See the proof that party animal footy legend Dane Swan had a HUGE night after his induction into the AFL Hall of Fame
- Dane Swan had a great evening on Tuesday
- The Collingwood legend joked about partying late into the night
- Swan had the audience laughing during his Hall of Fame speech
Collingwood cult hero Dane Swan enjoyed a great night after his Australian Football Hall of Fame gong, with the legend having to skip a media conference the next morning.
Swan was the fourth inductee at Tuesday night’s gala event in Melbourne and he lived up to his reputation as one of the AFL’s true larrikins as he had the audience in stitches with several wild anecdotes.
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.
Swan delivered a masterful speech and had the room in hysterics, reflecting on his many off-field controversies.
He thanked his girlfriend Taylor Wilson and couldn’t resist making a cheeky comment.
Dane Swan (pictured with girlfriend Taylor Wilson) was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame
“I’m not a crafty linguist… Luckily I got that out, that could have been dangerous,” he joked.
‘Without you I don’t know where I would be. I love you so much. Remember these kind words when I refuse to come to bed in ten hours and I won’t kick anyone out of the after party.”
Wilson, who shares three children with Swan, was seen laughing in the crowd, but appeared to give him an icy look at the comment.
After the ceremony concluded, News Corp claims attendees made their way to Swan’s table, where he was well on his way to a good night with fellow ‘rat pack’ members Heath Shaw, Chris Tarrant, Ben Johnson and Alan Didak.
The group apparently had a good night when Swan apologetically called on AFL bosses on Wednesday to politely withdraw from the morning’s media duties.
Swan wasted no time in pinpointing the fork in the road that set him on the path to a stellar AFL career and eventual induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
“When I was arrested,” he said.
‘That was fun.’
Swan was a self-confessed ‘s***head’ in his youth and railed against authority. When he first arrived at the biggest club in the country, he initially believed that football was all about fun and games off the field.
Swan and his long-term girlfriend Taylor have three children together
The 2011 Brownlow Medal winner made a significant contribution to the Magpies’ 2010 premiership
Swan (pictured in his hotel room before the ceremony) was an All-Australian for five consecutive seasons
“I thought playing AFL was just about getting drinks tickets on a Saturday night,” he said.
‘I would put a lot of effort into it; it was all on a Saturday night.
“There was no effort whatsoever during the day and I didn’t deserve to be on an AFL list.
‘I ended up in that blue, got into trouble and thought I was going to get fired.
‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. It’s very cliché, but for me it made sense.’
Swan was arrested at the end of 2003, his second year at Collingwood, after getting into a fight with bouncers.
His father Bill Swan, a great Victorian Football Association player, told the young player to walk away if he wasn’t interested in an AFL career.
Club leaders, including legendary coach Mick Malthouse, sat Swan down and told him some brutal truths as they urged him to repay their trust.
He turned it around and became a Magpies great, famously starring in the 2010 premiership and the Brownlow Medal a year later.
Swan was an All-Australian for five consecutive seasons (2009-2013) and won Collingwood’s best and fairest award three times (2008-2010).