Yellow and black! Tiger fans in full voice on Riewoldt Express to Adelaide Tom Cowie
The Age
September 7, 2014 An army of true believers has flooded the City of Churches.
Five coaches packed with passionate Richmond fans pulled in to Adelaide on Saturday night, awaiting their team's date with destiny against Port Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.
Around 250 supporters gathered in the morning fog, just after dawn on Saturday, outside the head office of a private health insurer in Docklands.
It was a fitting place to meet after the heart-stopper that Richmond fans endured a week ago to get over the line by three points against the Sydney Swans and sneak into the finals. If Sunday's match goes down to the wire, they might need to upgrade their coverage.
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"How good is this?" said one fan to a fellow Tiger, formerly a stranger but now a brother wearing yellow and black.
"I know, it's like my whole family is here."
They travelled on buses named after Richmond's five best players: Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio, Jack Riewoldt, Chris Newman and Dustin Martin. Today they will watch those players take to Adelaide Oval and try to keep the Tiger fairytale alive.
There's nothing like the Tiger army at its full-throated best. Melbourne changes pitch when Richmond plays finals, as a sleeping giant wakes from its September slumber.
"I might be biased, but there's no better supporter base than fans of the Richmond Football Club," said Jane Richer from seat 4D on the Riewoldt Express.
Jane has been a Tigers fan for 34 years. She's stood witness to some of the club's biggest moments: Kevin Bartlett's 400th match, the 1982 grand final loss to Carlton, their last winning final in 2001.
While she goes to most of the club's home games, this is her first trip away to watch the boys. She shows her support with a slightly faded knitted yellow jumper with a tiger wearing a bow tie on the front. It's as far from official club merchandise as you can get but typifies the sartorial choices of a grassroots footy fan.
"It's been a long, painful journey most of the time," she said.
"To have thought that nine weeks ago we were sitting 3-10 with absolutely no hope of being where we are today, it's a phenomenal turnaround."
Tiger fans say this year is different to other years in many ways. Not only is the club relevant again, it's playing good footy and has won nine in a row to finish eighth. Their supporters are delirious just to be here, having been so far out of the race in June.
As the bus pulled its way down the Western Highway on the long road to Adelaide, many passengers admitted they would have preferred to fly if not for the high prices.
But there is also the galvanising feeling of enduring the trip together.
At one point, the club's theme song Oh We're From Tigerland got a run on the the coach's stereo.
There was too much nervous energy for singing. Most fans joined in the "Yellow and Black!" rallying cry - it's impossible not to - but it was without the gusto of the singing after a win at the MCG. A heavy sense of anticipation lingered in the air.
Nancy O'Brien has supported Richmond all her life, nearly eight decades, after growing up in the then working class suburb. She is from a Tiger family, with long ties to the club, and is on the bus with her son Shaun.
"I don't like Port Adelaide because their supporters are feral. It doesn't matter that ours are too," she laughed.
Mother and son aren't expecting to beat Port at their home ground but they are quietly confident about causing an upset like they did against Sydney.
"We can beat them, we've done it before, but I'm realistic. I mean, I hope we kill them but it's going to be tough," said Shaun.
The atmosphere eased as fans chatted among themselves while the bus sped past Ballarat, Beaufort and Horsham. Clocks were wound back as they crossed the South Australian border.
At one rest stop, a bus organiser gave everyone $10 as a gift "from" Tiger captain Trent Cotchin to buy a coffee or cake. Most said it was a great gesture of the club's culture but one fan couldn't resist. "At Collingwood they'd wait until you got off the bus before taking your $10," he said.
While Cotchin is the nominated leader of the Tigers, the man with the heart of the people is Dustin Martin. After his last-minute heroics against the Swans, it's hoped the tattooed forward with the large thighs can do it again.
One fan described the Martin affection among the fans: "We like players the AFL doesn't like."
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