New AFL football boss Greg Swann and his wife Leonie have put their Balmoral home, affectionately nicknamed ‘Chateau Swann’, on the market.
The five-bedroom entertainer’s paradise at 22 Wright Street, Balmoral, is being marketed by Ray White Collective principal Brandon Wortley and will go under the hammer on 23 August at 9am.
“Spanning two levels, this beautifully designed home has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a powder room, multiple living zones, a private cinema and a saltwater pool,” Mr Wortley said.
“This home is perfectly suited to growing families who love to entertain.”
The former Brisbane Lions CEO and his wife recently relocated to Melbourne, where Mr Swann has taken on a new role as the AFL executive general manager of Football Performance.
The move also brings them closer to their daughter, who is expecting their first grandchild.
The couple moved into the Balmoral property about a decade ago when Mr Swann began rebuilding the Brisbane Lions, having sold their Melbourne home.
Mr Swann said his favourite spot in the house was the living room, where he enjoyed watching sport on television.
“I’m going to miss this location, this house is in a great suburb which is central to everything,” he said.
He added that the memorabilia room holds “a fair bit” of sporting history that will be difficult to downsize.
Mrs Swann said that while they loved the property, “dreams can change”.
When they bought the house, many Brisbane Lions players lived nearby.
“We fell in love with it too – and so did our Cavoodle Bertie,” she said.
“There is such a nice community feel, and for us, Oxford Street was a draw card. It’s a high street and that’s what we were accustomed to in Victoria.”
Mrs Swann said she had inspected about 40 homes before choosing the 607sqm Wright Street property, looking for a living room that flowed out to the deck and pool area.
Over the years, the Swanns have hosted several AFL players in their home.
“We’ve had players including Cam Rayner, Rhys Matheson, and Sam Skinner who came and stayed with us for about three to four months,” Mrs Swann said.
“Will Ashcroft had a short stay in his draft year, and we also had Toby Wooller and Tom Fullarton. Dan McStay was to move in for six weeks and he stayed for eight months. We also hosted Irish hopeful Deividas Uosis.”
In their first year at the property, Mrs Swann kept count of guests.
“By December I had 90 different people stay at least one night. I had a mattress in the garage that I would drag into the cinema room,” she said.
The home can comfortably accommodate about 12 people at a time.
Dubbed ‘Chateau Swann’ by the constant flow of friends, family and players, the property has been a hub for entertaining.
Mrs Swann said she will miss hosting guests and enjoying breakfast cook-ups on the deck.
Standout features include a striking six-metre voided entry, a large pivot door, and interiors that Mrs Swann said have “an energy of their own”.
“Everything has been thoughtfully designed – and the people who come here can feel it,” she said.
The Swanns said it was time to downsize and begin their next chapter, although leaving friends and the lifestyle they have enjoyed in Balmoral will be bittersweet.
