Dane Swan to play at Milawa

THE secret is out – Dane Swan is going to play a match for Milawa in the Ovens and King FNL this year. The 2011 Brownlow Medallist and AFL Hall of Famer is confirmed to be suiting up in the red and blue for the Demons in round five on Saturday, April 26, when the Demons host Whorouly. Swan’s footy resume speaks for itself – premiership player in 2010, Brownlow Medal in 2011, five All Australian blazers, three-time Copeland Trophy winner, and AFL Hall of Fame inductee last year. Milawa senior coach Matt Graham said the stars aligned to bring Swan to the North East for a game. “We sat down as a club last year as soon as the draw was out, had a look where the fixture was, and it looked like there was a marquee weekend there at round five where having the local football pulling the crowds was an option,” he said. “Through a bloke I’d dealt with in the past, we ended up chatting and it was an option for an availability for Swanny to do a sportsman’s night and pull on the jumper for the Dees. “Once the opportunity presented itself, we went there. “We were fortunate enough that he was open and available on that weekend to play, so we made sure we grabbed it with both hands.” In a piece of coincidence, both Milawa and Whorouly have strong ties to O&M clubs Wangaratta and Myrtleford, who are slated to play on Friday, April 25, allowing them to head out to the ground and witness Swan play in the O&K. “It would be a rarity that a Brownlow Medallist has been playing at a local football club,” Graham said. “We’d be hoping we could draw 1000-2000 people out of town to come out for a look - Collingwood supporters are around every second tree, so we should be able to get a fair crowd. “We’re going to make sure it’s a great day, with plenty of food trucks, multiple bars, all of the amenities will be there, so we’ll be encouraging people to come out and enjoy the day. “It should be a good local spectacle, not only a great day for Milawa but the Ovens and King as a whole to really showcase how good this league can be.”

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