Universal Love Your Tiger story - share your story here

[Shezza18]

Born into a Richmond family, dad grew up in Portland SW Victoria and the towns team were the Tigers so he started following them when he relocated to Melbourne in the late 40s. We weren't given a choice, I'm the 4th of 5 children and 2021 will be my 51st year as a member, 6 of us including both parents (both deceased) are over 50 year members and 4 grandchildren have approx 70 years of membership between them as well. I go every week in Melbourne and some interstate games and after seeing all the lean years am absolutely over the moon at how things are going at Tigerland right now

 

[Pacman77]

Family roots with RFC spans 4 generations and dates back to the late 1920s when my paternal grandfather emigrated from Greece and his first place of residence in Australia was in Richmond. A great uncle of mine was also a club administrator in the 1950s. We were raised to absolutely despise Carlton, the pies not so much. First game I attended was in 1985 at the debacle against Geelong at Waverley where we threw away a decent 3/4 time lead to lose the match.. can recall Jacko playing in that game too! Vivid memories of the 1989 match against Brisbane being played in the most appalling conditions i've ever seen at the G. From 1990 to 2001 I attended almost every home and away game in Melb including a stint in the cheer squad for a year or two.. from 2002 onwards i've averaged 8 games a year due to personal circumstances but have maintained membership since 1991. Seen all the biggest thrashings, stood in the most miserable weather at suburban grounds, the false dawns, as well as heard many years worth of derogatory remarks from opposition fans. 2017 was special but not even a serious back injury stopped me from standing and watching the finals all the way through. 2019 was a tough year.. around the time of the grand final, Dad had weeks to live and I conveyed a message from him to the club and asked that it be read out to the players. They didn't disappoint and Dad left this world a very happy man soon after.

2020 - why stop at 3 in 4 years?

 

[Coach_Required]

Hey All, i know this thread is more about how we became tigers but i just want to say tell your loved ones how much they mean to you because you never know if you will get another chance.

Im 45 and im married with 3 teenage kids and last Wednesday while at work suffered a stroke which almost ended my life.

Im now on the road to recovery and was released from hospital to continue my rehab at home.

It was only 4 weeks ago i waa jumping around my dads living room celebrating our 3rd flag in 4 years.

Im on the road to recovery they found out i have a small hole in my heart that allowed a blood clot enter my arteries and went to my head, struggling from double vision and balance but i seem to be getting better with each day.

Go Tiges

 

[dusty1234!]

Hey All, i know this thread is more about how we became tigers but i just want to say tell your loved ones how much they mean to you because you never know if you will get another chance.

Im 45 and im married with 3 teenage kids and last Wednesday while at work suffered a stroke which almost ended my life.

Im now on the road to recovery and was released from hospital to continue my rehab at home.

It was only 4 weeks ago i waa jumping around my dads living room celebrating our 3rd flag in 4 years.

Im on the road to recovery they found out i have a small hole in my heart that allowed a blood clot enter my arteries and went to my head, struggling from double vision and balance but i seem to be getting better with each day.

Go Tiges

Wish you the best in your recovery mate.

 

[SDMTiger4]

After years of reading the posts on here to get my Tigers fix, I decided to take the plunge and register so I can add my two cents worth from time to time. What better place to start than why I began following the mighty tigers.
I was brought up in a family following Essendon. It's just what we did. My best mate at primary school was a Richmond supporter, so I went to a few tigers games with him growing up. My good mate at high school was a Melbourne supporter, but we never went to the footy together, preferring to go to the races. I used to travel from Hampton to Essendon by train as a young bloke, would have to queue up for hours outside Windy Hill to try & get a seat in the old dilapidated wooden stand, and if you missed out, you stood in the elements. I got to the stage where I thought I just wanted to be able to go to the footy, get a seat no worries, and enjoy the game. I decided it had to be either Melbourne or Richmond as there was no worries about getting a seat at the G. Although it was in 1971, and Richmond had had the most recent success of the 2 clubs, it came down to who was playing at the G the next week, and it was a Tigers game. Talk about sliding doors. Never a better example for me. Out of habit I got to the G early, and was the only person outside the entire ground. I sat on the ground with my back against one of the big green wooden doors outside the old Southern Stand, and waited, and waited. What seemed like hours later, a guy with his son (Rick) who was about the same age as me rocked up. We got chatting and they were mad tigers fans, and lived only a few miles from my place. They went to the footy every week, and asked me to sit with them. We sat in the front row of the southern stack, directly behind the old clock, right on the wing. And that's where we would be every tigers home game. Rick & I would go into the rooms and mingle with the likes of Dean, Hart, Green, Bartlett, Sheedy, and the new kid on the block, Ian Stewart. We'd see the revered Roy Wright down in the rooms. Stewie was the toughest player I had seen. Not tough as in biffo tough, (we had the likes of Ricky McLean and Balmey for that) but the punishment he was able to absorb, and the way he attacked the footy. Royce Hart was just a brilliant player. He made the difficult seem easy. Some players just make it look like the game is taking place in slow motion. That was Hart.
Once I had been to my first Tigers game without any allegiance to essendon, I was hooked. It was totally different to what I felt when I barracked for essendon. After just one game it was in my blood. Unless you are a tigers fan, you can't explain it. We made the final four in that 1971 season, and Stewie won the Brownlow. Whilst we didn't make the grand final, the first few years as a tiger supporter were outstanding. As we all know, we had a massive drought after 1980, but my love of the tigers, and that passion, has never wavered. In the mid 70's when I started full time work, one of the old guys I worked with was a statistician at Richmond on the weekends. I got to meet quite a number of the players at his house over the years, and shared a few beers with the boys.
There were some tough times between1980 and 2017, and you would take delight in the slightest good thing that an individual, or the team, did. A rare win against the odds, a player taking mark of the day, things we now take for granted. That long 37 year drought, now just seems like a couple of seasons, and we are all blessed to be able to watch what I believe is the best all-round team over the last 50 years. Not a team filled with champions, but a team filled with players that play their role, play for their teammates, and play for the club. And boy, what a club. A club that has turned it around from being a bit of a basket case, to the envy of the whole competition. We owe so much to the likes of Peggy and Benny. Gotta love the Tigers.
p.s. I hate Essendon. I put up with so much crap from essendon supporters when the tigers were down. I'm really glad that club is feeling some of the pain that the tigers did during the lean years.
Go Tiges!

