Jarrad McVeigh would like to have more hair on his head, Kieren Jack laughs at his massive, cheesy grin, Heath Grundy reckons he looks too grumpy and Nick Smith can’t believe how big his nose is.
But jokes aside, all four Sydney Swans greats are in awe of a print drawn by expert cartoonist Greg Smith in a tribute to the recently retired champions.
Smith, a die-hard Swans fan and a cartoonist for the Perth Sunday Times, PerthNow and Seven West Media, has drawn a picture of McVeigh, Jack, Grundy and Smith that echoes The Beatles’ Abbey Road cover photo.
Brought to life by the talented artist late in 2019 and signed by the 2012 premiership heroes, the print not only celebrates their stellar careers but the 50th anniversary of the release of the Abbey Road album.
Jack is thrilled with the print Smith produced.
“It was a really nice sentiment and it’s a pretty cool memory to look back on,” Jack said.
“We’re four guys that have been through a successful era and experienced some great footy together, so to put that up on the wall at home is nice.
“We’ve spoken amongst each other that it’d be great to show our grandkids one day.
“To remake the iconic moment with The Beatles walking across the crossing is awesome.”
The red-and-white faithful farewelled McVeigh, Jack, Grundy and Smith on a magical day at the SCG in Round 23, 2019.
On a day that also saw star teammate Lance Franklin play his 300th AFL match, Aliir Aliir join the 50-game club and Sydney and St Kilda celebrate their annual Pride Game, McVeigh and Jack kicked fairytale final-quarter goals as the Swans cruised to a 45-point win.
Franklin and all four retiring Swans were then chaired from the ground at the same time to the full-blooded cheers of a 33,722-strong crowd, one of the many grand moments encapsulated by the artwork.
In a golden era in Swans history lasting more than a decade, the star quartet combined for 1048 AFL games, four premiership medals, three All Australian blazers and three Bob Skilton medals.
Jack will always look back on his farewell game with special memories.
“Macca and I were both really grateful to have that moment. One last time at home playing in front of our home crowd on a Saturday afternoon – it doesn’t get much better. It would have been great to have Heath and Nick playing as well, but to be able to play with Macca again, in Bud’s 300th, the Pride Game, Aliir Aliir’s 50th, it was very special,” Jack said.
“I also felt it was a real hand-the-baton-over moment for all of us. It was really good to see Nick Blakey and James Rowbottom experience that, and hopefully it’s something they don’t forget. We all have similar memories of Brett Kirk, Mick O’Loughlin, Jared Crouch and Leo Barry retiring. The memories stick with you and hopefully they stick with our younger players now as well.
“The memories of coming off the ground and being in the rooms with everyone are memories we’ll never forget. There’s a really amazing photo that Horse (coach John Longmire) took in the rooms that encapsulated what the day meant and what the club means to so many people. We were all in the rooms with our friends and families and just soaking everything in.”
Smith produced 10 prints: four for the retired Swans, one for himself, one for WA Swans Supporters Club president Daryl Sommerville and four set to be auctioned.
All proceeds raised in the auctions will help fund events held by the WA Swans Supporters Club, which Jack says does an extraordinary job of backing the red and white.
“They’re a supporter group who are really important to the football club,” Jack said.
“Western Australia is the furthest place from Sydney but we’ve always had great support in Perth. We only get over there once a year so we like to get around them, and to be able to help raise some money so they can keep supporting us in the future is our way of saying thanks. I’m sure they will continue to come and support the boys louder than ever, and hopefully there are a few more prints made along the way.”
Jack believes cartoons are an important element of the media.
“It’s another way of story-telling,” Jack said.
“As we’ve seen in the past, an image can be really iconic and interpreted in various ways.
“I think this particular image is unique and tells a pretty powerful story. It’s four guys who have made their way into a great club and walked out years later with many memories and achievements together. For me it holds a lot of weight, and I know the other boys think the same.
“I’m just hoping we age a bit better than the artist thinks.”
