Remember that famous old country song “I’ve Been Everywhere”?

It’s probably a ‘no’ for most, given that it was written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959 and popularised by pioneer rock and roll, pop and country artist Lucky Star in 1962, although an American adaptation and re-release by the legendary Johnny Cash in 1996 might catch some.

The original version featured four verses made up entirely of Australian country towns after a scene-setting introduction about a man who hitched a ride in a semi-trailer on a dusty road in Oodnadatta, north of Adelaide, When asked about his travels by the driver, he listed everywhere he’d been. The first verse went:

Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba, Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah, Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla, Condamine, Strathpine, Proserpine, Ulladulla, Darwi, Gin Gin, Deniliquin, Muckadilla, Wallumbilla, Boggabilla, Kumbarilla.

There was no mention in any of the four verses of Mt Barker, a SA country town in the Adelaide Hills 33km south-south-east of Adelaide and 1075km south-east of Oodnadatta, not to be confused with the town of Mount Barker on the southern tip of Western Australia.

So, without wanting to offend Geoff Mack, Johnny Cash or any of the countless others who released their own version of this famous song, perhaps a keen Swans fan could come up with a version to incorporate the travel history of South Melbourne/Sydney Swans.

It will need two verses to fit in the names of each ground where the Swans have played in the AFL after the Swans take on West Coast at Mt Barker on Saturday afternoon.

The first verse will go Lake Oval, Corio Oval, Brunswick St, MCG, Princes Park, Junction Oval, Victoria Park, East Melbourne, Punt Road, Windy Hill, Western Oval, Arden St, Glenferrie Oval, Toorak Park, Yarravile Oval, Albury, Coburg, Moorabbin.

The second verse will follow: Waverley, SCG, Subiaco, Carrara, Football Park, WACA, Docklands, Stadium Australia, Manuka, York Park, Bellerive Oval, Wellington, Adelaide Oval, Sydney Showgrounds, Perth Stadium, Cazaly’s and …. Mt Barker.

These are the original or abbreviated names of each of the grounds across Australia – plus Wellington in New Zealand – which have hosted what by Saturday night will be 2545 Swans games.

The Swans’ 37-stop travel log will sit second outright on the all-time AFL club list after Gather Round #2. They’ll go one ahead of Carlton and Richmond (36), and sit behind only St Kilda (40) since the official inception of the VFL/AFL in 1897.

So, among 50 grounds that have hosted at least one AFL premiership match, there are 13 grounds where, by Saturday night, the Swans will not have played – five from yesteryear and eight from the AFL era.

This includes AFL Gather Round #2 this weekend, when six games will be played at Adelaide Oval, two at Norwood Oval, and one at Summit Sports Park in Mt.Barker.

Most are well-recognised VFL/AFL venues, but there are a string of outriders.

In 1942 World War II had a pronounced impact on all facets of life in Australia, including the football. Geelong did not compete due to wartime travel restrictions, prompting a string of temporary player transfers, and with the MCG, Lake Oval and Junction Oval appropriated for military use football ventured to new territory.

South Melbourne played most home games at Carlton’s Princes Park, Melbourne likewise at Richmond’s Punt Road, Footscray played at Yarraville Oval and St Kilda played at Toorak Park.

Melbourne and Collingwood struggled to field teams, and at one stage considered an amalgamation, Hawthorn and Collingwood withdrew from the reserves competition, the VFA went into recess, servicemen were often called up to make up the numbers, and the Brownlow Medal was suspended until 1946.

So in 1942, South played a Round 6 home game at Toorak, going down by 14 points under coach Joe Kelly and captain Herbie Matthews, and in Round 14 were away to St Kilda at Toorak Park in coach Kelly’s 100^th game at the helm, winning by 43 points. In Round 9 they beat Footscray by 30 points at Yarraville Oval.

In 1952 the League scheduled an extra round of matches labelled ‘National Day Round’ on the Queen’s Birthday weekend – Saturday 14 June. All clubs played in regional Victoria or interstate, with the Swans taking on North Melbourne in Albury. They won by 22 points under captain-coach Gordon Lane after scores were level at three-quarter time.

In 1965, South played one game at Coburg Oval against North Melbourne, who had relocated there intending to stay permanently before lease negotiations broke down. They returned to their original home at Arden Street but not before South played the first game against Coburg in Round 1, 1965, winning by 10 points in Bob Skilton’s 140^th game as a player – and his first game as coach at 26.

Covid times of 2020 saw the Swans play twice at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns, where they beat Melbourne by 21 points in Sam Reid’s 150^th game in Round 15, and lost to Brisbane by 32 points in Joel Amartey’s debut in Round 17.  

And in 2013, the Swans made further football history when they played St Kilda in the first AFL game in Wellington under a contract whereby the Saints played in NZ in 2013, ’14 and ‘15.

It was Round 5. They won by 16 points on Anzac Day thanks primarily to Ted Richards (16 possessions, one goal and three Brownlow Medal votes), Dan Hannebery (30 possessions, two votes) and Kieren Jack (22 possessions, one goal and one vote). It was Dane Rampe’s third game.