 

[wegetpumped]

Hey All, i know this thread is more about how we became tigers but i just want to say tell your loved ones how much they mean to you because you never know if you will get another chance.

Im 45 and im married with 3 teenage kids and last Wednesday while at work suffered a stroke which almost ended my life.

Im now on the road to recovery and was released from hospital to continue my rehab at home.

It was only 4 weeks ago i waa jumping around my dads living room celebrating our 3rd flag in 4 years.

Im on the road to recovery they found out i have a small hole in my heart that allowed a blood clot enter my arteries and went to my head, struggling from double vision and balance but i seem to be getting better with each day.

Go Tiges

Never been scared of anything in my life but the stroke I had changed all that very scary stuff m8. Wish you all the best. Age nowadays does not matter it could happen to anyone at any time.

 

[Coach_Required]

Never been scared of anything in my life but the stroke I had changed all that very scary stuff m8. Wish you all the best. Age nowadays does not matter it could happen to anyone at any time.

thanks mate, and youre right scariest time of my life, good news is 2 and a bit months on, my eyesight has nearly fully returned, ive got my balance back and feeling a lot better.

Still have to meet the cardiologist in feb about possibly closing the hole, still not allowed to drive or return to work yet, but feeling good. Hope your going well too

 

[wegetpumped]

thanks mate, and youre right scariest time of my life, good news is 2 and a bit months on, my eyesight has nearly fully returned, ive got my balance back and feeling a lot better.

Still have to meet the cardiologist in feb about possibly closing the hole, still not allowed to drive or return to work yet, but feeling good. Hope your going well too

Doing ok m8 other happenings in life drag you down and you forget about it. One thing for sure is you are never the same not talking mentally but physically as you cant do what you use to eg I cant go for a run I can't walk too far. Every time I have to do something eg some gardening I feel so tired. But you get to know your limitations and you change your lifestyle. Just learn the things you can do and cant and you will be fine. Fancy 16 was a disaster for the club and 1 month later Drs said I should be dead but here we are I'm alive and got to see 3 more premierships
You seem like a reasonable man with a loving family so I have no doubt you will be fine and that's one to take off the worry list

 

[Masotiger]

No better way to begin posting on this site than to share my Tiger story.

Born in 1961 and migrating from southern Europe in 1962, family history was never going to be a factor in determining which VFL club I was going to invest my heart, my soul, my emotional wellbeing into. On arrival in Australia my parents, sister and I lived with my grandparents in Thornbury for a few years. My aunty had a passing interest in the Melbourne Football Club, but not enough to impose upon me. In fact, by 1966 when I commenced primary school, I could not speak a word of English, let alone know what VFL football was. Nor was my choice of team going to be based on suburban loyalties. Many immigrants at the time first settled in inner-city working class suburbs like Richmond, Collingwood, Fitzroy, Carlton; and therefore followed those teams.

So, who does a young lad with no family influence support when it becomes apparent to him just how big this thing called VFL is? Easy really. Whoever is good. For me it was always going to be either Richmond, Collingwood or Carlton. Don't underestimate the extent of support these 3 clubs in particular received from the mass migration of southern Europeans in the 1960s.

I chose Richmond. I wasn't alone amongst my friends at school. By this time we evolved from speaking our mother tongue to each other in the playground to our new language - English. Also by this time, we were assimilating into life in the new country.

Richmond. There was something in that name. The emblem - a Tiger. Yeah! The colours. And, of course - there was Royce Hart. My childhood hero. Sold. My aunty bought me a Richmond jumper and no.4 went straight on the back.

I have very, very vague recollections of the '67 premiership, and a little less vague recollections of 1969. Whilst I recall wearing my Richmond jumper to school just about every day in winter (no school uniform back then); I really didn't understand the significance of those achievements.

My dear aunty took me to my first ever game of VFL football in 1971. Richmond v Hawthorn at the MCG. The first thing that struck me as we made our way to the top of the concrete stairs in the old northern stand was the colour. Having only ever watched football on a black and white television, the colour was amazing. I was in love with the game and I was in love with Richmond. Passion took a massive bite of my backside.

My first taste of hurt came in the 1971 Preliminary Final against St.Kilda. I recall the empty feeling of losing. If this was bad, it had nothing on what was to come in 12 months time. October 7 1972, the worst day of my life. I recall trying to stay up all night watching the Football Marathon on channel 7, but I failed. After a little sleep I went to the newsagent in Station St Fairfield and bought The Sun. The headlines read something like 'give the cup to Richmond". My roar meter was off the charts. I'm about to witness my first premiership.

Shattered. Inconsolable. I love my Tigers, but something new was born that day. My complete and utter loathing and hatred of Carlton!! It still burns very brightly today. I recall my aunty taking me to High St Northcote a few weeks later (this is in the day when Northcote was working class) and entering a hamburger shop for a bite. We sit down and on the wall behind the counter is a photo of the 1972 Carlton premiership team. I loathe these bastards!!

Fast forward 12 months. 1973. Carlton beat us in the Qualifying Final in week 1 of the finals. Can I hate anyone or anything more than this scum? After disposing of St.Kilda in the 1st semi; we're 45 points down midway through the 2nd quarter of the Preliminary Final against Collingwood. Utter despair.

Then, as though by some devine intervention, my entire life changed in the space of the next 6 quarters of football. Enter Royce Hart and we get up and beat Collingwood. Now Carlton is in the gun. What a magnificent, euphoric day Grand Final day 1973 was. Not only are we premiers, not only have we beaten Carlton to exact revenge - but we've belted the living suitcase out of the bastards!! The saying goes revenge is a dish best serve cold. BS! Serve it piping hot, it feels so much better. I know 2017 was very sweet, but for me 1973 is no.1.

And so for me, the Richmond Football Club gave me so much pleasure back in the day when football was a massive part of my life. Success in 1974, again in 1980. The lean years prior to our recent resurgence were hard to take, but other life matters take additional significance to distract from our lack of success. I sincerely thank the Good Lord for steering me toward the RFC. It is more than a football club. For me and my mates, it's a point of reference. It's the reason we went every weekend during the lean years. It was our outing. It's the point of reference that takes us on interstate weekends away every year. It's the point of reference which has us congregating to lubricate the tonsils pre-game beside the Jack Dyer statue. It's the joy of being part of the Tiger Army. It's the pride of being a member of the biggest football club in the land.

