Vicky Park
Premium Platinum
I'd just like to question this myth of Swanny being an out-and-out party boy anomaly. This consensus that he's some sort of alternative rebel without a cause who wouldn't put in on the track but just lit up on game days cos he's a footballer's footballer and was doing it on instinct.
That's all so much crap, overblown because he's covered in ink and has a nose ring.
I am struggling to think of once when he did not show 100 per cent commitment to the Magpies cause. How many times has he tested positive to the drugs everyone thinks he took because of his tough stickers and his larrikin persona?? yes, that's right, none.
The bloke was a gut-running powerhouse who never shirked one session at training. He made one mistake when he was a kid and it served as a kick up the arse. He could not have become the superstar footballer he was, eking out every last bit of talent, without that steely determination... don't let the image fool you.
I think you'll find he had plenty in common with Buckley in their approaches to the game. Maybe not off the field as mates but on it they are two of the most relentless competitors i have seen play the game.
It's interesting you raise this, because I've long held a similar view. I think 'Dane Swan' has been very good at promoting 'Swannie'. It even suits his business interests. And while the Rat Pack has a certain allure, some of his choices of associates outside the club have raised eyebrows, and he was involved in a stupid violent incident when young - what else has he actually done to deserve the bad boy reputation? I haven't read his book, so I'll probably be shot down here.
What I see is a guy who has been with the same partner for a decade or so, who appears to be an intelligent independent woman, and not an empty-headed wag overly focused on her appearance. I believe he appreciates good wine, maybe a trait he picked up from Dids. He is close to his family. And heaven forbid, I've heard that he visits museums when overseas. OK, I might have made the last bit up.
But the reality of 'Dane Swan' may just be a little different to the marketing and selling of 'Swannie' the lad.