![Dunedoo Swans will celebrate their 100th season later this year. Picture supplied. Dunedoo Swans will celebrate their 100th season later this year. Picture supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/118079462/1f00178d-873e-4ba3-9356-6a80090ff1fa.jpg/r0_376_4032_2643_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Over the past 100 years, the Dunedoo Swans have been a proud one-team club in the Central West and next month, they will celebrate their past stars while watching the next generation of players.
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The Swans will host their centenary celebration on July 1 at Robertson Oval and Dunedoo Central Hall, with the club's two senior sides to host rivals Gulgong.
Players from near and far will make their way to the small town for the day, and the club's Matt Guan is confident it will be a great time to reflect.
"One of the boys who is a referee in our competition now, his brother is coming from Western Australia," he said.
"He played here back in the 1970s and 80s, there are quite a few people you talk to who can't make it which is understandable.
"But we've got a good crowd, it's not only about the players. It's about the gatekeepers, scorers, sponsors and people who worked in the canteen."
Playing in the Castlereagh League, the Swans have had success on the field over the past few seasons, winning the title back in 2020.
But looking back, Guan confessed the club was started more than 100 years ago.
"We've had a lot of players and that pass through the club over time," he said.
"I've got an old book from a reunion we had in 2004 but it says that the club was functioning in 1910 but from what we can work out they played rugby union until 1922."
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In a town with little more than 1,000 people, the Swans have had to attract talents from other towns, including their opposition on July 1.
"Over the years we've had a lot of players come to us from Mudgee, Coolah, Gulgong and especially Mendooran being so close to us," Guan said.
"Dubbo and Wellington have provided us with players over the years."
The introduction of league tag to the competition in recent times has only grown the stature of the game in Dunedoo, a move Guan believes has helped the club massively.
Gulgong currently leads the Castlereagh League, making the upcoming match even more enticing, especially given the history of players moving between the Swans and Terriers.
"It's always a small-town rivalry against Gulgong," he said.
"That's why we sorted of picked that game because some of our boys have played with them and some of them have played with us, right back into the 1960s even."
Following the matches, the celebrations will move from Robertson Oval to Dunedoo Central School Hall.
Guest Speakers will take to the mic to talk about their respective decades with a sit-down dinner also served.
Centenary polos and books will be on sale while specially designed game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off.
The design for the jerseys has been inspired by past Swans uniforms and Guan believes they will be a big throwback for the current players.
"We've got a retro jersey being made up with old cotton jumpers and three-quarter sleeves," he said.
"The girls and boys will play in those on the day, we are hoping to have an Old Boy's game as well.
"We are hoping to have that leading into the league tag and seniors.
"We are actually having the opening of our new amenities building on the same day, that building is one of the new buildings with four dressing sheds which we pushed for because girls are so involved in the sport now."
Tickets for the celebration are available via 123Tix and will be on sale until June 17.
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