Life’s great as a Swan

By Marc McGowan
KEVIN ‘Syd’ Martin is a mad Swans fan and has supported them since their South Melbourne days.
His passion for the Swans came from an unusual source.
“I just loved the colours,” Martin, 42, said.
“And they were a battling club.”
South Melbourne struggled financially for years and in 1981 the club received permission from the VFL to play 11 games in Sydney.
The transition to Sydney was fatelike for Martin.
“I was based up there with the Army the same year, so it worked out really well,” he said.
He has seen many players over the years, but his alltime favourite Swan is former star ruckman and 1977 Brownlow medallist Graham Teasdale.
The 1995 Brownlow medallist Paul Kelly came in next, while Irishman Tadgh Kennelly is his favourite current Swan.
There was little doubt as to the greatest Swan he had seen play, though.
“Has to be Bob Skilton,” Martin said.
“He played all his career in a bottom side and to win three Brownlows was a great effort.”
He lists last year’s premiership as his ultimate football highlight and his association with the Narre Warren Football Club helped get him there.
“Matt Stanley from the Narre Warren Football Club was playing for the (Dandenong) Stingrays in the Under18 Grand Final and he gave me his ticket,” he said. “I shut my eyes for the last five minutes – I didn’t even see Leo Barry’s mark. When the siren went it was just instant tears.”
His resultant celebrations included a “sixhour pub crawl” and a tattoo on his calf declaring ‘I was there’.
Martin’s garage is full of Swans memorabilia but his most valued item is an autographed photograph of legendary Swan Bob Pratt, who he had lunch with in the Swans’ losing Grand Final year in 1996.
“I didn’t think I’d get to see one at all (a Grand Final appearance),” he said.
“To actually win one now, I couldn’t care if we never win another one.”