On the field he’s as good as there is, but as the AFL’s most unprofessional professional, Dane Swan has the potential to derail Collingwood’s season.
The fallout from Swan’s interview last Thursday night on The Footy Show has prompted an overreaction from the Collingwood Football Club after the prolific ball winner failed to inform his club of his participation in the interview.
Swan is believed to have made $20,000 for his role in the interview and AFL rules prohibit clubs from fining players more than $5,000 for media protocol breaches.
The actual content of the Swan interview is the most relevant element of the interview but Collingwood President Eddie McGuire has publicly stated he has no qualms with Swan’s responses to probing questions by Damien Barrett.
The purpose of the interview surrounded the drug controversy which consumed the AFL preseason and Swan was handpicked for the interview based on his public profile as the consummate unprofessional, who just so happens to be one of the best players in the league.
Controversy and public indiscretions have followed Swan his entire career and his social life is well known to his club, the AFL and fans.
“[I have] a laid-back attitude and like to relax and to have a bit of fun. I’m not footy, footy, footy all the time,” Swan told The Footy Show.
“I’m clearly not an angel. I probably go out a little bit more socially than your common footballer. Maybe I am a bit of what they call a ‘lad’.”
It was only as recent as August last season that Swan was handed a two match suspension by his club for turning up to training hungover.
Players like Swan are a refreshing delight to the fans who have come accustomed with the clichés players have been ingrained to regurgitate to the media.
Honest and open players are rarely available to the media but the insight into club culture they give is considered dangerously insightful by their clubs.
Throughout his career, Jason Akermanis was the most honest player in the league and never feared speaking his mind. He did however; destroy the club culture at both the Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs.
The question has to be asked, did Dane Swan actually do anything wrong?
The answer obviously depends on who you ask but the Collingwood star was fined $5,000 by his club for breaching protocols.
While things may appear settled at the surface of an unrepentant Swan, he rests on dangerous ground and would be considered a high risk player capable of spiralling out of control.
Overall, Swan is still good for the game because his views are refreshing and he gives the fans what they want. His club would disagree though.
Collingwood’s premiership hopes somewhat hinge on how Swan can bounce back from this latest indiscretion and the last thing they need is a disgruntled Brownlow medallist.
Has football become too professional?
Morri
Guest
Thank-you, Richard! You have made some great points also!
Richard
Roar Guru
Good on you Morri. Well said.
Morri
Guest
Well, as far as I see it, he is an amazing athlete!!! Give the guy a break!!! He is young and ambitious!!! No different than most of our athletes here in the USA!!! He's got the gift for sure!!! Don't change a thing Swanny!!!! All his haters need to quit sipping on that Hater-ade!!! Go you cutie-Pie!!! Go you Pies!!!!!!
Martin
Guest
A distraction? I didn't read that newspaper article; however, I imagine if a piece of art or maybe a painting walked across the road I suppose I would get somewhat distracted and perhaps bump the car in front of me.
Richard
Roar Guru
He was more than a distraction. And it got worse because West Coast failed to deal it with it promptly. I think WC, Collingwood and other professional clubs deal with these issues much better these days.
Richard
Roar Guru
Well said!
Richard
Roar Guru
What a beat up that was. First the Channel Nine crew, looking for something spectacular to give their tiring Footy Show format a bit of a sparkle for the first episode, give Swanny $20000 or something like that to be the first interview for Goofy for the year. Liam Pickering, looking after his media mates, deliberately advises Swan to ignore protocol, knowing that it would provoke a reaction. Then Collingwood deal with it. Then Caroline Wilson, Goofy, Bilbo Baggins and everyone else in the AFL media bubble world blow up the issue so that they can get a few more issues out of it. What we lovers of the Game have to put up with in the off season. What a w@#k! Swan is creative, talented, different and a fantastic asset for Collingwood. Back to your knitting circle CW and stop nagging our guy. Collingwood know how to handle him and we wouldn't have it any different.
Yank Paul
Guest
Just something to think about, referring to a sport's history with which I am more familiar. Babe Ruth was a known womanizer, drunk and over-eater. A loose cannon. The stories of his "misbehaviours" are numerous. Just two examples. He reputedly showed up for a World Series game still drunk, hit a home run in his first at bat, snuck at least two beers in while in the dugout and finished the game. According to Ruth himself, his famous "called home run" was nothing of the sort. He was hungover, a fly was irritating him and he tried to wave it away just before hitting that famous home run. Professional sport in every country has it's stories about "colorful" stars of the past. Players who marched to their own drum while excelling in their chosen sport. Such players are becoming increasingly rare. I say that sport is less interesting because of this and I point to corporate sponsorships as the main culprit.
peeeko
Roar Guru
What do Josh Dugan from the NRL raiders and Swan have in common?
Tom Dimanis
Roar Pro
The Eagles won a flag with Ben Cousins and then set the club back three good years due to him being a 'distraction.'
TW
Guest
What has changed for 2013. Swan is what he is - A bit different - Apparently he has made the full arm tattoo the way to go for that style of the "art". As an opposition supporter he will still get the ball too often and is very dangerous when he does.
Steele
Guest
It was hardly a "probing interview", certain obvious question were left unsaid, all it did was draw more attention to a bloke who says he doesn't like the limelight. You can tell by his appearance and behavior that he actually seeks it. # not fooling anyone!!
Stephen GIll
Guest
Dane Swan is exactly what us football fans want to see and hear more of, it is an absolute joke what the media is trying to do to him, bring him down, shameful article written by Caroline WIlson, she should apologise to the world after writing such an indictment on a true character of the game, based on what ? heresay, that's all. It is a crying shame we haven't got more footballers like Swanny. Honest as they come. He's out there, we know that, perhaps it's the artwork that draws the attention but I'm also convinced if he wasn't at Collingwood we wouldn't hear half of this garbage. Get off his back and let him be the best midfielder in the business without this unfounded distraction. Beware,this guy will prove all you knockers wrong
Reccymech
Roar Rookie
Has football become too professional? I don't know about being too professional, yes it is professional, but hasn't any code of football that wants to remain relevant in the modern corporate (read sponsors) landscape. 'We' can all remember back to more 'innocent' times, and yes, there were the larrikins and we loved them for it, footy was just that - a Saturday afternoon of tribalism. A different time, fast forward to now - we have changed (for better or worse), therefore, our great game has changed, methinks for the better. As to the article regarding Dane Swan, isn't there a sub-plot? Eddie, and the Melbourne Football Club circa 2012.
EricBloom
Roar Rookie
The Pies will be fine. They won a flag with Swan less controlled than he is today and by the looks of it, he's just setting himself up for a post-football career. Now, whether or ot he has the smarts for a position in the media is debatable but he sounds pretty intent on this being his final playing contract which finishes at the end of next season. Yes, he's a distraction but every club has one.