I love how people are just listing a heap of players. And I completely agree. Wayyyy too hard to list just one IMO. That's the best thing about our club, no one "Superstar" (apart from the Capper & Plugger eras of our great club maybe) and always a great team effort.
It completely depends on what you're basing it on I suppose.
The very first player that comes to mind when you say favourite swan is Kirk. That man epitomises our club. To use an often overused phrase, he was our heart and soul and bled for the club like no other player our club has ever seen IMO. In fact I feel very much the same about Bolton. The two have to be the 2 most loyal clubmen we've had over the last decade or so for sure. However, I have not cried so much about a player over the journey than Kirky... The first time I saw him after the siren in '05 I balled. The first time I saw him after the siren in '06 I balled. When he announced his retirement I balled. When we couldn't go all the way for him in his final game I balled. When he was chaired off I balled. His last on field interview after the loss I balled. When he said he was going to Freo I balled. etc.
When I was a young'un I loved Kel, Dunkley and Plugger mostly. I wrote to the team for a school assignment and Kels & Plugger personally wrote back and sent me a signed 1997 team poster. Unfortunately the teacher thought it was awesome so decided to PIN it up where needless to say every other non-swans supporting kid (being every other kid in the school being a victorian school) would rip it down as they walked past. I asked to have it back but the teacher held out till the end of the year to give it back. Still have it, bit tattered in the corners but rolled up in the original Aust Post tube it came in safely stored away for framing in my future office.
Then of course, as my name suggests, Goodesy is up there. He will go down in history as (along with Skilton) our all time greatest talent and most well known Swan. Deservidly so IMO. The man is a freak and noone can match him for sheer outright amazing talent, skill and ability. His best is the best I have ever seen compared to any other Swan. On his day you can put him anywhere on the field playing any role and he can tear his opponents to shreads.
So I suppose it's Kirky, Kel, Bolts and of course Goodesy overall for me. Like most people there are a heap of other players. You have a particular "favourite" for a particular attribute. E.g. Clubman = Kirky. Skill = Goodesy. Courage = Kel/Hanners/Bolton. Irishness = Kennelly. Etc.
Out of our crop atm (leaving out Goodesy & Bolts). I love Hanners' courage and Jacks skill. They are our future co-captains for sure. I was at the Freo game this year for LRTs 150th (when he got his face smashed in) and he showed tremendous courage to get back otu there and play out the game with a fractured face. Not only did he just come out and play with it, he played bloody hard, I recall a couple of minutes to go and saw him in amongst the hard & heavy of it. One of our most underratted (by everyone including us), loyal and unwittingly courageous players IMO. I've always been a big Teddy fan too. If you're ever at the footy and you hear some (probably drunk) bloke yell out something like" "Teddy you beast!" or "You're a beast of a man Teddy" or "Tear 'em up Super Ted!!" Etc... That'll be me.
Okay okay..... I have to stop now. This is getting ridiculous. I LOVE THEM ALL!!!!
GO YOU MIGHTY BLOODS!!!!