These days, family influence does play its role. I have 3 children all Richmond supporters (largely against their will initially, I must say). My parents and sister also adopted Richmond courtesy of myself in the early days. I've influenced cousins to support the mighty Tigers.

And what of my other possibilities:

Carlton: I could've lived with that choice. Like with Richmond, I would've seen 8 premierships thus far. Although probably no more.

Collingwood: As much as I thank the Lord for steering me toward the RFC, I thank him for not cursing me with this terrible prospect. After losing by less than a kick to Melbourne in 1964, St.Kilda beat them by a single point in 1966. The heart ache of watching a 44 point half time lead evaporate in the 1970 GF. Finishing on top in 1973 and going out in straight sets after being 45 points up in the 2nd quarter of the preliminary final. 27 points up at 3/4 time of the 1977 GF only to conspire of lose it the following week. Up 5.6.36 to 0.7.7 at the 20 minute mark of the 2nd quarter of the 1979 GF on a bog and going into the rooms at half time down! Then losing by 5 points! Getting smashed in 1980. Leading by 21 points at the 28 minute mark of the 3rd quarter of the 1981 GF and losing by 20 points. By the time 1990 had come around I'd have either topped myself or found myself in a re-make of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" in some looney bin! Collingwood - no thanks!!

There you have it, my story. See you on the boards.

 

[Bojangles17]

Hey All, i know this thread is more about how we became tigers but i just want to say tell your loved ones how much they mean to you because you never know if you will get another chance.

Im 45 and im married with 3 teenage kids and last Wednesday while at work suffered a stroke which almost ended my life.

Im now on the road to recovery and was released from hospital to continue my rehab at home.

It was only 4 weeks ago i waa jumping around my dads living room celebrating our 3rd flag in 4 years.

Im on the road to recovery they found out i have a small hole in my heart that allowed a blood clot enter my arteries and went to my head, struggling from double vision and balance but i seem to be getting better with each day.

Go Tiges

Just read this , hope you’re feeling a lot better now

 

[Coach_Required]

Just read this , hope you’re feeling a lot better now

Getting there mate, just taking a bit longer than expected.

 

[IHaveAHardWick]

Lived in Melbourne for 2 years. My first ever game was Geelong Vs Adelaide and Ablett kicked 5 or so goals and, without knowing who he was, I was immediately amazed by him. I started following Geelong, but then Ben Cousins was in all the papers about his move to Richmond and I decided to change to an underdog. What a great choice that turned out to be. Been watching since and now my joint favoavouriter sport. Love being a tiger.

 

[Grady515]

Hello Tiger Army.

I'm rather new to footy. I'm an American who had never even heard of Aussie Rules until last year. For most of my life, sports were my life. I grew up being an avid Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, and Baltimore Ravens fan. The last 3-4 years though, sports here in The States became unwatchable to me. Every game was turning into non-stop political theater. I didn't like this anymore. I gave up watching sports and it was quite depressing.

I needed something to get me back into sports. I started searching the internet for other sports to watch. I tried to get into soccer. I never could. Then I looked at Rugby. It was okay from time to time, but I never really felt passionate about it. One day on YouTube, I saw an SANFL game in my recommendations. It was the 2019 Grand Final between Glenelg and Port Adelaide. I decided to watch this, despite having never even heard of footy. I was confused as hell. I didn't really understand it, but it was rather interesting. After I finished that game, there was another recommendation. It was an AFL 2017 Prelim between Adelaide and Geelong. I watched the entire thing. It was exciting as hell. I still didn't understand Aussie Rules, but was really starting to like it. I got online and searched for 2017 AFL games. I was able to watch many of the 2017 Finals. Luckily, not knowing the results of the games, it was like present day to me. The story of Richmond intrigued me. Being a Chicago Cubs fan, I could relate to the heartbreak of Tiger fans going decades without a Premiership. Then I saw a video of RFC President Peggy O'Neal. It mentioned she was from a very small town in West Virginia, USA. I looked it up and it was literally 10 minutes from where I live. I said right then and there, this is my team. I wanted to root for the team who has been struggling and mocked by many, and the lady who came from a very small West Virginia mining town to become President of the Richmond Tigers. I continued to watch the 2017 Finals games I found online. I still had no idea who would become winners of the games. I kept hoping Richmond would win. Well they did. Win and win. By the time I got to the 2017 GF, I was understanding the sport much more. Having watched Adelaide beat Geelong as my first ever game, I wasn't so sure about the Grand Final. To my surprise, the Tigers pulled it out. It was pretty damn exciting. From there, I went to find as many 2018 games as I could. I watched lots of games. Richmond had a great season. Then came the Finals. I thought for sure we were going back to the GF. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I repeated the same thing for the 2019 season. Then I got caught up in 2020. Luckily, the AFL Finals were being shown live on Fox Sports 1 and 2 here in America. I was stoked. I would wake up between 2-3am on the weekends so I could watch every AFL game that was televised.

After we won again in 2020, footy was all I wanted to watch. I was kinda bummed out since the season was over though. In the following weeks & months, I would search for any footy game I could find. I didn't care if it was AFL or not, I watched. The only downside is, I don't know a single person who even knows what Aussie Rules football is. I tried to find some Tiger merchandise online, but that was even harder. I found some random website here in America where independent creators make t-shirts for you. One seller had one Richmond logo so I bought a t-shirt from him. I even searched Amazon, but they had no AFL/Richmond stuff. I have only one friend who lives in Australia. The only sports team she's ever mentioned were the NSW Blues. To my knowledge, she's not a fan of Aussie Rules Football. I think I'll probably end up breaking down and ordering some Tiger stuff from their website in Australia. I know it will be costly being shipped to America, but I really want some Tiger gear. And that's my story. Like I said, I'm very new to footy. But I think that's why it's so exciting for me. This past weekend was great. Footy was back. I was so excited to watch Richmond last Thursday that I couldn't get any sleep. What a game that was! I watched almost every other AFL game all weekend. I'm so happy that footy is back. I'm even going to purchase a season pass on the WatchAFL website soon for us who aren't in Australia. It's a little expensive, but will be worth it for me. I only wish I knew a few people here in The States who watches footy. It's kinda weird watching a sport that you love, but having nobody to talk to about it or watch games with. That's the only downside. But that won't ever stop me from watching. In my opinion, I've stumbled upon the most exciting sport I've ever watched. I hope one day to make it to The G and watch Richmond. I've even thought about sending a letter to the club and addressing it to Peggy O'Neal, to let her know she's got a Richmond fan right here in America, near her hometown that loves the Tigers.

