overseas and so missed the solitary finals appearance by the legendary Bob Skilton.

Later as a fully-fledged journalist I covered the often traumatic metamorphosis of South Melbourne into the Sydney Swans.

And while I was a widely-travelled cricket writer for much of the past 40 years, I never lost my deep affection for the Swans and followed their fortunes from all over the cricket world.

I am a very proud member of the Sydney Football Club and thrilled to be numbered among their ambassadors.