Travel writer David McGonigal spends many months abroad, but when it comes to September, there is only one place he wants to be.
The accomplished author and journalist, who has been a Sydney member for ten years, has also been a long-time member of the Premiership Club, which guarantees access to a Grand Final ticket should the Swans qualify for the last Saturday in September.
With his busy schedule, which has seen him travel to polar regions such as Antarctica and Greenland each year, McGonigal said the Premiership Club provided him with the opportunity to comfortably secure his seat should the Swans reach the Grand Final.
“When you’re supporting the Swans you know that you’re going to be doing something in September, it’s just a matter of how late in September you’re going to be doing it,” he said.
“I’ve taken out the Premiership Club from the beginning of the season every other year, but I work in polar regions and I wasn’t too sure how much I was going to be around this year.
“I thought I’d be so annoyed if I hadn’t taken out my Premiership Club and we got to play in the Grand Final. I also had a really good feeling about the way the team was gelling at the end of last year.
“I had the feeling, so I bought the Premiership Club option and it was the right decision.”
At times over past seasons, McGonigal has had to tune-in to Swans finals action from across the globe but has always found creative ways to keep in touch with the Sydney football action.
“One year we were in east Greenland in a place called Scoresby Sund and, because of the time difference; I was taking people on a tour of the town at the same time as the Swans were playing in the final,” McGonigal said.
“I went to the tourist office and actually set up the AFL website so it was giving me updated scores, and it was probably the most disrupted tour anyone’s ever had because I kept on running back to the office to see what the score was.
“It didn’t work out well and we lost that day and I was standing down on the dock in the eastern Greenland talking to a supporter of the opposition team telling her that her team had just knocked us out of the finals.”
Unlike in previous years, McGonigal had the chance to experience all of the Swans finals on Australian shores in 2012.
He watched the Swans defeat the Crows amongst fellow fans in a pub in Alexandria, before travelling out to experience the Swans historical 26-point victory over Collingwood live in the Preliminary Final at ANZ Stadium.
“I was really happy that this year I was in Australia to actually participate in the whole finals campaign,” he said.
“We were all out at the Collingwood game and [from] there we just never looked like we were going to let that go.”
“Then I was in Melbourne for the weekend of the Grand Final and I was wearing my 2005 Premiership scarf, and the number of people who stopped me and asked ‘What are you wearing that scarf for?’ and I told them it was the last chance I had to wear it before I would have to replace it with a 2012 one!
“I now have my 2012 premiership scarf, so I happened to be right.”
Don’t miss a moment - join the Premiership Club
Guarantee your opportunity to register and purchase a ticket to the 2013 AFL Grand Final - should the Swans qualify - by adding the Premiership Club Upgrade to your membership. This upgrade is available to all members who purchase an 11-game NSW membership, VIC Platinum or Gold Membership. In addition to the Grand Final guarantee, Premiership Club members will also receive an exclusive fan banner and monthly email updates from senior coach, John Longmire.
To purchase this upgrade please contact Member Services on 1300 663 819, Monday to Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm or email swansmembership@sydneyswans.com.au
