Football clubs are built upon the fabric of loyalty, character and commitment.  Sadly, the Sydney Swans have lost a fine lady who has been involved behind the scenes with the Club since the Swans relocation from South Melbourne in 1982. Today, when the Sydney Swans players run out onto the field, they will wear black armbands in memory of Carlene Trigar.

Carlene Trigar is the wife of Les who joined the statistics team in round one, 1982 and remained on the team until 2008 when they decided to move closer to their daughter near Bundaberg in Queensland.  In 1999, Les was awarded Life Membership for his services to the Club, an honour he was proud to share with Carlene, his wife of 50 years when she died on Monday night caused by a rare, degenerative brain disease. 

For those that regularly watched matches from the Ladies Stand, they will remember Carlene for her early arrivals to the SCG with Les when the gates were opened to the public before the start of Reserves. She would duly spread her collection of red and white blankets, bags and scarves to ‘reserve’ rows of seats for the families of players and football staff. She invariably had an endless supply of lollies and treats for the kids, yet it paled in significance compared to the kindness and care she displayed to the Swans family who sat around her at every home game for over 25 years.

Carlene died peacefully at her home in Queensland with Les and their five children who arrived from all parts of the country to be by her side. She will also be deeply missed by her six Grandchildren and four Great Grandchildren.  Shannan, her eldest Grandchild, served a full-time traineeship with the Football department in 2000.  She will be cremated at the Bundaberg crematorium this Friday.

The picture attached shows Carlene enjoying the Club’s 25th Anniversary function with Les and a fellow friend/statistician, Dave Pearlman.