Welcome to the 2011 footy season
Pete addresses the team
General
Well, who would have thought it. The mighty swans have now flown in to their third year of operation, and except for a couple of mugs out there we are definitely no ugly ducklings.
2011 is shaping up to be the best yet. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Damo and his somewhat better half Lena the administrative part of the club has taken shape. We now have a few kronor in the bank and the first original Årsta Swans playing strip is on the cards for a debut in the later half of the year. If everyone can get their rego money in asap we might even have it in time for the finals. New guys don’t be fooled by this boobie loving queenslander with no experience in either footy or being president of anything besides the we love boobies fan club. This man has almost single handed run this club from nothing to where we are today. His passion and love for the team has been a major contributing factor to the culture of the club and there would be no swans without him. Great job Damo. We know that you stepping down from president is in no way you stepping down the enormous workload you take on for the club, it’s more of putting in effort where you are most effective , now that you can due to more guys catching the bug and helping out this year. A big cheer for the last 2 years and for all the work you carry on doing this year!!
Our new look committee…
Pete (President/Coach), Damo(Secretary/BBQ/ All Round Good Guy), Jeremy (Treasurer), All good things come in small packages Thor (Publicity Officer/Tech Nerd), Josh(Coach) and last but not least former Sweden Elks player, all the way from the wild west (Karlstad) its almost one hand Pär (Footy Operations Manager).
The above guys are very passionate about the club, they are here to keep things running as smoothly as possible. They will help you guys with all things footy and also advice to the newly arrived love crazy Aussie. One thing that I do ask from the team in regards to the committee, is that if you don’t like the way something is done, before you criticise the person or procedure, come up with a better idea or offer help and advice. We are new at running the club and do it out of love for the team. We are constantly trying to improve the way we do things and, well, sometimes its a case of trial and error. We are open to any suggestions or ideas and most of all help. If there is something you feel you have a talent for or are interested in talk to us, we are always looking for more ideas and help.
Good bye, Hello and Congratulations.
A huge welcome to all the new swans out there!!!! It’s great to have you onboard. You have at least two things going for you in life. 1. You have an interest in undoubtedly the greatest sport in the world. 2. You have signed on to play for undoubtedly the greatest club in the history of AFL footy in Sweden, The Mighty Årsta Swans. To the guys who have never played before I admire your courage,enthusiasm and passion. My advice to you is keep at it. Don’t be shy, ask questions and be patient, as you play and watch more things will become clearer and clearer. I have access to all AFL games this year and will be inviting all along to watch footy at its best. I especially encourage new players to come along. We can also do some footy 101 during and after the matches.
A HUGE CONGRADS to Mats and well, everything is huge with this bloke BIG DAN who will be representing the mighty Swedish Elks at this years International Cup back in the mother land. From reports I have received from national training there is alot expected from these 2 champions of Årsta,and I’m sure they will make both Sweden and Årsta AFC very proud.
A Big Sad Note (shivers down my spine). The one, the only, the man that makes a palmyra kebab look like a snack, makes us look like Thor, causes the opposing ruck man to have night terrors on match day eve, the man whose “o yeahs” can be heard from Baggermossan to Salen, the man that cannot go unnoticed in SAFF best and fairest awards, The guy who has undoubtedly been a massive influence on the culture of Årsta and who will always be a part of Årsta pride and history Big Dan Koinberg.
I still remember the day this unusually large man showed up to his first day at training, down at the cow paddock we know as Årstafältet. He looked like the last guy on earth you would want to run into in a dark alley or even worse spill a beer on in a crowded pub, until he embarked on the art of the drop punt. All of a sudden this threatening looking guy with biceps the size of an award winning watermelon at the easter show, and a chest that makes a doubledecker bus look like a suzuki mini van, looked like, well how do I say it… lets just say he didn’t look so threatening anymore. On introducing myself to him I found him quietly spoken and I could see him concentrating so hard just to understand the fast speaking somewhat unusual but very nice Aussie blokes playing this unusual game we call footy. I asked him why he was interested in playing footy, he replied with a sharp confident reply in a very thick swedish accent “I heard you get to smash guys. I wanna smash guys”. And in the first few games, well thats what he did!!! Thankfully for our team there is only one umpire and no video review of the matches. He was like an out of control tank in a primary school. Had it have been someone not his size I’m sure a few small fights may have broken out, but when the dazed and confused opposition player looked up to see who had just knocked the hell out of them late, off the ball and quite often in the back they quickly swallowed their words.
