Merrigum Football Netball Club is set to welcome an AFL legend to its pack with Dane Swan to don the red, white and blue this season.
Swan, a 2010 premiership player with Collingwood, will bring 258 games of AFL experience with him when he graces the expanses of Merrigum Recreation Reserve.
The 2011 Brownlow medallist will suit up for the Bulldogs for one game in 2023, although which specific match he will feature in is still to be confirmed.
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New Merrigum president Andrew Parkinson said it would be a huge day for the club when Swan takes to the field, adding he was hoping to see a bumper crowd come through.
“For us it is a chance to bounce out of the year after COVID and hopefully get a lot of people to the Merrigum footy ground to witness what we would consider to be a spectacle,” Parkinson said.
“Our prime objective is to get as many people through the gate as we can.
“We have a couple of clubs in particular that support their away games the best, so they would be the ones we would look to capitalise on.
“More through the gate, more through the bar, more through the canteen – it is a chance to get as many people to the club as we can.”
Parkinson said the club linked up with Swan through incoming playing coach Jaydon Stiles, who has worked with the AFL legend previously.
After the game, Parkinson said Swan would be the special guest at a sportsman’s night at the club.
As a Collingwood fan himself, the president said he was keen to hear from one of Magpies’ favourite sons.
“The thing I am probably looking forward to most at the sportsman’s night afterwards is getting to pick his brain and ask him a few questions and see what makes him tick,” he said.
“Everyone probably relates to Dane Swan, he seems to come across as an everyday bloke and nothing seems to really bother him. And the bloke can play footy a little bit as well.
“I am a Collingwood supporter as well, so I will be pretty keen to see him pull on a Merrigum jumper.”
Merrigum won’t be the only country footy side Swan takes to the field for in 2023, with the three-time Collingwood best-and-fairest winner also set to play for Picola District league side Mathoura.
Swan will play for the Timbercutters in their blockbuster clash with Picola United on Saturday, April 9 on the Easter long weekend.
Timbercutters’ co-coach Nick Ferrari said securing Swan for the clash would be beneficial on and off the field as the club continued to rebuild after a turbulent two seasons.
“I’ve known him for a while through another mate of mine, Ricky Nixon,” Ferrari said.
“We had him and Anthony Koutoufides up (at Mathoura) last year for a function after the last game of the season.
“I wanted to put in for an Easter game to get the club back on the map a bit more, especially after the last few years.
“We got the game, spoke to Swanny and he agreed.
“Hopefully we get a big crowd. It would be nice to get the win as well.”