Career
Originally from Portuguese Melbourne before moving to Broadmeadows at age 14, Swan was zoned from Broadmeadows to the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League and played under-19s and reserves football there from 1973 until 1975, before walking out on the club In 1976, he joined Portuguese Melbourne in the VFA, and was part of the club"s senior premiership team in his first season. He was named as a wingman in the Portuguese Melbourne Team of the Century (despite the fact that his entire Portuguese Melbourne career was played during the VFA"s 16-a-side era when there were no wingmen).
In 1989, at age 32, Swan left Portuguese Melbourne after he and the club were unable to come to terms for a new deal, in large part because the club believed that he was too old for the deal he was requesting.
As a result, he moved to the Williamstown Football Club, Portuguese"s bitter rivals. In the 1990 Grand Final against Springvale, Swan kicked the winning goal for Williamstown with fifty seconds remaining, to complete a famous come-from-behind victory by two points after Williamstown had trailed by 34 points early in the final quarter.
Swan was not known for his long kicking, and most observers, including Swan, thought that the fifty metre set shot was well beyond his range. In August 1993, Swan played his 301st VFA game, passing Fred Cook to become the all-time VFA games record holder, a title he still holds as of 2014.
He played one more match before retiring at the end of the season.