I've enjoyed reading these stories on this thread. Some were pretty heartbreaking. I hope I am able to connect with some Richmond fans in the future. I may not have a footy background, or footy family, but I absolutely love this sport! I didn't think I could fall in love with a new sport in less than a year. It's easily my favorite thing to watch. I hope to learn more and more as time goes on. I hope to connect with footy fans that can educate me more on this great sport. Here's the only Tiger merchandise I could find in America.... I wear this all the time. I get weird looks as nobody knows who this team is. Lol. Go Tiges!

 

[Masotiger]

Hello Tiger Army.

I'm rather new to footy. I'm an American who had never even heard of Aussie Rules until last year. For most of my life, sports were my life. I grew up being an avid Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, and Baltimore Ravens fan. The last 3-4 years though, sports here in The States became unwatchable to me. Every game was turning into non-stop political theater. I didn't like this anymore. I gave up watching sports and it was quite depressing.

I needed something to get me back into sports. I started searching the internet for other sports to watch. I tried to get into soccer. I never could. Then I looked at Rugby. It was okay from time to time, but I never really felt passionate about it. One day on YouTube, I saw an SANFL game in my recommendations. It was the 2019 Grand Final between Glenelg and Port Adelaide. I decided to watch this, despite having never even heard of footy. I was confused as hell. I didn't really understand it, but it was rather interesting. After I finished that game, there was another recommendation. It was an AFL 2017 Prelim between Adelaide and Geelong. I watched the entire thing. It was exciting as hell. I still didn't understand Aussie Rules, but was really starting to like it. I got online and searched for 2017 AFL games. I was able to watch many of the 2017 Finals. Luckily, not knowing the results of the games, it was like present day to me. The story of Richmond intrigued me. Being a Chicago Cubs fan, I could relate to the heartbreak of Tiger fans going decades without a Premiership. Then I saw a video of RFC President Peggy O'Neal. It mentioned she was from a very small town in West Virginia, USA. I looked it up and it was literally 10 minutes from where I live. I said right then and there, this is my team. I wanted to root for the team who has been struggling and mocked by many, and the lady who came from a very small West Virginia mining town to become President of the Richmond Tigers. I continued to watch the 2017 Finals games I found online. I still had no idea who would become winners of the games. I kept hoping Richmond would win. Well they did. Win and win. By the time I got to the 2017 GF, I was understanding the sport much more. Having watched Adelaide beat Geelong as my first ever game, I wasn't so sure about the Grand Final. To my surprise, the Tigers pulled it out. It was pretty damn exciting. From there, I went to find as many 2018 games as I could. I watched lots of games. Richmond had a great season. Then came the Finals. I thought for sure we were going back to the GF. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I repeated the same thing for the 2019 season. Then I got caught up in 2020. Luckily, the AFL Finals were being shown live on Fox Sports 1 and 2 here in America. I was stoked. I would wake up between 2-3am on the weekends so I could watch every AFL game that was televised.

After we won again in 2020, footy was all I wanted to watch. I was kinda bummed out since the season was over though. In the following weeks & months, I would search for any footy game I could find. I didn't care if it was AFL or not, I watched. The only downside is, I don't know a single person who even knows what Aussie Rules football is. I tried to find some Tiger merchandise online, but that was even harder. I found some random website here in America where independent creators make t-shirts for you. One seller had one Richmond logo so I bought a t-shirt from him. I even searched Amazon, but they had no AFL/Richmond stuff. I have only one friend who lives in Australia. The only sports team she's ever mentioned were the NSW Blues. To my knowledge, she's not a fan of Aussie Rules Football. I think I'll probably end up breaking down and ordering some Tiger stuff from their website in Australia. I know it will be costly being shipped to America, but I really want some Tiger gear. And that's my story. Like I said, I'm very new to footy. But I think that's why it's so exciting for me. This past weekend was great. Footy was back. I was so excited to watch Richmond last Thursday that I couldn't get any sleep. What a game that was! I watched almost every other AFL game all weekend. I'm so happy that footy is back. I'm even going to purchase a season pass on the WatchAFL website soon for us who aren't in Australia. It's a little expensive, but will be worth it for me. I only wish I knew a few people here in The States who watches footy. It's kinda weird watching a sport that you love, but having nobody to talk to about it or watch games with. That's the only downside. But that won't ever stop me from watching. In my opinion, I've stumbled upon the most exciting sport I've ever watched. I hope one day to make it to The G and watch Richmond. I've even thought about sending a letter to the club and addressing it to Peggy O'Neal, to let her know she's got a Richmond fan right here in America, near her hometown that loves the Tigers.

I've enjoyed reading these stories on this thread. Some were pretty heartbreaking. I hope I am able to connect with some Richmond fans in the future. I may not have a footy background, or footy family, but I absolutely love this sport! I didn't think I could fall in love with a new sport in less than a year. It's easily my favorite thing to watch. I hope to learn more and more as time goes on. I hope to connect with footy fans that can educate me more on this great sport. Here's the only Tiger merchandise I could find in America.... I wear this all the time. I get weird looks as nobody knows who this team is. Lol. Go Tiges!
View attachment 1083918

Great Read Welcome aboard the Tiger Train. Send that letter, Peggy will love it.

 

[Bojangles17]

Hello Tiger Army.

I'm rather new to footy. I'm an American who had never even heard of Aussie Rules until last year. For most of my life, sports were my life. I grew up being an avid Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, and Baltimore Ravens fan. The last 3-4 years though, sports here in The States became unwatchable to me. Every game was turning into non-stop political theater. I didn't like this anymore. I gave up watching sports and it was quite depressing.

