Tribal Sport presents it’s inaugural Tribal Talks with the Vietnam Swans’ Bill Crang. Stay tuned for plenty more insights to the characters that make AFL Asia tick!
Name: Billy Crang
Age: Officially Masters qualified!
Nicknames: Surprisingly few… Billy, Cranger – maybe I’ve blacked a few out…
Clubs: Vietnam Swans
How many years have you been playing in Asia? 10 years
Preferred position/s: Always tell the coach I’m a full forward but seems I’m stuck up the other end.
Number: the high ones now that shared kit numbers run up in terms of jumper size – about 37.
AFL team: urgh, next… (Melbourne)
Best player/s in AFL Asia: There’s so many… Oscar the Grouch was pretty incredible for the Swans in 2019.
Best teammate/s: Normally I just rattle off the backline core – Nath M, Vaughan, Damo Judd, Lukey T, Trent Davies, little Vinh who help me out every game. Beyond that… Jakey Norris always amazes me, Timmy Pickert was incredible around the club as we lifted towards having a win at the Manilla Cup and is threatening some sort of come back and Jimmy B/Kerro are incredible on/off field team mates in Vietnam. These kinds of team mates are what makes the club great for everyone else – can’t put a high enough value on their efforts! Rocket Rod White’s support in coaching/playing with us in the last 2 years has brought about some great successes.
Most annoying teammate: Dave O’Shea could get in the best and most annoying category but I’ll put him here.
Most difficult opponents: I’ve always found the HK Dragons tough. Locally we always have great scraps against the Cambodian Eagles.
Best AFL Asia memory: The connection between some of the vets who fought in the region and our footy club and ANZAC Day games has changed the sport for me.
Favourite meal: Happy with anything home cooked.
Scruncher or folder: Folder
Cats or dogs: Dogs
Coffee or tea: Tea
Favourite holiday destination: Japan, the Matty G Osaka on foot tour is incredible, plus the rest of the country.
Sauce in the fridge or cupboard: You’d have to ask my wife. Cupboard I would have thought.
Invite 4 people of your choice to a dinner party: Kelly Slater, Warrick Capper, Phil Johns and Shane Warne.
Best footy trip: The bus trips to Cambodia are incredible, our first ICC win there was one for the ages. The Luang Prabang Indochina Cup we lost was a great trip too. Spewing we don’t look likely to head back to Laos this year.
What do you like the most about playing footy in Asia? I could rattle off things all day but the mateship is obviously incredible. Through most of the AFL Asia teams and here in my day to day life in Vietnam.
3 things people don’t know about you: Whoa, anyone who has much to do with me knows a bit too much already…
What are you looking forward to when normality returns? Obviously getting some footy tours in.
What does the future of AFL Asia look like and/or how do you see the sport impacting local communities across Asia? I think we’ve seen such incredible things so far and the direction we’re heading now is to bring it all together so that each of our clubs can do more of these amazing things. AFL Asia is maturing to the stage where it can really help bounce the energy around and amplify it through each of the clubs. The incredible impacts we can have are to bringing people together around a great sport, connecting our culture to our current home land’s culture and supporting communities in need it through our platform. These have already been demonstrated throughout Asia but I believe there’s massive scope to keep taking it to new levels.
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