After the sour, Tigers fans deserve the sweetBy Michael Cowley
theRoar.com.au
8 Aug 2013You could be a Sydney fan, full of confidence as the stars start to align for the title defence, or a Hawthorn supporter, a little unsettled about last week but still certain the boys can avenge last season’s grand final loss.
Perhaps you’re a fan of the Magpies, as they get ready to come good at the right time, and have yet another tilt at a flag. Maybe you are a supporter of Fremantle, they’ve been here before, but there’s a sense of something special this year.
You could be a Cats fan, getting ready for yet another year where you head into September, just knowing your boys have a realistic shot of winning the flag, or perhaps you have a little anxiety being a Bombers fan, not yet knowing what may happen.
But for me, if I was a fan of any team whose destination is the 2013 finals, it would without question be the Richmond Tigers.
I’m not, but I wish I was.
I know what it’s like being a fan of a team (from another code) which has struggled for a long, long time for success. Even when you are ‘assured’ of a finals’ berth, you don’t want to tempt fate and start celebrating.
“Let’s keep it quiet until we are absolutely, guaranteed to be there,” you tell your mates.
While Richmond are effectively into the finals after their crushing win over Hawthorn last weekend, many fans who have been through the tough times won’t be completely counting their chickens just yet.
I’m confident it isn’t going to happen, but mathematically, if things suddenly went pear-shaped, they could still miss out.
But it won’t, and they won’t miss out.
As I said, I’m not a Tigers fan, but I do know what it feels like, and why right now it would be better having yellow and black attire in your wardrobe than any other colours.
What makes the good times great is having known and experienced what it’s like to go through the tough times. Tigers fans know exactly what that’s like.
Their last flag was in 1980, their last trip to the finals way back in 2001 where they reached the preliminary final, losing by 11 goals to Brisbane.
That finals appearance is one of only two for the club in the past 30 years (1995 and 2001), two less than the number of wooden spoons they have collected in that period.
Six times since the AFL’s top eight system began in 1994, the Tigers have finished in ninth position, two of those coming since 2001, in 2006 and 2008.
In all, a lot of frustration, aggravation, disappointment, and heartache. But right now, each of those emotions are faint memories and each now seems worth it, with the team having reached this point.
Real supporters are there through thin and thick, the horrid, embarrassing times and the times when tears also arrive due to joy.
Real supporters are the ones who truly appreciate the success when it does eventually arrive.
Sure we would all like to support a team that plays in September every single season – wouldn’t we? Wouldn’t that get a little boring and monotonous?
Ok, it probably wouldn’t, but maybe you would get a bit blasé about finals footy.
Not Richmond supporters. They appreciate what is about to happen. They will savour every moment of every finals match the club plays.
It could be one, maybe two, why stop there? Those from Tigerland have had a lean trot for a while.
Wouldn’t it be great to see them have a team to support on the last Saturday in September? If your team’s not there, wouldn’t you be happy seeing the Tiges go around?
I know I would. Carn the Tigers.
http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/08/08/after-all-the-sour-tigers-fans-deserve-the-sweet/
