Butterss aims big
By Melissa Ryan
The Age
April 25, 2005
St Kilda president Rod Butterss said yesterday he hoped the St Kilda versus Richmond match could assume an importance as great as that of Essendon and Collingwood's Anzac Day clash in the AFL fixture.
Yesterday's match against the Tigers was scheduled into a twilight slot by the AFL, with Butterss saying the Saints were happy to be part of "the experiment", with the start time of 5.10pm.
He said the club was working with Richmond to build up the match as a potential blockbuster in the future.
"Today we've got the opportunity to work with the Richmond Football Club on what we hope we might be able to turn into a blockbuster," Butterss said.
"If you think back to what was happening years ago, the first Collingwood-Essendon Anzac Day was put on and that's turned into something quite remarkable.
"Let's hope that part of this experiment turns into something huge."
An hour-and-a-half before the start of the match yesterday, ground announcers on the Telstra Dome concourse relayed that only standing-room tickets were available, setting the scene for a sell-out crowd at the venue.
Inside, patrons in unreserved seating areas were asked to leave no gaps in the rows to ensure the expected large crowd could be fitted in. The final crowd figure was 49,580.
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