A Collingwood legend will become a Bulldog for a day when Brownlow medallist and Magpies premiership player Dane Swan suits up for Merrigum.
The five-time All Australian and 258 AFL gamer will don the Bulldogs’ red, white and blue when they play host to Avenel on Saturday afternoon.
On the field, the Bulldogs will be hoping Swan can help lift the team to a key win as Merrigum looks to keep pace in the race for Kyabram District League’s top six.
The Swans and Dogs are ninth and 10th on the ladder, but sit four points behind the finals spots.
Off the field, Swan will speak with Merrigum’s players, coaches and sponsors, before being the star attraction at the club’s sportsman’s night, to be held at Kyabram P-12 College hall from 6.30pm.
Merrigum Football Netball Club president Andrew Parkinson said he hoped the AFL legend’s presence can be a huge boost for the club across the board.
“I’m looking forward to seeing our team and club get around Dane as a group,” Parkinson said.
“This is something they should all look forward to. This was never heard of back in the day when I was playing football, to have a high-profile, ex-AFL star playing.
“I’m looking forward to a positive experience for our club that we can get on the back of for the rest of the season.”
With a bumper crowd expected on the day and more than 250 tickets to the sportsman’s night sold, Parkinson said he hoped the day generated plenty of funding for the club.
‘’I’m hoping that it will be one of our biggest fundraisers for quite a while,“ he said.
“You go to the trouble and expense of organising someone high profile, we want to be able to capitalise on it the best we can. Hopefully we can get a decent crowd through the gate, make a good day of it and have a win.”
Swan won’t be the only former AFL star to feature on the night, with former Richmond and current Kyabram gun Kayne Pettifer set to MC the event.
Parkinson said he was thrilled to have Pettifer involved with the night, especially given his family connection to Merrigum.
“We are excited to have Kayne involved. His father played football at Merrigum back in the day,” he said.
“When I rang Kayne about the possibility of him MCing the night, he was more than happy to do it.
“It is not easy being a small country football netball club. It has its challenges and COVID hasn’t helped.
“Getting young people to play football and want to stay engaged and connected in the community has become a huge challenge. Things like this might help us to get more people around the club and continue to evolve.”
Tickets to the sportsman’s night are $75 and can be bought online at https://www.merrigumfnc.com.au/events or at the door on the night.
Merrigum Recreation Reserve will be the latest stop on Swan’s country football tour this year, a journey that has seen him play across multiple leagues and four different states.
Closest to home, Swan took the field for Picola District league side Mathoura in its traditional Easter clash against Picola United.
Swan has also suited up for The Basin Bears (Eastern Football League), Western Rams (Riddell District Football League), Gormandale (North Gippsland Football Netball League), Shellharbour City Suns (AFL South Coast, NSW), Nangwarry Saints (Mid South Eastern Football League, SA) and Chapman Valley (Great Northern Football League, WA).