I needed something to get me back into sports. I started searching the internet for other sports to watch. I tried to get into soccer. I never could. Then I looked at Rugby. It was okay from time to time, but I never really felt passionate about it. One day on YouTube, I saw an SANFL game in my recommendations. It was the 2019 Grand Final between Glenelg and Port Adelaide. I decided to watch this, despite having never even heard of footy. I was confused as hell. I didn't really understand it, but it was rather interesting. After I finished that game, there was another recommendation. It was an AFL 2017 Prelim between Adelaide and Geelong. I watched the entire thing. It was exciting as hell. I still didn't understand Aussie Rules, but was really starting to like it. I got online and searched for 2017 AFL games. I was able to watch many of the 2017 Finals. Luckily, not knowing the results of the games, it was like present day to me. The story of Richmond intrigued me. Being a Chicago Cubs fan, I could relate to the heartbreak of Tiger fans going decades without a Premiership. Then I saw a video of RFC President Peggy O'Neal. It mentioned she was from a very small town in West Virginia, USA. I looked it up and it was literally 10 minutes from where I live. I said right then and there, this is my team. I wanted to root for the team who has been struggling and mocked by many, and the lady who came from a very small West Virginia mining town to become President of the Richmond Tigers. I continued to watch the 2017 Finals games I found online. I still had no idea who would become winners of the games. I kept hoping Richmond would win. Well they did. Win and win. By the time I got to the 2017 GF, I was understanding the sport much more. Having watched Adelaide beat Geelong as my first ever game, I wasn't so sure about the Grand Final. To my surprise, the Tigers pulled it out. It was pretty damn exciting. From there, I went to find as many 2018 games as I could. I watched lots of games. Richmond had a great season. Then came the Finals. I thought for sure we were going back to the GF. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I repeated the same thing for the 2019 season. Then I got caught up in 2020. Luckily, the AFL Finals were being shown live on Fox Sports 1 and 2 here in America. I was stoked. I would wake up between 2-3am on the weekends so I could watch every AFL game that was televised.

After we won again in 2020, footy was all I wanted to watch. I was kinda bummed out since the season was over though. In the following weeks & months, I would search for any footy game I could find. I didn't care if it was AFL or not, I watched. The only downside is, I don't know a single person who even knows what Aussie Rules football is. I tried to find some Tiger merchandise online, but that was even harder. I found some random website here in America where independent creators make t-shirts for you. One seller had one Richmond logo so I bought a t-shirt from him. I even searched Amazon, but they had no AFL/Richmond stuff. I have only one friend who lives in Australia. The only sports team she's ever mentioned were the NSW Blues. To my knowledge, she's not a fan of Aussie Rules Football. I think I'll probably end up breaking down and ordering some Tiger stuff from their website in Australia. I know it will be costly being shipped to America, but I really want some Tiger gear. And that's my story. Like I said, I'm very new to footy. But I think that's why it's so exciting for me. This past weekend was great. Footy was back. I was so excited to watch Richmond last Thursday that I couldn't get any sleep. What a game that was! I watched almost every other AFL game all weekend. I'm so happy that footy is back. I'm even going to purchase a season pass on the WatchAFL website soon for us who aren't in Australia. It's a little expensive, but will be worth it for me. I only wish I knew a few people here in The States who watches footy. It's kinda weird watching a sport that you love, but having nobody to talk to about it or watch games with. That's the only downside. But that won't ever stop me from watching. In my opinion, I've stumbled upon the most exciting sport I've ever watched. I hope one day to make it to The G and watch Richmond. I've even thought about sending a letter to the club and addressing it to Peggy O'Neal, to let her know she's got a Richmond fan right here in America, near her hometown that loves the Tigers.

I've enjoyed reading these stories on this thread. Some were pretty heartbreaking. I hope I am able to connect with some Richmond fans in the future. I may not have a footy background, or footy family, but I absolutely love this sport! I didn't think I could fall in love with a new sport in less than a year. It's easily my favorite thing to watch. I hope to learn more and more as time goes on. I hope to connect with footy fans that can educate me more on this great sport. Here's the only Tiger merchandise I could find in America.... I wear this all the time. I get weird looks as nobody knows who this team is. Lol. Go Tiges!
View attachment 1083918

Good story man, welcome to the Tigers

 

[Big Unit 30]

Hello Tiger Army.

I'm rather new to footy. I'm an American who had never even heard of Aussie Rules until last year. For most of my life, sports were my life. I grew up being an avid Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, and Baltimore Ravens fan. The last 3-4 years though, sports here in The States became unwatchable to me. Every game was turning into non-stop political theater. I didn't like this anymore. I gave up watching sports and it was quite depressing.

I needed something to get me back into sports. I started searching the internet for other sports to watch. I tried to get into soccer. I never could. Then I looked at Rugby. It was okay from time to time, but I never really felt passionate about it. One day on YouTube, I saw an SANFL game in my recommendations. It was the 2019 Grand Final between Glenelg and Port Adelaide. I decided to watch this, despite having never even heard of footy. I was confused as hell. I didn't really understand it, but it was rather interesting. After I finished that game, there was another recommendation. It was an AFL 2017 Prelim between Adelaide and Geelong. I watched the entire thing. It was exciting as hell. I still didn't understand Aussie Rules, but was really starting to like it. I got online and searched for 2017 AFL games. I was able to watch many of the 2017 Finals. Luckily, not knowing the results of the games, it was like present day to me. The story of Richmond intrigued me. Being a Chicago Cubs fan, I could relate to the heartbreak of Tiger fans going decades without a Premiership. Then I saw a video of RFC President Peggy O'Neal. It mentioned she was from a very small town in West Virginia, USA. I looked it up and it was literally 10 minutes from where I live. I said right then and there, this is my team. I wanted to root for the team who has been struggling and mocked by many, and the lady who came from a very small West Virginia mining town to become President of the Richmond Tigers. I continued to watch the 2017 Finals games I found online. I still had no idea who would become winners of the games. I kept hoping Richmond would win. Well they did. Win and win. By the time I got to the 2017 GF, I was understanding the sport much more. Having watched Adelaide beat Geelong as my first ever game, I wasn't so sure about the Grand Final. To my surprise, the Tigers pulled it out. It was pretty damn exciting. From there, I went to find as many 2018 games as I could. I watched lots of games. Richmond had a great season. Then came the Finals. I thought for sure we were going back to the GF. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I repeated the same thing for the 2019 season. Then I got caught up in 2020. Luckily, the AFL Finals were being shown live on Fox Sports 1 and 2 here in America. I was stoked. I would wake up between 2-3am on the weekends so I could watch every AFL game that was televised.

