All Time Favourite Swans

[Humph]

With all the anniversary nostalgia on the swans website it got me thinking about who my favourites have been.

1 vote - Barry Mitchell.
He was the reason I originally started barracking for the Swans. I barracked for Richmond because my dad did, until I went to primary school and found out you were allowed to pick your own team. If he hadn't bailed on the team in the end, he'd have 3 votes for sure.

2 votes - Daryn Cresswell.
If it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't be barracking for them still. Through the years when we really struggled he, along with Dale Lewis and Paul Kelly, gave me at least some reason to watch. He really battled hard those years and didn't get much help or recognition, but I appreciated it.

3 votes - Nic Fosdike.
I know he hasn't always been the greatest disposer of the ball, but I've always put money on him for the Brownlow and he almost won me $1500 when he came second in the Norm Smith '05. When I got the number 12 on my Swans Jumper, the guy at the store went "But isn't that Fosdike's number? Are you sure?". I'm probably the only one with that number apart from Fossie himself, but I've always been a huge fan and always will be.

Other Apologies to :
Nick Malceski - he's going the right way to be on this list soon though.
Wayne Henwood and John Ironmonger. I remember them being cool.
Jude Bolton - He tried to help me get my girlfriend back once, but it didn't work out. I in no way blame him though.

Feel free to share your own favourites, or just bag or agree with mine.
Luv Humph.

 

[Big Snorky]

Loved to watch Kel - Paul Kelly. He was sensational when the ball was on the ground and you'd watch him get that hard ball possession 8 times out of 10. Just a great inspirational captain. I had the pleasure to meet him and shake his hand.

 

[SouthSwans]

1. Paul Kelly -Other than Ben, this guy was the first guy that I really loved as a player for the boys. If you think of Kirk's determination and selflessness, this was Kirk x1000. Incredible player, incredible fighter, the best there's ever been, will be.

2. Paul Williams - What a champ, I almost cried at his 300th in the rooms cause he was always one of my favourites, even at Collingwood! One of those blokes who could have 30 possesions and not be noticed doing it.

3. Ben Mathews - To put it in simple terms blood's thicker than water. Me cousin is the reason I started following the boys and making a descision that turned out to be one of the best I'd ever made... or else I'd still be a Blues supporter... and that wouldnt be fun.

Hon Mentions: Wayne Schwass, Brad Seymour, Matthew Nicks, Daniel McPherson. Malceski and Kennelly will be up there soon.

 

[Tuco]

Kelly, Lockett, Cressa, Kickett, Roos, Kennelly, Kirk, Hall

...and just about every player in the starting lineup these days.

 

[SWANNIES RULE]

Cressa, Kelly, Paul Williams.

And who can forget......Jarrad Sundqvist

 

[bradmanstandguy]

Okay off the top of my head,players who have stuck in my mind.
Paul Kelly, Paul Williams, Stuart Maxfield, Plugga, Cresswell, Mark Bayes, Greg Williams, Capper, when he was in his prime he was a joy to watch,unfortunately
all those high marks deprived his brain of oxygen and he is now brain dead.

 

[scottwade]

Great idea for a thread, (but Fosdike ).
Now obviously there are champions like Kells, that you can't help but admire, but I'll go for three unsung 'heroes'.
Troy Luff, Jamie Lawson & Sandford Wheeler.
Luffie most will remember; a guy who actually became a quality CHB, but still had moments when you just closed your eyes and hoped.
Jamie Lawson was a short Aborigine speedster, who could light up the SCG, with a moment of brilliance, at a time when the club was regularly smashed. Unfortunately he got a shocking broken leg and had to quit playing in his early 20s.
Sandford Wheeler was a US born speedster, who properly nurtured could have been a good player, but coming late to the game he was often lost as to what to actually do with the ball. And Barassi unfortunately dumped him fairly quickly. Yet in many ways he could have been the protoyype for Tadhg Kennelly.

 

[natlovestheswans]

Matthew Nicks and Leo Barry.

 

[Liesha]

Kel and Roosy. I even made a sign begging Roosy not to retire when I was in high school. He pointed to it and acknowledged us and my friend and I will never forget that.

 

[Sanecow]

Love, Filandia, Heuskes, Cresswell and O'Loughlin. Top blokes.

 

[Humph]

I forgot to mention :
Heath James - I always thought that James was his middle name and his last name was either Season, Indefinite or (hamstring).
I was so close to putting Lawson and Wheeler down too.
Other Unsung Favs of mine- Terry Thripp, Paul Hawke, Wade Chapman, Scotty Direen and Adam Heuskes.

Kelly and Kirk are so universally loved I didn't really include them in my selection process. I put them up in the league with Bobby Skilton as being the heart and soul of the club, not down in the 'Fosdike's my favourite player' league.
Luv Humph.

