AFL Queensland team the Yeppoon Swans have created history over the weekend as their A Grade team achieved the unbelievable feat of winning 100 games in a row.
The Yeppoon Swans play in the AFL Capricornia, which is in the rugby heartland of Queensland and also field women’s and junior teams. There’s a bit of an AFL Asia flavour to the story as the Vietnam Swans 2019 Division 2 Asian Champs winning player Budd Norris (#17 in the video link), who recently joined the all-conquering Swans.
Budd is of course the brother of one of the Swannies favourite sons in Jake Norris – The Junkyard Dog! The hard nut brothers have enjoyed success both domestically in Australia, as well as internationally and have won a swag of premiership medals between them with AFL England-based team the Manchester Mosquitoes.
The Vietnam Swans currently have a feat of their own that is yet to be broken having won a three-peat of the AFL Asia Indochina Cup from 2017-2019 to go along with their 2019 Asian Champs Division 2 triumph. It must also be noted that the Swannies had a 4 year period of dominance prior to their existing feat when they hoisted the AFL Asia Indochina Cup from 2010 to 2013.
Asian Champs winning streaks aren’t uncommon in the AFL Asia history books with the HK Dragons going back to back in 2003-2004 & 2012-2013, the Singapore Wombats AFL Team achieving the same feat back in 2005-2006, whilst the Dubai Heat’s controversial three-peat reign from 2008-2010 is the longest Asian Champs trophy winning streak.
The Division 2 Asian Champs was introduced for the first time in 2015 and the Bali Geckos have had a fair strangle hold on the Division 2 Asian Champs saluting in 2016 & 2017, whilst joining forces with the Jakarta Bintangs and reaching the top of the mountain and taking out the 2018 Division 1 Asian Champs as the Indonesian Volcanoes.
The PNG Muruks – AFL made their Asian Champs debut in 2017 and have since become a powerhouse side, taking out the Division 2 Asian Champs in just their second year in 2018 and winning the 2019 Division 1 Asian Champs.
Despite all of the wonderful streaks across Asian footy and the phenomenal achievement of the Yeppoon Swans, as it stands there has been six different Division 1 Asian Champs winning teams at the past six Asian Champs pre-COVID-19 and includes the following sides;
2014 – Singapore Wombats
2015 – HK Dragons
2016 – Philippine Australian Football League (Philippine Eagles)
2017 – Malaysian Warriors – Australian Rules Football Club
2018 – Indonesian Volcanoes
2019 – PNG Muruks
