Sydney Swans' touching act for club icon prompts emotional scenes

The Sydney Swans have stirred the hearts of AFL fans around the country, after unveiling a special tribute to well-known longtime club volunteers Kenny and Yvonne Williams. The seats at the SCG where the couple sat for decades have been repainted in red and inscribed with their names, giving the popular volunteers a permanent place at the Swans' home.

The couple have undertaken various formal and informal roles at the club since it was known as South Melbourne in the VFL, following the Swans north when the club relocated to Sydney as part of the AFL expansion. Kenny Williams, who passed away last year aged 93, was perhaps most famous for his role in leading the club song whenever the team won.

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On Tuesday, Yvonne was invited to the SCG by the Swans, where she was surprised by the unveiling of the specially painted and reserved seats in honour of her and her late husband. The Swans posted footage of the moment on social media, melting the hearts of fans as the gesture moved Yvonne to tears.

While the late Kenny may have had a more public role, Yvonne has been known as the 'surrogate Nanna' to many players at the club, particularly rookies. The couple frequently hosted dinners for players, with Yvonne providing every player with a birthday cake each year.

In a statement, Yvonne's daughter Diane thanked the club for their recognition of her parents' lifelong work for the Swans, saying recognising their volunteerism was a 'profound' act.

“When I first heard, I just could not believe they were honouring my dad in this way,” she said. “Mum’s just found out, I kept this secret. It’s the biggest I’ve kept in my whole life from mum.

"And I’m glad I kept it, because just watching her there with the CEO of the SCG and the people representing the Sydney Swans, she was just so in the moment, it was really beautiful.

“It’s just such an amazing thing because volunteerism just makes the world go round — people who do good things for other people and don’t expect everything in return like dad. Getting honoured this way is a profound message and I just want to thank everyone so much.”

Sydney Swans honour longtime volunteers Kenny and Yvonne Williams

Sydney Swans great Brett Kirk, now the club's head of player wellbeing and development, said it was a momentous day for the club. Kenny and Yvonne were and are inseparable from the club.

“What a special day, we all love Kenny Williams, such an important fabric of our footy club," he said. “To be at the SCG, a place where I’ve got fond memories and I’m sure anyone who follows the Swans and footy would have fond memories of Kenny at the MCG.

“For Kenny to be here now all the time is such a special memory for everyone.”

A flood of tributes came after news broke of Kenny Williams' death in November 2022, with the Swans describing him as a 'legend' of the club. The seats in honour of the couple were unveiled on what would have been Kenny's 94th birthday.

Born in South Melbourne, Williams was a life-long supporter of the Swans, who originated in Victoria before moving to Sydney 33 years ago. He was at the MCG as a four-year-old when South Melbourne won the premiership in 1933.

He was invited by coach Ron Barassi to run water for the team at training in the early 1990s, and was on hand to celebrate some of their most famous victories - including at the grand final in 2005 when the club broke a 72-year premiership drought.

“Everyone’s always been very kind to me. The club has been enormous. I’ve been in the thick of things all the time,” Williams said on his 90th birthday in 2019. “I’ve always gone to training and I’ll never forget all the people I’ve met along the way.”

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