- Dane Swan has earned a place in the Hall of Fame
- Footy star is a Collingwood legend
- He was praised for his relaxed approach to the game
Collingwood cult hero Dane Swan has been honored for his stellar playing career and inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
But Collingwood was forced to apologize after revealing the surprise hours before the ceremony.
On a night when Hawthorn’s champion goalkeeper Jason Dunstall was officially elevated to Legend status, Swan was the fourth inductee at Tuesday’s gala event in Melbourne.
Inaugural Adelaide Crows captain Chris McDermott, brilliant Footscray forward Kelvin Templeton and New South Wales pioneer Ralph Robertson were also recognised.
Swan was much loved by a legion of fans in the Magpie Army and was a leader of Collingwood’s famous ‘rat pack’ during their successful spell under coaching legend Mick Malthouse and his successor Nathan Buckley.
Dane Swan has been inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame
The Collingwood legend accepted his award in Melbourne on Tuesday evening
Malthouse and Buckley – both members of the Hall of Fame – were in attendance Tuesday evening.
But footy fans were aware of Swan’s tribute hours before the announcement after a ‘technical error’ caused Collingwood to issue a statement to the media, which was then shared online by a journalist.
In a follow-up statement entitled: ‘Attention to all media regarding previous communications’, the club advocated for the media to ‘to maintain an embargo on notices recently issued relating to the Australian Football Hall of Fame’.
“This will be announced on Fox Footy tonight after 9pm,” the club said.
‘The club apologizes for this technical error.’
Swan was recognized alongside Chris McDermott (top left), Kelvin Templeton (front left), Jason Dunstall (centre) and Michael Graham (front right)
Swan was sometimes criticized for not looking like a professional athlete, and he caused his share of controversy off the field, but was a true star of the league on the field.
The prolific midfielder made a key contribution to the Magpies’ 2010 premiership under Malthouse and won the Brownlow Medal the following season, with what was then a record 34 votes under the 3-2-1 system.
He was also an All-Australian in five consecutive seasons from 2009-13 and won the Copeland Trophy – Collingwood’s best and fairest award – for three consecutive years from 2008-10.
Swan’s brilliant 2010 campaign also included the AFL Players Association MVP award and the Jim Stynes Medal as Australia’s best player in the International Rules series against Ireland.
Swan, a close friend of Richmond superstar and future Hall of Fame member Dustin Martin, retired in 2016 due to a serious foot injury after 258 games in black and white.
“Not only was he admired for his football skills and running ability, but the midfielder was also unstoppable throughout the match, with his strength and speed proving an irresistible force,” Collingwood said in a statement.
‘Beyond the statistics and his achievements, the Magpie Army will forever admire Swan for his relaxed approach to football and to life.
‘He embodied an earlier era when it was still possible to play football and enjoy life outside.’