Volunteer Spotlight: Phil Spencer

Phil Spencer was born into being a Swan Districts supporter and now for more than 60 years it has been a massive part of his life and nothing gives him more joy than getting to work hand in hand with both the Rogers Cup and WAFLW teams.

Before he was even born, Phil’s mother was named Miss Swan Districts in 1948, and she remained a lifelong supporter of the Swans into her 90s; Phil has never wavered in his support of the club for more than 60 years.

And in recent years that has seen him take on more and more of an active role with Swan Districts including being the annual Match Day Ambassador which has made Phil a regular at Steel Blue Oval with his green vest and being ever helpful to Swans or rival supporters alike.

But it’s with the female program where he has really been fully embraced and he is involved as the assistant property manager and is a Jack of all trades in so many ways with how involved he is, and what he helps with.

As he looks back now, he really had no choice once he was born to be a Swan Districts supporter and would have had it no other way, and it was a special lifelong bond that he shared with his mother right to the very end.

“I’ve been following the club for years and years and years, and I can remember hanging over the fence probably as a six-year-old kid with my autograph book waiting for the siren to go so I could run on and get my autographs,” Phil said.

“My mum was a Bassendean girl through and through, and she was actually Miss Swan Districts in 1948 as a 21-year-old girl.

“She died in 2018 at 91 and before that she was still coming to the footy with me in her 80s. I would help her up to the McDonald Stand and she’d take her spot and she was still coming to the Swan Medals with me when they were still held at Basso.

“She’d sit down and she knew all the players and would chat to them, and she was really old school where she would chat to anybody mum would.

“So it was always destined that I was always going to follow Swannies and while she was alive I tried to get involved as much as I could, but I wanted to be there for her too.”

Role expanding in recent years

Understandably, while Phil’s mum was still willing and able to attend Swan Districts matches, his focus on game days was to spend that time with her.

However, since her passing, that opened up the door for him to be more directly involved on game days helping out the Swan Districts teams and initially that was with the men’s sides.

But then an approach at a Swan Medal count from Phil Smart about joining the women’s program instantly sounded appealing to Phil and he’s never looked back since.

“Then I started doing some things with the guys’ team after she passed and put a bit more time into it, and then it was Smarty that asked me if I would be interested in coming on board with the girls’ program,” Phil said.

“I said I would love to straight away help expand it, and things like that, and that’s how it all started.

“I wasn’t too sure being an older bloke and coming into the fray of all these young girls, and wasn’t sure how they would take me, but I had nothing to worry about and they have been amazing in accepting me ever since.

“At times I call them my girls and I’ve told them that they are like a giant family to me because they’ve always got my back as much as I’ve got theirs.

“Then in 2024 they gave us the WAFLW Club Person of the Year award so that was nice of them and we had our end of season dinner a couple of weeks ago and all the girls would come and say hello, and are so friendly, and they’re just an amazing group people that I am really proud to be part of.”

Current role with female program

While Phil’s official title right now is assistant property manager for the female program, his role includes much more, and he’s willing to do anything and everything he can to help the young women at Swans.

“My role right now is basically the assistant property manager for the two girls’ teams, the Rogers and the League so that’s including when they’re training two or three nights a week, and then on game day it’s assisting getting all the gear and water and everything like that,” Phil said.

“It’s basically being the first to arrive and the last to leave along with Bev. For training nights, I get there before the girls and get all the balls out, pump them up, get the water and anything like that to just basically be there for them really. I’ve been doing that for probably four or five years now.”

Broader role helping at Swans

Phil continues in his Match Day Ambassador role as well when he can at Steel Blue Oval, and still tries to help with the men’s team whenever possible, when their training or matches don’t clash with the women’s sides.

“Prior to that I was helping Ross Leipold out and I was actually the first Game Day Ambassador,” Phil said.

“I had a green vest and would just wander around the ground for the men’s home games offering assistance for any visitors who might have needed help with something.

“I still do that and try to get to as many games as I can for the guys when it doesn’t clash with when the girls are playing. I also help Indi with the property for the guys for away games whenever I can as well.

“It’s just basically rocking up for games when I can for the guys to help up wherever I can, but my main role is helping out the girls’ teams now.”

Enjoying the success the girls have

Because Phil now sees all the young women playing at Swan Districts as one big family, it meant a lot to him to see both the Rogers Cup and WAFLW teams reach the Grand Final in 2026.

It did mean it was a day of mixed emotions in the end with the WAFLW team falling heartbreakingly short for the second straight year, but he couldn’t have been happier for the Rogers Cup players to get that reward of a premiership.

“It meant the world to me to see them have some success and it was heartbreaking obviously for the League girls, but earlier on I was in tears being happy for the Rogers girls and being out on the field when the siren went,” Phil said.

“To see the work that they put in and going back to the start of the year when they came together in their little school groups and being very shy little girls, and seeing what they have grown into now, it has been amazing to see how they gelled together to win a premiership.

“I think that’s the joy of seeing them get that success and even just winning games during the season, and getting to be there knowing what they put into training and stuff like that.

“They’re school kids and come down straight from school, and they put the hours in and they work their guts out basically.

“It’s just such a great reward for me to be part of that and to know that I’ve done my bit to help them out, and it’s the same with the League girls, and they’re all just amazing human beings.”