March Tiger hate wishrichmondfc.com.au
By Tony Greenberg
7:01 PM Sat 19 Mar, 2011Nothing would please Richmond president Gary March more than the Tigers being hated, like they were in the halcyon days when gun administrator, Graeme Richmond, was calling the shots off the field, and top coach, Tommy Hafey, was guiding them to a plethora of premierships.
Speaking at last Thursday night’s (March 17) Fighting Tiger Function, March expressed his desire for Richmond’s actions to extract such a response from its modern-day rivals . . .
“We want to be perceived as arrogant and the envy of all clubs,” March said.
“Two weeks ago, I got a call from (Hawthorn president) Jeff Kennett, and he asked me to take him through this facility. I really didn’t know why. I took him through and he just kept telling me how wonderful it was.
“At the end he said, “geez, I just bloody love this facility - it’s so Richmond, it’s so bold, it’s so audacious” . . .
“For the first time in a long time, in my eight years on the Board, I felt really good about this club again.
“Finally, we’re starting to be the envy of some of the other clubs. That doesn’t mean we’re going to be successful - we’ve still got a lot of work to do - but it made me feel that we were on the right track.
“We’re starting to be envied by other clubs. It’s really important that Richmond gets back the passion and the envy.
“I want us to be disliked. I don’t want us to be popular amongst the other clubs. I want them to loathe Richmond Football Club again. I want them to fear Richmond Football Club again.
“What the Fighting Tiger Fund is all about, is a collective and concentrated effort to ensure this club returns to being the best, the most successful, and the most loathed team in the AFL.”
March then gave the Yellow and Black faithful a firm assurance . . .
“What I’ll pledge to you tonight, is that every dollar raised from the Fighting Tiger Fund, 50% of that will be reinvested into football resources, 50% of it will go to retiring debt.
“We simply have to get back to playing finals football.
“This is our time, it’s our chance to be a power back in the AFL . . .”
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