Sussex Swans

The Sussex Swans are an Australian rules football club based in Crawley, England.

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 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.

2007 will see the Swans moving 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.

Future Developments

The Swans are currently undergoing a period of extensive change, resulting in many areas of the club expanding.

The Swans are currently the only BARFL club in the country working towards their own youth academy.

External links

* [http://www.theswans.org.uk The Swans Sports and Social Club]
* [http://www.barfl.co.uk British Australian Rules Football League]
* [http://www.AFL.com.au Australian Rules Football League]