After we won again in 2020, footy was all I wanted to watch. I was kinda bummed out since the season was over though. In the following weeks & months, I would search for any footy game I could find. I didn't care if it was AFL or not, I watched. The only downside is, I don't know a single person who even knows what Aussie Rules football is. I tried to find some Tiger merchandise online, but that was even harder. I found some random website here in America where independent creators make t-shirts for you. One seller had one Richmond logo so I bought a t-shirt from him. I even searched Amazon, but they had no AFL/Richmond stuff. I have only one friend who lives in Australia. The only sports team she's ever mentioned were the NSW Blues. To my knowledge, she's not a fan of Aussie Rules Football. I think I'll probably end up breaking down and ordering some Tiger stuff from their website in Australia. I know it will be costly being shipped to America, but I really want some Tiger gear. And that's my story. Like I said, I'm very new to footy. But I think that's why it's so exciting for me. This past weekend was great. Footy was back. I was so excited to watch Richmond last Thursday that I couldn't get any sleep. What a game that was! I watched almost every other AFL game all weekend. I'm so happy that footy is back. I'm even going to purchase a season pass on the WatchAFL website soon for us who aren't in Australia. It's a little expensive, but will be worth it for me. I only wish I knew a few people here in The States who watches footy. It's kinda weird watching a sport that you love, but having nobody to talk to about it or watch games with. That's the only downside. But that won't ever stop me from watching. In my opinion, I've stumbled upon the most exciting sport I've ever watched. I hope one day to make it to The G and watch Richmond. I've even thought about sending a letter to the club and addressing it to Peggy O'Neal, to let her know she's got a Richmond fan right here in America, near her hometown that loves the Tigers.

I've enjoyed reading these stories on this thread. Some were pretty heartbreaking. I hope I am able to connect with some Richmond fans in the future. I may not have a footy background, or footy family, but I absolutely love this sport! I didn't think I could fall in love with a new sport in less than a year. It's easily my favorite thing to watch. I hope to learn more and more as time goes on. I hope to connect with footy fans that can educate me more on this great sport. Here's the only Tiger merchandise I could find in America.... I wear this all the time. I get weird looks as nobody knows who this team is. Lol. Go Tiges!
View attachment 1083918

Go Cubs Go
And yes Tiges as well

 

[tora tora tora]

Go Cubs Go
And yes Tiges as well

I'm a Bulls fan. Thanks to the original MJ

 

[dean33]

My story:

My mums side are all mad Richmond, they grew up there and back then it was zoned.

I never really had a choice, it was always going to be Richmond because of that but I wouldn't have it any other way.

The moment i was born they took off a Richmond jumper from a teddy bear and put it on me.

My dad has never really been big into footy, he follows it and has gotten into it more in recent years but he followed essendon for a little while cause he loved Sheedy.

But now he is a tiger.

My 7 month old son was a interesting battle. Wife is a hawk and just as passionate as me.

We decided to make a bet before we were even pregnant that whichever team had won the most recent head to head encounter prior to him being born would be who he follows.

Thankfully we beat hawthorn in round 3 last year!

Haha your story is similar to mine regarding your wife and kid. My wife is also a hawk and my son was born in 2015 2 days before we played the hawks. We made a bet about the game and Lo and behold we beat them in a year they won the 3peat to confirm my son as a tiger, 6 years and 3 flags on he is a passionate little tiger cub as is my 3 year old.
As for my story, my eldest brother is a mad tiger while my dad is essendon and 2 brothers Sydney fans being old south supporters.
My first game was in 1982 Richmond b Essendon at the mcg as a 6 year old. Was about 80,000 there and I went as an essendon supporter and changed at half time with the tigers winning. Spent the 80’s watching the bombers win flags while we wallowed in the depths, greatest football moment up until 2017 was the 1995 2nd semi and that stirring 2nd half comeback.
Always just wanted to see 1 flag in my lifetime so feel truly blessed we have experienced this current dynasty.
I know it won’t last forever so have to appreciate what we have at the moment which I try to tell my boys although they just take it for granted.
My son is already asking me if I’ll take him to the grand final parade again this year lol

 

[Swanks McSwankserton]

Got the notification a week or so ago it's been over a year since I first joined BF and I couldn't believe it! Saw this thread a while ago and been meaning to post to it but the time has flown away from me. I think I made an account on BF cause I was triggered by some post, thought up (what I'm sure was) a clever reply and simply had to let the poster know all about it

I was born in 2000, so the first thing I knew of the tigs was that there wasn't much to see anyway. My parents are mad Tigers supporters, infected my little brother but couldn't get my older brother and I. I just couldn't get watching sports, they were heaps fun to play, but why would you want to watch someone else have fun when you could be having fun too? Why not play a game yourself? Everyone's so invested because the players are good at it? My first proper memory I think is of my dad yelling RIIICHOOO!!!! (either happily or in great distress) at the TV (and I thought it was some shorthand play on 'Richmond'). Then some time later he did the same thing with some guy named Riewoldt.

Used to get dragged to games, didn't follow what was going on the field but I remember loving waving the flags we had when everyone started cheering. Fam still have a much loved (and much lauded over me) photo of me reading a book in the stands throughout a whole game. I remember we flew down to Melbourne as a sort of almost mini family holiday for the north melbourne final only to leave in a sour mood early at 3QT. We did the same thing in the last round of 2014 against Sydney as part of the streak a year ealier, but that time ending in jubilation.

Then 2017 came around and it was just different around the house, you know? There had been excitement before but this was hushed, they were nervous about it all now. I had nothing better to do one night and finally caved and sat down to watch the rd 5 game with them. It was the first time I really tried to follow a game of footy and it was great! I had no idea what was going on and kept asking who's that, why was that good, what did the umpire say and why and what does it mean? I actually found the commentators really helpful (because they still call games like it's radio times and explain what your own eyeballs are telling you rather than add anything to it. I now hate them.), everything they said was really cool and fresh (heard the same s*** recycled a billion times now, didn't know they try to bring the same excitement to every contest in every game, even when they're not as good or significant as ones like that were). After Melbourne started pulling away in the 3rd my Dad and little brother completely gave up on them (weak) and went to bed, but I stayed on with Mum and my older brother (also roped in) to see more. Then we started coming back and we were just on our feet in the living room cheering them back into the game and to the win. We didn't know if we should wake them up or not (Dad's always had a big thing about hating being woken up). We eventually did though after we got 2 goals up and he was so happy, it was just an awesome night.

