The day Geoffrey Edelsten bought the Sydney Swans
IT MIGHT seem hard to believe these days, but there was a time when the Sydney Swans were the laughing stock of football. Then came a flamboyant millionaire doctor with a stylish blonde wife on his arm and footy changed forever.
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IT might seem hard to believe these days, but there was a time when the Sydney Swans were the laughing stock of football.
Just years after their move north, the Swans found themselves near the bottom of the ladder and in a dire financial position.
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It looked like they might even move back to South Melbourne.
They started season 1985 with a $1.5 million debt, which by mid-season had already grown to about $1.9 million.
Then along came a flamboyant businessman and controversial doctor with a stylish blonde wife on his arm.
It changed footy forever.
THE TUSSLE FOR CONTROL
DESPITE the debt Geoffrey Edelsten wasn’t the only one who wanted to own the Swans.
Millionaire textile magnate Basil Sellers was also keen on a piece of the action.
A war of words erupted between the two as a vote by VFL clubs neared.
The day before the vote Edelsten told the Herald his offer stood at $6.3 million, he claimed Sellers offer was $1.5 million less.
“In order to justify that he has got to try to discredit me,” Edelsten said.
“He tried before and failed and now there has been another attempt.”
Edelsten brimmed with confidence in the lead-up to the vote on Wednesday July 31 1985: “If there is a vote tonight I will win”.
Edelsten spent the afternoon before the vote driving around in his white Porsche with the words SWANS on the numberplate.
Neither Edelsten or Sellers were invited to the vote.
VFL commissioner Jack Hamilton phoned an excited Edelsten at 6.55pm to relay the news: “Geoff, congratulations,” he said.
His young wife Leanne, dressed in red leather pants and white mid-thigh boots was delighted.
“Isn’t it wonderful? I’m so excited,” she told The Sun.
It was reported the next day that Edelsten was the unanimous choice of the VFL directors who voted 11-0 for him to take over the ailing club.
Hamilton said Edelsten’s offer was “undoubtedly superior”.
Edelsten agreed to pay the Swans debts, a $1.5 million licence fee and another licence fee accounting to five per cent of annual profit.
It was the first time a club had been privately owned — history had been made.
EDELSTEN’S PLANS FOR BATTLING CLUB
EDELSTEN had big plans for the Swans — poaching Ron Barassi or Kevin Sheedy, who later the year would go on to coach his second flag for the Bombers, was top of the list.
He admitted he had only spoken to then coach John Northey once.
Ever the businessman Edelsten had one thing in mind.
“I love football, but I want to see a return for my money,” he said.
“If my licence is worth $6.3 million now and I can make a large profit and reinvest it and increase membership in Sydney to 20,000 in three years, then the licence may be worth $60 million in 20 years time.”
He had little sympathy for success-starved South Melbourne supporters.
“I’m not worrying about Clarendon St, but the people in Pitt St, Sydney,” he said.
“From today we are a Sydney football team. The stigma of the bankrupt Melbourne club dumped on Sydney to solve some problems in Victoria is over.”
FLAMBOYANT ARRIVAL FOR FIRST GAME
AS the doctor headed to Melbourne to prepare for the weekend match against Carlton, Sydney sat near the bottom of the ladder with just five wins and 12 losses.
Things had looked brighter early in the year — they started the season with a 110-point thrashing of eventual wooden spooner St Kilda.
That win was followed up by a narrow victory against Richmond in Round 2, but then the season fell away.
The Swans had lost four-in-a-row by the time Edelsten’s chauffer driver helped the new Swans owner out of his white Mercedes at Princes Park on August 3.
By his side that day Leanne looking very 1980s — dressed in club colours — striking white thigh length boots over white jeans and a red and white jumper.
The pair had planned to arrive in Edelsten’s famous pink helicopter, but a permit for it to land at the ground was denied.
Edelsten was nervous as he walked into Princes Park.
“I really hope we can knock Carlton off,” he told Channel 7’s Peter Donegan.
Making money was also not far from his mind.
“I think overall for the code there is more money in a national competition, but I think the success of a national competition would be the Sydney Swans being successful in Sydney,” Edelsten said.
He was asked about the possibility of the Swans changing colours.
“I am concerned that we really need a relaunch in Sydney to gain all the attention and muster the support of Sydneysiders that is an option that we will be exploring in the off-season, but there’s been no decision made,” Edelsten said.
At the president’s lunch Blues president John Elliott joked about Carlton-born Edelsten changing sides.
“We never lose a Carlton supporter and it must have been a great rift for you to go and buy the Swans,” he said.
“It is unusually fitting that Carlton should be hosting the Swans on this day because we will be the last football club to be privately-owned and we have Dr Edelsten here today who is the first owner of a club.”
Edelsten then walked around the boundary line greeting Swans supporters as he made his way to the rooms.
The Swans took the lead early and Leanne got excited as Warwick Capper kicked the club’s second goal.
But Carlton fought their way back into the match winning by 34 points.
The Swans only recorded one more win for the season.
SWANS FORTUNES CHANGE IN 1986
THINGS did get better in 1986 when Edelsten lured ex Geelong coach Tom Hafey along with star Cats midfielder Greg Williams and Bernard Toohey to the club.
Bombers premiership player Merv Neagle and Melbourne’s Gerard Healy also joined the club.
The star-studded Swans finished the home and away season second, but bowed out with consecutive finals losses.
Williams won the Brownlow that year.
Despite the success the club didn’t make the money Edelsten wanted and he lasted less than a year as chairman.
According to the Swans website ownership of the club passed to a group of investors led by John Gerahty, Mike Willesee and Sellers — the man who fought Edelsten to control the club.
Success continued in 1987, but the Swans again bowed out with back-to-back finals losses.
By 1988 the club had fallen out of the final five.
In 1993, as the club fell to a wooden spoon, it reverted to a membership based system.
One of the men Edelsten looked at poaching many years back — Ron Barassi was appointed coach.
But it would be Hawthorn premiership player Rodney Eade who would take them to a Grand Final in 1996 and Paul Roos who lifted the cup in 2005.
Edelsten’s loyalties would return to his roots — Carlton where he became a major benefactor to the club and was awarded life membership in 2013.
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