The Sydney Swans have officially celebrated the start of the 2020 season at the club’s Guernsey Presentation and Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, presented by Volkswagen, on Wednesday night at The Star.
An entertaining evening saw four players inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame, two items added to the Heritage List, all 46 Swans players presented their 2020 jumpers and nine new players and their families welcomed to the club.
The first player inducted into Sydney’s Hall of Fame was James Alexander Young, who was born in 1856, two years before the game of Australian rules football was invented.
Popularly known as ‘Jimmy’ or ‘Diddley’, Young was a member of five VFA premiership teams in a golden South Melbourne decade: 1881, ‘85, ‘88, ‘89 and ‘90. He also played in runner-up teams in 1880, ‘83 and ‘86.
It was an extraordinary achievement in light of the fact that in the 123 VFL/AFL seasons from 1897, just five players have featured in more premierships.
The second Hall of Fame inductee was Terry Brain, who was a member of the club’s 1933 VFL premiership team and 1934 and 1935 Grand Final teams.
A best-and-fairest winner in 1934 in the same season legendary forward Bob Pratt kicked 150 goals, Brain was consistently among the best on the ground.
Brain played 141 games for South Melbourne and finished his career with 198 goals beside his name.
Joining Brain in the Swans’ Hall of Fame was Bernard Toohey, who crossed from Geelong ahead of the 1986 season.
Lured to Sydney in a famous recruiting drive alongside Greg Williams, Gerard Healy, Merv Neagle and David Bolton, as well as coach Tom Hafey, he went on to play 129 games for the Swans over the course of six seasons. He played 263 career games in stints with the Cats, the Swans and Footscray.
Although Toohey spent most of his career in defence, he played as a forward in 1989 and topped the club’s goal-kicking.
The final player inducted into the Swans Hall of Fame was fan favourite Ted Richards.
Richards was traded to Sydney ahead of the 2006 season after playing 33 games in four seasons with Essendon.
He went on to become one of the key pillars of Sydney’s backline, notching 228 games and playing in the 2012 premiership.
An All Australian, winner of the Best Clubman award and runner-up to Josh Kennedy in the 2012 Club Champion award, Richards enjoyed an illustrious career in red and white.
Another significant part of the evening was the announcement of two additions to the club’s Heritage List, with the first paying tribute to the Swans players selected in the greatest NSW team of all time in May 2019.
Former Swans Dennis Carroll, Paul Kelly, Brett Kirk, Leo Barry, Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack were all named in the prestigious team, as was Swans coach John Longmire in recognition of his outstanding career with North Melbourne, while Sydney’s Toohey, David Murphy, Rick Quade and Dane Rampe were all named as emergencies.
The second item added to the Heritage List was the club's birthplace at South Melbourne Temperance Hall – originally known as the Emerald Hill Total Abstinence Society Hall – the club’s foundation date of June 19, 1874 and the club’s founding father, John Parry.
It was also announced on the night that the club will celebrate the inaugural Swans Heritage Week in the lead-up to, and during, its clash with Richmond at the MCG in Round 11.
As part of the celebrations, the Swans will wear a special Heritage Guernsey, honouring past South Melbourne Football Club jumpers, while other exciting club initiatives are set to be announced ahead of the game.
The night concluded with the annual Guernsey Presentation to the 46 Swans players on Sydney’s list for the 2020 premiership season.
The club’s nine new recruits – draftees Dylan Stephens, Will Gould, Elijah Taylor, Chad Warner, Barry O’Connor and Brady Rowles, as well as former Port Adelaide forward Sam Gray, former Hawk Kaiden Brand and ex-Lion Lewis Taylor – were officially presented their first Swans guernseys.
Summary
Heritage List addition: Past and present Swans players selected in the greatest NSW team of all time
Heritage List addition: The club's birthplace, foundation year and founding father
Hall of Fame inductee: James Young
Hall of Fame inductee: Terry Brain
Hall of Fame inductee: Bernard Toohey
Hall of Fame inductee: Ted Richards
