London Swans
Encyclopedia
The London Swans are an Australian rules football
club based in London
, England
, previously based in Crawley
and known until 2007 as the Sussex Swans.
donated on the first set of footy jumpers that was to last three years. It was intended to replace the Sydney Opera House
logo with a representation of the Brighton Pavilion when a new set of jumpers was needed.
The Swans' first game in the BARFL was on 21 April 1991 at King's Manor Upper School ground in Shoreham-by-Sea
, West Sussex
against the Bristol Bears. The Swans were defeated by a large margin. In the first year the Swans lost every game with the team largely being made up of British players and with only an average of four Australians. Their first victory finally came during the 1992 season.
In 1993 the Sussex Swans moved to Crawley Rugby Club
, won the first game of the season against the Bristol Bears and then beat the East Midland Eagles
in round two - the only time to date the Swans have led the BARFL ladder.
1998 saw the Swans reach the BARFL Premiership finals for the first time, losing to the Wimbledon Hawks
in the semi-finals. 1999 saw the Swans reach the semi final of the Pre Season Cup for the first time, though they were defeated by the more experienced Wandsworth Demons
.
In 2001, ten members of the Swans' squad were selected for the British Bulldogs side for the Atlantic Alliance Cup
held in London
.
The Swans have continued in the BARFL Premiership competition and field a second team - the City Swans - in the BARFL London Conference. This Conference team finished fifth in the ladder in 2006, narrowly missing a place in the Grand Finals.
In 2007 the Swans moved from their traditional Sussex home to a London base, with a presence remaining in Sussex through the new third team created to compete in a new regional league.
.
The 2008 season was key to the club, with the EU base expanding, and a memorable win against the Wandsworth Demons in
the last game of the season, held on 26 July 2008. The Swans kicked four goals in the last five minutes of the game, defeating the Demons by one goal. However, after mixed fortunes on the pitch during the year, they ended the season fifth in the ladder.
The Swans are currently the only BARFL club in the country working towards their own youth academy.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
club based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, previously based in Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
and known until 2007 as the Sussex Swans.
History
The Sussex Swans were formed towards the end of 1990, with the British Australian Rules Football League quite keen to expand with teams outside of London. The Sydney SwansSydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
donated on the first set of footy jumpers that was to last three years. It was intended to replace the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
logo with a representation of the Brighton Pavilion when a new set of jumpers was needed.
The Swans' first game in the BARFL was on 21 April 1991 at King's Manor Upper School ground in Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
against the Bristol Bears. The Swans were defeated by a large margin. In the first year the Swans lost every game with the team largely being made up of British players and with only an average of four Australians. Their first victory finally came during the 1992 season.
In 1993 the Sussex Swans moved to Crawley Rugby Club
Crawley Rugby Club
Crawley Rugby club is a rugby club based in Crawley, Sussex.Crawley currently compete in the Sussex Spitfire 1 league.As well as running a wide range of rugby clubs involving both junior and senior players, Crawley has in the past provided a home ground for the Sussex Swans Australian Rules...
, won the first game of the season against the Bristol Bears and then beat the East Midland Eagles
East Midland Eagles
The East Midland Eagles were an Australian rules football club based in Leicester, England.-History:The East Midland Eagles were formed in 1990 as a foundation club of the British Australian Rules Football League. They played seven seasons in the BARFL, their last being 1996...
in round two - the only time to date the Swans have led the BARFL ladder.
1998 saw the Swans reach the BARFL Premiership finals for the first time, losing to the Wimbledon Hawks
Wimbledon Hawks
Australian rules football club in Wimbledon, a suburb of London, England. The club plays in the London Premiership of the British Australian Rules Football League. The Hawks are proudly sponsored by The Underdog Bar.-History:...
in the semi-finals. 1999 saw the Swans reach the semi final of the Pre Season Cup for the first time, though they were defeated by the more experienced Wandsworth Demons
Wandsworth Demons
The Wandsworth Demons are an Australian Rules Football club who play in the AFL London competition . They are a founding member of the league and have been based at Clapham Common in south London since 1990....
.
In 2001, ten members of the Swans' squad were selected for the British Bulldogs side for the Atlantic Alliance Cup
Atlantic Alliance Cup
The Atlantic Alliance Cup is an international Australian rules football tournament run every 3 years. The inaugural tournament was in pitting clubs and national teams from the North Atlantic together....
held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The Swans have continued in the BARFL Premiership competition and field a second team - the City Swans - in the BARFL London Conference. This Conference team finished fifth in the ladder in 2006, narrowly missing a place in the Grand Finals.
In 2007 the Swans moved from their traditional Sussex home to a London base, with a presence remaining in Sussex through the new third team created to compete in a new regional league.
2007 and 2008 seasons
Throughout 2007 and 2008 the Swans established themselves as one of the leading clubs in the London AFL league. They are now the only club truly based in Central London, with training and home games held at Regent's ParkRegent's Park
Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
.
The 2008 season was key to the club, with the EU base expanding, and a memorable win against the Wandsworth Demons in
the last game of the season, held on 26 July 2008. The Swans kicked four goals in the last five minutes of the game, defeating the Demons by one goal. However, after mixed fortunes on the pitch during the year, they ended the season fifth in the ladder.
2010 ANZAC Cup victory
In 2010, the London Swans were victorious in the 16th Annual ANZAC Cup held at Osterley. The Swans went through the round-robin tournament undefeated, with victories over West London Wildcats and North London Lions in the preliminary stages, before defeating Putney Magpies in the semi final. In the Grand Final, the Swans faced North London Lions and after a strong second half, ran away victors by 2 goals. Best on ground was awarded to new recruit Anthony Raso, who dominated across the forward line all day, taking several spectacular 'Warwick Capper-style' marks.Future developments
The Swans are currently undergoing a period of extensive change, resulting in many areas of the club expanding. The club is being successful in recruiting many new EU players, and full-fledged Netball teams are now also part of the club's London operations.The Swans are currently the only BARFL club in the country working towards their own youth academy.