Warning:
Readers should be aware that this player story includes images and names of deceased people that may cause sadness or distress to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
There has been some confusion as to the identity of the player G. (George) Swanson who appeared in the 1917 Wests First Grade photo. This has been compounded by the fact that brothers Richard and possibly George Swanson (no relation) also played with Wests. Due to this confusion a heritage number has not been allocated to this player. This will need to be rectified.
All three men lived in the Kogarah-Hurstville (St George) area and played rugby league, rugby union and other sports. In the years just before and at the start of the First World War, St George provided Wests with a Third Grade team. A number of these players made their way up the grades at Wests over the ensuing years.
Brothers George and Richard Swanson worked at the Eveleigh railway workshops where a number of Wests players also worked.
It is known that brothers George and Richard Swanson played rugby union with the Glenmore club between 1908 and 1910. There is also a newspaper report that G Swanson and “C” Swanson were playing with Wests Second Grade team in 1915. As there is no photo of the 1915 Second Grade team it is not possible to say with certainty whether this was the same George Swanson that appeared in the 1917 photo or was in fact Richard Swanson’s brother.
The 1917 team photo has been essential in establishing that there were two George Swansons. How that evolved is explained in the following section.