 

[scottwade]

Other Unsung Favs of mine- Terry Thripp, Paul Hawke, Wade Chapman, Scotty Direen and Adam Heuskes.

Some good names there.
Wade Chapman was a definite favourite. But the bloke was as unlucky as poor old Heath indefinite. Got knocked from pillar to post at the Swans, went to Port and didn't play a game there due to injury.

Whilst on injuries and unlucky players you'd have to include Ryan Fitzgerald (although not necessarily a favourite). Always remember after he joined Adelaide he got booked for speeding; on his bicylce.

 

[Tuco]

Totally agree about Wade Chapman. Really admired the way he went about it. He played like Jonathan Brown with the body of Simon Phillips.

Heuskus is an interesting one. He and Luff sometimes get overlooked a bit. But their importance in 96 were crucial to our success that year. What I liked about Heuskus though was how he got under opponents nerves. I remember he used to sing little songs, and whistle a lot while he was standing next to them to drive them nuts.

One player I'd also like to mention is Kevin Dyson. Quiet bloke who tackled like a machine and just got things done. His long kicking was something to see!

I'd like to mention players pre-94. But I didn't regularly watch games live at the ground in those days. And stars Capper, Diesel, Ian Wright, Mitchell and co I only saw intermittently.

 

[CirrusC2]

Agree about Wade Chapman. Mark Orchard was another one in that mold.

 

[J-swan]

I cannot believe that nobody has mentioned Stewie! I loved watching him play, he has/had the best upper body in the game. Gives me shivers thinking about him.

 

[Tuco]

I cannot believe that nobody has mentioned Stewie! I loved watching him play, he has/had the best upper body in the game. Gives me shivers thinking about him.

Until Tiger came along I don't think there was a more exciting sight in Sydney football than to see Stewie running down the wing and kick those long goals from impossible angles on the boundary line.

 

[J-swan]

I shed a tear the day I heard he had to retire and while I know he would have been thrilled with the resulting GF win, I felt soooo bad for him and Kell's.

 

[Liesha]

I shed a tear the day I heard he had to retire and while I know he would have been thrilled with the resulting GF win, I felt soooo bad for him and Kell's.

I must say it was kinda a bittersweet moment winning the GF, thinking about all those recently retired players who deserved a premiership medal.

 

[Tuco]

I must say it was kinda a bittersweet moment winning the GF, thinking about all those recently retired players who deserved a premiership medal.

It was great to see Kel out there on the ground after the win, though. I reckon they made him feel part of it.

But I guess you could say the same thing for all those generations of players who suffered in the past for Souths, and the early days of the Swans. The look on Skilton's face after the match said it all.

 

[J-swan]

.
But I guess you could say the same thing for all those generations of players who suffered in the past for Souths, and the early days of the Swans. The look on Skilton's face after the match said it all.

Very, very true.

 

[Humph]

Speaking of Stewie, I remember crying when I read this quote from Roosy before the '05 Grand Final.
"It's almost a case of if he came and said `Roosy can I play?' I'd almost put him on the bench as the 22nd man. That's how much respect we have for him and how much we feel we'd love to have him on the field."

When they played 'Superman (It's Not Easy)' by Five For Fighting when Wayne Schwass retired and did his lap of honour I shed a few tears as well. Although they never won any premeirships with the swans, there might be a lot of swans who wouldn't have won theirs if it wasn't for them.
Luv Humph.

 

[monty1104]

If I may chip in, I'll nominate Bayes, Creswell, Filandia (ex don ) Kelly and Garlick.

 

[monty1104]

And I also forgot Dale Lewis. How could I do that!?!?!

 

[liz]

My all-time favourite is one of the more predictable players - Plugger.

First game I ever went to, Friday night against Carlton back in 1995. Hadn't got a clue about the rules or any of the players (recent arrival from the UK) but went along because a crowd from work was going and a few people had told me the game was quite spectacular.

Longtimers will remember that game. The first that Carlton lost all year and one of only two that season.

All I knew was that everytime the red boys did something good the crowd went wild. And there was this huge bloke wearing the red who kept catching the ball and kicking it through the bigger sticks. And every time he did it, the crowd went especially wild. I had no idea of his name, even less that he was one of the greats of the game. It was love at first sight that night (with football, not Plugger) and probably was a major reason why I chose to settle in this country permanently and even change my nationality.

So you can say that Plugger really did change my life!!!

Nowadays I love almost all of them but have had special soft spots for Stewie and Luffy. And right now for O'Keefe, Kennelly and Ablett.

 

[SouthSwans]

I cried at Plugger's last game, not because he was finishing, but because he wouldnt sign jumper after the game in the rooms. Hey I was only 9...