I loved Riewoldt's big marks and he seemed the only one who could kick straight when the team needed him to, to get reward for the other 20 guys working their f****** a**** off just to get the ball even 50m out from goal, when the other forwards couldn't rise to the occasion. For those simple things he is my favourite player now and I hate that as he ages time robs him of his consistency, and is pulling him slowly from the game. (edit: and his footy IQ. My favourite Riewoldt highlight wasn't a goal, it was in the 2019 PF (that the media knownothings criticised him in for going goaless, flogs!) when in a 3 on 1 he realised he couldn't mark the ball and instead tapped it as perfectly as any ruckman's ever tapped it into the waiting arms of Dusty on the charge, who goaled. And all McAvaney had to say was "They're......................making a sharp move here the tigers!")

Of course we'd lose the next 4 games in a row, but I stuck around, it was still all so unique and interesting, Richmond didn't look that bad to me (I also had no idea at that point what the top 4/8 was or the requirements to qualify for finals). My parents would fly down to Melbourne for the Geelong QF (my 2nd favourite game now, it's just awesome to rewatch). A few weeks later the whole family was in Melbourne for the GF, only dad could get a ticket to the G, but the rest of us rugged up at Punt Road, where the emotion was unreal.

Two years later I'd be extremely lucky and my parents would be out of country working when they got tickets to the 2019 GF. My little brother and I flew down for the game and it was great. Next year the whole sport would move to my state, and now I've attended b2b GF wins, which I feel a bit guilty about.

I get it now, everything about the sport. There's a million and one characters in this never ending story, all real people or mythological legends from the past, each with their own little lives and hundreds and hundreds of interweaving plot lines. Each game ebbs and flows and has much significance or means nothing. Hearts are broken or made new again by the bounce of the footy gods be damnable balls (I actually remember saying to my dad one time early on after watching a ball bounce like 90 degrees off course through the legs of some poor Richmond guy chasing it into the hands of the oppo and they scored a goal and celebrated like they were the bees knees of awesome and manufactued the goal single handedly (I think we lost the game narrowly too but can't remember it), and asked him isn't this entire thing just luck? And he said yeah, but you make your own luck.). Premierships aren't a number to be waved around they're a dream, a dream every player coach and fan chases together, and they're so f***ing hard to attain it seems impossible they give one out every year. And the heartbreak of the dream makes it more beautiful, that there could be these tragic figures who are 1000 time more deserving of it than others and it's all they ever want but they'll never get it. The fact that they get into GFs just rubs salt into the wound. There are fans who wait lifetimes and die waiting.

But it's not just the dream it's the play. The skills are so beautiful, even when we're getting flogged the little pleasure and appreciation of seeing a string of good kicks/plays in a rows is fantastic, and the marks! Oh the marks. To see Lynch hold firm in a pack and take a contested one, or the joy to see players like Bolton grow wings in front of us and fly higher than I thought a person could go, love it. I'm hooked for life, and I'm sure it will be the cruelest of tragedies to witness as yet more teams are added to the comp and the drought gets ever longer and it becomes even harder to win a premirship. I said to my brother walking out of the Gabba last year, this right here and now is the best it's ever gonna get being a Richmond supporter, if we live 100 years.

And the history!

But it's not about any of that at all, it's the people. The community, and this crazy love you share with strangers that pulls you inexorably towards a match and out of your seat when there's a goal. Footy has been a great way to connect with my family, and that's what I love most about it.

And now I've joined a footy forum, I'm studying to be a software engineer and I've started graphing stats (pointless/useless as they are). So yeah went on a while and all over the place too, but that's my story so far, cheers to all.

 

[Nobby]

Hello Tiger Army.

I'm rather new to footy. I'm an American who had never even heard of Aussie Rules until last year. For most of my life, sports were my life. I grew up being an avid Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, and Baltimore Ravens fan. The last 3-4 years though, sports here in The States became unwatchable to me. Every game was turning into non-stop political theater. I didn't like this anymore. I gave up watching sports and it was quite depressing.

I needed something to get me back into sports. I started searching the internet for other sports to watch. I tried to get into soccer. I never could. Then I looked at Rugby. It was okay from time to time, but I never really felt passionate about it. One day on YouTube, I saw an SANFL game in my recommendations. It was the 2019 Grand Final between Glenelg and Port Adelaide. I decided to watch this, despite having never even heard of footy. I was confused as hell. I didn't really understand it, but it was rather interesting. After I finished that game, there was another recommendation. It was an AFL 2017 Prelim between Adelaide and Geelong. I watched the entire thing. It was exciting as hell. I still didn't understand Aussie Rules, but was really starting to like it. I got online and searched for 2017 AFL games. I was able to watch many of the 2017 Finals. Luckily, not knowing the results of the games, it was like present day to me. The story of Richmond intrigued me. Being a Chicago Cubs fan, I could relate to the heartbreak of Tiger fans going decades without a Premiership. Then I saw a video of RFC President Peggy O'Neal. It mentioned she was from a very small town in West Virginia, USA. I looked it up and it was literally 10 minutes from where I live. I said right then and there, this is my team. I wanted to root for the team who has been struggling and mocked by many, and the lady who came from a very small West Virginia mining town to become President of the Richmond Tigers. I continued to watch the 2017 Finals games I found online. I still had no idea who would become winners of the games. I kept hoping Richmond would win. Well they did. Win and win. By the time I got to the 2017 GF, I was understanding the sport much more. Having watched Adelaide beat Geelong as my first ever game, I wasn't so sure about the Grand Final. To my surprise, the Tigers pulled it out. It was pretty damn exciting. From there, I went to find as many 2018 games as I could. I watched lots of games. Richmond had a great season. Then came the Finals. I thought for sure we were going back to the GF. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I repeated the same thing for the 2019 season. Then I got caught up in 2020. Luckily, the AFL Finals were being shown live on Fox Sports 1 and 2 here in America. I was stoked. I would wake up between 2-3am on the weekends so I could watch every AFL game that was televised.

