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- Aug 28, 2016
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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/best-22-of-afl-players-who-grew-up-barracking-for-richmond/news-story/88bed0c8f3aca0e0d606842697ac3f30
Best 22 of AFL players who grew up barracking for Richmond
"NAT Fyfe had a plan going into the 2009 draft camp.
“I was actually a passionate Richmond supporter when I was younger and my least favourite team was the Dockers — I absolutely hated them,” he said in 2015, the year he won the Brownlow Medal for Fremantle.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE BEST 22 OF PLAYERS WHO GREW UP AS TIGER FANS
“This was to the extent that at the AFL draft camp, two weeks before the AFL draft, I was trying desperately to get in front of the Richmond recruiters, but they weren’t interested in me at all.”
Sadly for Fyfe, and Tiger fans, players don’t usually end up playing for the team they grew up barracking for.
But what if they did?
There are some lucky ones, like Taylor Hunt who went to every Richmond game from the age of four, wearing Matthew Knights’ No.33 on his back.
What if everyone in the AFL was as lucky as Hunt and could play for the team they supported?
Team line-ups would look very different — for starters, Marcus Bontempelli, Bob Murphy and Luke Hodge would all be running around in black and yellow.
We’ve compiled a best 22 for as many clubs as we could based on the teams players supported as kids, starting with the all the Tiger fans. We’ll roll out a different club each Sunday — look out for the Magpies next week.
The selection criteria gives priority to current players but wasn’t especially strict. Shane Crawford retired in 2008 but as an AFL champ and former Tiger tragic (he was devastated when he had to line up in a Little League match against Richmond), we’ve given him a spot on the bench. Next to him is Kane Johnson, who grew up supporting Richmond before playing in a premiership for Adelaide then captaining the Tigers.
We turned the clock back even further for the emergencies. Tim Watson made his debut for Essendon against the Tigers and admitted later he was awe-struck by playing against his boyhood heroes Francis Bourke, Kevin Bartlett and Kevin Sheedy. Wayne Harmes, meanwhile, says he remained a Richmond supporter even during his 169-game career with Carlton, including three premierships — one of them against the Tigers.
Know any other AFL players who support the Tigers or Magpies? Leave a comment below or contact us on Twitter Superfooty
RICHMOND FANS BEST 22
B: Taylor Hunt, Kristian Jaksch, Jarman Impey
HB: Bob Murphy, Lachie Hansen, Luke Hodge
C: Tom Scully, Dom Tyson, Matt White
HF: Liam Sumner, Jimmy Bartel, Billy Hartung
F: Kayne Turner, Matthew Richardson, Ben Ainsworth
Ruck: Matthew Lobbe, Nat Fyfe, Marcus Bontempelli
Inter: Jono O’Rourke, Sam Weideman, Shane Crawford, Kane Johnson
Emg: Joel Bowden, Patrick Bowden, Wayne Harmes, Tim Watson"
I never knew half these people barracked for Richmond.
Best 22 of AFL players who grew up barracking for Richmond
"NAT Fyfe had a plan going into the 2009 draft camp.
“I was actually a passionate Richmond supporter when I was younger and my least favourite team was the Dockers — I absolutely hated them,” he said in 2015, the year he won the Brownlow Medal for Fremantle.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE BEST 22 OF PLAYERS WHO GREW UP AS TIGER FANS
“This was to the extent that at the AFL draft camp, two weeks before the AFL draft, I was trying desperately to get in front of the Richmond recruiters, but they weren’t interested in me at all.”
Sadly for Fyfe, and Tiger fans, players don’t usually end up playing for the team they grew up barracking for.
But what if they did?
There are some lucky ones, like Taylor Hunt who went to every Richmond game from the age of four, wearing Matthew Knights’ No.33 on his back.
What if everyone in the AFL was as lucky as Hunt and could play for the team they supported?
Team line-ups would look very different — for starters, Marcus Bontempelli, Bob Murphy and Luke Hodge would all be running around in black and yellow.
We’ve compiled a best 22 for as many clubs as we could based on the teams players supported as kids, starting with the all the Tiger fans. We’ll roll out a different club each Sunday — look out for the Magpies next week.
The selection criteria gives priority to current players but wasn’t especially strict. Shane Crawford retired in 2008 but as an AFL champ and former Tiger tragic (he was devastated when he had to line up in a Little League match against Richmond), we’ve given him a spot on the bench. Next to him is Kane Johnson, who grew up supporting Richmond before playing in a premiership for Adelaide then captaining the Tigers.
We turned the clock back even further for the emergencies. Tim Watson made his debut for Essendon against the Tigers and admitted later he was awe-struck by playing against his boyhood heroes Francis Bourke, Kevin Bartlett and Kevin Sheedy. Wayne Harmes, meanwhile, says he remained a Richmond supporter even during his 169-game career with Carlton, including three premierships — one of them against the Tigers.
Know any other AFL players who support the Tigers or Magpies? Leave a comment below or contact us on Twitter Superfooty
RICHMOND FANS BEST 22
B: Taylor Hunt, Kristian Jaksch, Jarman Impey
HB: Bob Murphy, Lachie Hansen, Luke Hodge
C: Tom Scully, Dom Tyson, Matt White
HF: Liam Sumner, Jimmy Bartel, Billy Hartung
F: Kayne Turner, Matthew Richardson, Ben Ainsworth
Ruck: Matthew Lobbe, Nat Fyfe, Marcus Bontempelli
Inter: Jono O’Rourke, Sam Weideman, Shane Crawford, Kane Johnson
Emg: Joel Bowden, Patrick Bowden, Wayne Harmes, Tim Watson"
I never knew half these people barracked for Richmond.
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