Richmond Tigers bare their teeth in battle to reach AFL finalsPeter Rolfe
Herald-Sun
August 30, 2014THE claws are out. Tigers fans are hoping their boys can rip the Swans apart today as they march towards September glory.
The yellow-and-black army will descend on Sydney determined to extend their extraordinary winning streak against all odds.
On the back of eight straight victories, Richmond will take Tigerland to Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, hoping to beat the Swans and qualify for the finals in consecutive seasons for the first time in almost 40 years.
Bev Stowe, 77, is as tragic a Tigers fan as you will find.
“They’re my life,’’ she said.
For almost 60 years the Wyndham Vale woman has dedicated her life to passionately following Richmond, her home filled with all things yellow and black, from flags, photos and footballs to teddy bears, dolls and player autographs.
“They’ve got me through good times and bad,’’ Bev said.
Duffy the cavoodle is Richmond’s very own Tiger-dog.
Owner Jill Craig is such a passionate Tigers fan she also made her beloved pooch a paid-up and proud official pet member of the Richmond Football Club.
“I love the Tigers because they represent everything that our suburb is — tough, colourful, gritty,’’ Jill said.
At the height of Richmond’s 1970s glory years Dorothy Treseder, now 81, knitted her son, Peter, a whopping 10m yellow-and-black scarf to make her Tigers love a family affair.
Tonight, mother and son will wrap the scarf around themselves to cheer on their team along with Peter’s 22-year-old daughter, Chelsea, who has inherited the family’s Richmond passion.
“When I was in the Richmond Cheer Squad it could be worn by eight people to keep warm,’’ Peter said.
Steve Fraser was born into a Tigers family in Richmond 63 years ago, raised seven kids wrapped in yellow and black and turned the family car into a Tigers chariot.
“You’ve always got people jumping on the Richmond bandwagon but when we lose most people take their scarves off,’’ he said. “But I’ve got to drive this Tigers car around town win, lose or draw.”
http://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/richmond-tigers-bare-their-teeth-in-battle-to-reach-afl-finals/story-fnii5sms-1227042103248