Richmond return to the finals for the first time in 12 years and now it's party time Mark Hayes
Herald Sun
August 16, 2013 10:00PMTHERE'S a "frequently asked questions" page on Richmond's website about how to access finals tickets.
It looks fresh - which isn't surprising given the last time the Tigers were in the finals, just 42 per cent of Australians had internet access.
Ansett was still flying. George W. Bush had just been sworn in for the first time as US president.
To get those finals tickets, you had to queue overnight, with your Walkman for entertainment, outside Myer to find a glorified rabbit burrow known as a BASS outlet. Google it kids, it's all true.
It was 12 years ago - hence the need for a refresher course for Tiger fans on what happens in September when you're not on holidays up the Murray River.
At that time, a 21-year-old Brad Ottens - who would go on to play in three flags for Geelong - was making his mark in the Tigers' forward line.
"I still remember that noise when we were up and running late in that season," Ottens recalled this week.
"There was one game just before finals (Round 21) against North that was pretty close and when you kicked a goal to that Punt Rd end, I've never heard anything like it."
For the previous generation of yellow and black faithful, that roar had been the norm.
But remarkably for the club that was the powerhouse of that era, Richmond has not appeared in successive finals series since 1974-75.
Several Tiger lineups promised plenty and, in 1980, one even delivered. But two unsuccessful September tilts since have left the club with the same number of finals appearances as the defunct Fitzroy, which played its last AFL season in 1996.
All through this season, despite peeling off 13 wins and still being a chance to match the 1980 total of 16 home-and-away victories, the lid has been firmly on. If not among the supporters, at least those around the club.
Veteran Chris Newman, who now holds the record for the most games without a finals appearance, pumped his fists at the final siren when Richmond beat Hawthorn in Round 19 knowing that streak was nearly over.
Yet still - with maths the only proviso - he stayed mum in the rooms, refusing to mention the 'F word' that had caused a stir when the Tiger cheer squad dared raise the matter on its banner before the team's loss to North Melbourne in Round 15.
But that changed this week when finals became a certainty.
The club began to embrace that warm feeling of playing into September with messages from coach Damien Hardwick and others about "not putting a ceiling on expectations" and being able to compete and beat anyone "on our day"."It is exciting ... but we don't want it to be a celebration," Hardwick said.
"We'll take a moment and reflect, but this has to be the expectation we set on a yearly basis."
Which is great in theory.
But how do players avoid being flattened by what's sure to become a mighty crowded bandwagon?
Cheer squad boss Gerard Egan, 49, is old enough to have been at the 1980 Grand Final triumph after joining in 1977.
He is a mix of wisdom and the raw, unbridled passion for which Tigers supporters are famous.
"I'm keen for the finals, obviously, but I've noticed a lot of talk and growing trend for people wanting to wear 'onesies' - so I think you're going to see quite a few Tiger onesies come finals time," he bubbled.
"Look, we're not unrealistic. I think we'd be happy if we got through to the second week, but I'll be really happy to be proven wrong and go much further.
"The club has tried to keep things maintained this year, but we've sat through enough bad times to enjoy this ... really enjoy it.
"I think the other clubs know, too. Watch out, because the Tigers are coming."
Now rolling, Egan is quick to let his mind race forward to what victory on the last Saturday in September would mean to the success-starved Tigers hordes.
"Remember Collingwood supporters after that (drought-breaking) 1990 Grand Final? We'd make that look like a tea party."
Nick Daffy, a fan favourite through his 165 games at Richmond between 1992 and 2001, is certain the latent support for the club will become more visible in coming weeks.
"And if they start to get the feeling that there's something special going on, not just now but in the next few seasons, it's going to be massive," Daffy said.
"There's no doubt the club's the sleeping giant of the comp. The fans have been on a real rollercoaster ride over 20 or so seasons, so I think they've earnt the right to be a bit feral ... and I think it's just waiting to come out.
"I reckon that if we had a bit of (ongoing) success, we'd rival Collingwood within two years. That's how big it could be."
Daffy says the players of his era sensed the rising tide of enthusiasm through August in his two finals campaigns, 1995 and 2001.
"As we gradually got better, they started coming down. We had a 5000 at Punt Rd a couple of times and it was buzzing.
"They are great. They get on, they get excited and they're easily convinced - it's just this time it's working, so they'll go off, I reckon."
Egan estimated that up to another 15,000 Tigers fans would come out of the woodwork as the weather warmed, eager to taste those elusive finals.
For its part, the club is expected to post a huge profit this year - some estimates have it as high as $4 million - and has been pumping out ads for merchandise to excited members, already a record 60,000 strong.
All of which is great news to former player turned chief executive Brendon Gale, who's starting to see the fruits of his team's labours late in his fourth year at the helm.
The yellow and black side of Gale's brain is all about watching and enjoying the reaction of people who roared him on through 244 games.
But the business side of his brain is just that - business as usual.
"I had the chance to talk to a couple of coterie groups last week when we played Brisbane and the mood was electric. I walked away floating," Gale said.
"I can see and sense the growing excitement ... I understand that hype and I genuinely want the fans and members to be excited and proud of the club - they deserve that.
"But right now, internally, the lid is very much on and we're a very focused group. The mood across our staff has been relatively subdued and, as an administration, I think we're a very even-keeled group.
"We're really pleased there's a sense of belief in the direction we're taking as a football club and making the finals is an important achievement, but now's when it really starts for us.
"Everything we've done in the past three years has been about building for sustained success and competitiveness, which in the long run will help us build up the football department.
"We're rapt to be here (finals), but it's no good unless we can stay here. It's not about quick fixes for us - it's a slow, methodical and orchestrated build to reach sustained success.
"Our supporters have kept the faith when we haven't been there and to have 60,000 members when we haven't had great success is tremendous and shows us the level of support out there.
"We're not artificially trying to keep a lid on them ... or our expectations on the field. We've just got to be as constant as we can internally to make sure we stay here over a sustained period ... so the club can reach its potential."
Which will, at very least, mean a tattoo for Egan.
"My wife (Nikki) is going to keep me to it," he said.
"I was thinking about a traditional Tiger ... but I might get two yellow and black flags across my back."
Good luck finding that lid, Brendon.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-return-to-the-finals-for-the-first-time-in-12-years-and-now-its-party-time/story-fni5f9jb-1226698741302
