Putting the “ATH” in Swan Ath
Swan Athletic’s Steve Bertoli speaks to Cameron Palmer
For 75 years the Swan Athletic Sporting Club and for over 40 years the Swan Athletic Football Club has proudly embraced being a club deeply rooted in tradition.
More widely, Swan Athletic lives by a culture and club values tied towards friendship, unity and embracing the history of the club.
That history includes a proud on-field success ratio, with Swan Athletic winning multiple premierships in the then WAAFL, Hills Football Association and South Midland Association. The club’s premiership success prior to entering the now Perth Football League is almost unparalleled, winning 26 premierships in a 30 year span across the HFA and SMA.
Yet, while Swan Athletic could be proud of upholding a tradition of a successful on-field club, its celebration of tradition remain more tightly bound to impacts that have occurred off the field.
The club proudly respects its hard working tradition and its longevity as both a Sporting Club and Football Club. The Swan Athletic Football Club honours individuals that have been significant to the club, not necessarily for their on-field playing exploits, but for their passion and dedication to the club. The best and fairest awards for both league and reserves are testament to embracing individuals who had significant impact to the club beyond the playing field.
Speaking with Swan Athletic former player and Life Member Steve Bertoli, that culture and the pride that all former players and members have in the club is evident.
“We think we run a pretty good ship out here, we abide by the rules, we encourage people to embrace friendship and unity,” Bertoli said.
“Once you’re down here it becomes a little bit infectious so maybe that uniqueness of the premises being owned by the members, people really care about the place.”
Impressively and importantly for Swan Athletic, its newest generations of footballers are embracing the tradition of the club and ensuring that respecting the history of the club remains a key staple of the club going forward.
“Last year there was a bit of a changing of the guard here with the older guys, the 30 year olds had started to slow down and it was a lot of kids playing this year,” Bertoli said.
“When COVID came, we sat down and they actually came up with a motto of the year of ‘Attitude, Tradition, Honesty’ which was ATH.”
With a next generation of footballers who are determined to put the ATH in Athletic, and continue to honour tradition as one of the club’s most important values, Swan Athletic will remain true to itself for many years to come.
“The ownership of the club belongs to them, they buy in, they come up with the motto, they try and live by it and hopefully it all goes well,” Bertoli said.
“It takes a long, long time to build culture.”
May it long continue at the Swan Athletic Football Club for years to come.