After we won again in 2020, footy was all I wanted to watch. I was kinda bummed out since the season was over though. In the following weeks & months, I would search for any footy game I could find. I didn't care if it was AFL or not, I watched. The only downside is, I don't know a single person who even knows what Aussie Rules football is. I tried to find some Tiger merchandise online, but that was even harder. I found some random website here in America where independent creators make t-shirts for you. One seller had one Richmond logo so I bought a t-shirt from him. I even searched Amazon, but they had no AFL/Richmond stuff. I have only one friend who lives in Australia. The only sports team she's ever mentioned were the NSW Blues. To my knowledge, she's not a fan of Aussie Rules Football. I think I'll probably end up breaking down and ordering some Tiger stuff from their website in Australia. I know it will be costly being shipped to America, but I really want some Tiger gear. And that's my story. Like I said, I'm very new to footy. But I think that's why it's so exciting for me. This past weekend was great. Footy was back. I was so excited to watch Richmond last Thursday that I couldn't get any sleep. What a game that was! I watched almost every other AFL game all weekend. I'm so happy that footy is back. I'm even going to purchase a season pass on the WatchAFL website soon for us who aren't in Australia. It's a little expensive, but will be worth it for me. I only wish I knew a few people here in The States who watches footy. It's kinda weird watching a sport that you love, but having nobody to talk to about it or watch games with. That's the only downside. But that won't ever stop me from watching. In my opinion, I've stumbled upon the most exciting sport I've ever watched. I hope one day to make it to The G and watch Richmond. I've even thought about sending a letter to the club and addressing it to Peggy O'Neal, to let her know she's got a Richmond fan right here in America, near her hometown that loves the Tigers.

I've enjoyed reading these stories on this thread. Some were pretty heartbreaking. I hope I am able to connect with some Richmond fans in the future. I may not have a footy background, or footy family, but I absolutely love this sport! I didn't think I could fall in love with a new sport in less than a year. It's easily my favorite thing to watch. I hope to learn more and more as time goes on. I hope to connect with footy fans that can educate me more on this great sport. Here's the only Tiger merchandise I could find in America.... I wear this all the time. I get weird looks as nobody knows who this team is. Lol. Go Tiges!
View attachment 1083918

Can't believe I'm only reading this now, always check this regularly but missed your post. Loved your story!!

I had just over 3 years living in Denver, loved my time there and tried to introduce AFL to the guys I worked with. A few of them enjoyed it, although I doubt they kept up with it. Denver has a really big AFL following with a lot of ex pats and their AFL team, the Bulldogs, has been successful in American competitions.

AFANA was the website I used to find where I could go and watch the AFL Grand Final, hopefully you can find some local people who share your passion.

Unsure how close you are to Richmond VA, surprised their team is the Lions lol, but they have an AFL team. There is some links to their socials on the page I linked, hopefuly they're still active, Twitter appears to be.

 

[two blue tiger]

50th year of supporting the Tigers this year. Love them almost as much as my wife and kids...........

 

[Tiger51]

Born in Johnson Street Richmond a short distance from the skipping girl (one of my first memories) Moved to Jamison aged 3 1/2 to 4 and then onto Shepparton aged 5. We lived a short distance from Deakin Reserve and followed the local Shepparton team. When about 8 a former friend of my father came to Shepp as Captain Coach and we were to watch every game for the next 5 premerships in the Goulburn Valley League. That coach was Tom Hafey and we would have constant contact after his move as Richmonds coach and his stories of a new recruit from Tasmania (Royce Hart) who Tom believed would be a star of the game, I became an avid Richmond supporter from this time on following our local league players who also joined our club (Dick Clay & Francis Burke) 1967 was a great year for me as my team was to win the Premiership and the following years through to 1982 were exciting. One of my early memories was attending a Rich - St Kilda game at the invitation of Cowboy Neil and witnessing the bloodbath at Moorabbin and watching Carl Ditritch and the St Kilda players in their rooms. Of course their were many down years but during these I gained a great deal of pleasure from watching the development of our younger players. Of course I have enjoyed our recent premierships and while I would love to see this continue I will still continue to love the club and whatever the future brings will still enjoy the development of our youngsters and to this end I have had a great deal of pleasure from Kayo allowing me to also watch our VFL side develop. 58 years as a supporter.

 

[Gratees]

I was born in 2003 after the season was finished, My mum is a Collingwood supporter and my Dad is a Richmond supporter. Round 1 2004 Richmond vs Collingwood. Mum and Dad place a bet on the game to see who i would be a supporter for. Luckily for me Richmond won 14.13.97 to 8.8.57 and it was determined by the Footy gods that i would support this great club. If im correct i believe we didnt beat collingwood very much in the early 2000s so im lucky it was that game that they placed the bet on

 

[FFS Kick it]

I moved from Sale in Gippsland to Melbourne when I was 8 as my dad had received a promotion in Essendon City Council. I went to Essendon Primary school. Those of you who remember games at Windy Hill will recall the school at the outer end.

Anyway, my dad followed Collingwood because his best mate did and they played in one of the Heidelberg teams wearing Collingwood jumpers. His new promotion required him to change allegiances to Essendon. He did so and received season tickets in the Alan Hird stand. They were great seats and I occasionally attended. Why I didn't follow Essendon was simple. The shitty old women clapping their hands to 'See the bombers fly up'. F' me that is awful. I needed something far better.

So back in the day, 3qtr time came and the gates were thrown open. I would often take my Dragstar (it's a bike) to the outer end and watch with the opposition supporters.
One day Richmond played and won narrowly. The supporters were rough, covered in tattoos, swearing profusely and extremely passionate. There was something primeval about them. Strangely I felt safe amongst them. I was hooked and have loved the Tigers ever since.

I attended the 1974 Grand final standing on two slabs of beer. Not mine as I was a kid but a group of Richmond supporters allowed me so I could see. The old adage that tall players don't get shorter also is true with tall spectators because as these guys drank more beer I slowly shrank into the crowd and struggled to see.

Saw 1980 and then experienced 'the 37 years of pain and humiliation.' It was a terrible experience and helped define many attitudes I have. I despise those who have no resilience...give up too easily when things are tough. Those who feel entitled like Essendon and Carlton supporters who say ' we have 16 premierships how many do you have'. Well F'em. They both won Premierships before Richmond even entered the VFL. On my count we have 13 and I think Ess and Carlton won three each before we joined.

Anyway, love the tiges and every day, in the car, I put on the audio files of the AFL grand finals we recently won (particularly love 5AA whingeing in 2017) and just smile whilst I drive.

 

[Chunkious]

Dad used to work 6 days a week.
He would get home before the game Saturday afternoon.
Would have 3 Swan long necks with lunch watching the game, crashing out knackered afterwards.
This was the 80s, myself not even 10. With premierships against Pies and Blues.... Then the drought.
The joy this current era has brought....well I don't have to say much do I.
Side note - My Dad is now coming down the home straight and has since switched to supporting Lions. Don't ask me... No idea ♥