Well he worked hard at all aspects of his game, found that he fit in quite well with these unusual blokes from the other side of the world and went on to win 2nd place in the non australian best and fairest in his first year. Going one spot better last year taking out the Lars Hegberg medal. More importantly he took on a leadership role in the team and his enthusiasm and all round good guy attitude won him praise and respect from all in the club.
He fit in so easily with the club and Aussie mentality that before long on a trip to Thailand met a wonderful girl who at first was drawn to him from the other side of the club by his biceps. When this young Aussie approached him to get a closer look and heard him speaking Aussie slang with a swedish accent it must have been love at first sight. Big fella you are loved and respected in this club and you will be remembered by all who knew you here. We will miss you mate, but we know there is a beautiful Bondi Girl called Jade that needs you more. The club wishes you all the best and we know that you will succeed in everything you put your mind to. O YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Continuing Our Rise to the Top
Along with the recruitment of some fresh Swedish blood we have been fortunate to gain a couple of experienced Aussie blokes. Rob and Josh. Välkomna til Sverige gubber. I hope the club gives you guys as much as it has given me. You should find that all the swans will treat you like brothers as we seem to have an unspoken “all for one and one for all” motto here. This should be a huge boost to the club and hope you guys take on leadership roles with the training and development of the less experienced playing group.
However important it is to have a few guys that have played footy back home, the rise of the club is most dependent on the continual rise of our up and commers. Guys like Mats and Simon who do the hard work often unnoticed to many. Last year Simon in only his 3rd year of footy has proved that he has the toughness and cool headedness to be able to take on a lead role in the backline. Whether he is kicking out, making a lead or just making his opponents life tough, he is, in only 3 years a solid backman who would be picked in the starting lineup for any SAFF team. Mats who has only a year and a half of footy played his first game as rover without a break, has shown that with a bit of fitness a dash of toughness and a logical approach to learning the game you can go from first gamer to national team player in a season and a half. The club is looking for solid performances from these guys in 2011. 2 more guys who we will be looking for this year are young Joakim and big Robert. Both these guys looked lost at times early last year but both had benchmark game in 2010 that showed these guys understand the sport and have what it takes to be top swans.
On the other side of rising to the top, we must continue to improve our financial situation and publicity. I would just like guys to have fundraising and sponsorship on the back of our minds in every day life. Quite often in life there are opportunities that go begging simply because sometimes we fail to even think to put 2 and 2 together. If you see an opportunity with a company for sponsorship, let them know of us. During the year I will be working on a sponsorship package. Basically a presentation on the club and what we could do for potential sponsors. There will also be some fundraising activities during the year. I just ask that everyone get behind them 150%. There are some exciting things on the cards for not just Årsta but for footy in Stockholm. Success of the club comes back to us as we are the members. Just think wouldnt it be nice to have a new playing strip each year, you could keep your jersey. Or a kit as part of rego including a swans footy bag polo shirt etc. A field at uni big enough so we can play 16 a side has been achieved but don’t we want a clubhouse and changerooms. The possibilities are endless.
With publicity, as we have over the last 2 years I would like to ask everyone to continue our “all for one and one for all” attitude, and continue with a reputation of all who deal with the club of being fair, well behaved and in general all round good blokes.
I know I don’t need to say it, but any onfield fighting, racism or bad sportsmanship may have penalties from SAFF but its also not accepted within the club. Let’s continue to hold our heads high as a club.