Tigers drive into lead on club number platesNICHOLAS D’URBANO and MONIQUE HORE,
Herald Sun
18 Jan 2019Richmond fans can’t wait for Round One but the Tiger Army is already miles ahead of the personalised number plate ladder.
A total of 950 yellow and black fans wear their team’s colours on their car number plates.
The Tigers’ 2017 Grand Final success prompted more than 286 new fans to order new customised plates and the Punt Rd fans now have more club plates than their rivals, Collingwood with 779, according to VicRoads.
The road authority has also revealed that 240 applications for regular personalised plates were rejected for being too offensive. Suggestions such as “BOOBYS” and “BYEHOE” were deemed to be too rude for the road.
No such problems existed for car-razy Richmond fans, including fanatic Louisa Stoduto of Gladstone Park who has brandished her 604-RT plates on her Mitsubishi Lancer for the past four years.
“Four years ago, I won a prize in bingo which I then used to buy these plates,” Stoduto said.
“I have been a Richmond supporter since I was five … it’s my life now, I love it!”
Fellow Richmond tragic, Brett “Trout” Beattie of Woodend, also dons personalised Tigers plates which accompany his classic yellow and black 1978 HZ Holden 308.
“I have had mine for 10 to 12 years,” Beattie said.
“I couldn’t get them originally but I saw some online a little later and they were perfect for my (V8) engine!”
Trailing the Tigers and Magpies in third is Essendon who have 460 club plates while Hawthorn is seven behind on 453.
Geelong are way back on 364 just ahead of St Kilda on 360, the Bulldogs who are nine behind on 351 and Carlton round out the top eight on 329 who lead ninth placed, Sydney on 158.
However, only nine Fremantle fans in Victoria are brandishing their teams plates with Gold Coast sitting bottom with only six.
VicRoads sells about 25,000 pairs of custom plates every year.
But many applications don’t make the cut, VicRoads custom plates acting manager Tam Ma said.
“While there are countless combinations to choose from, sometimes it’s necessary to reject applications or withdraw certain plates if they are considered inappropriate for public display or are likely to cause offence,’’ Mr Ma said.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-drive-into-new-year-atop-the-number-plate-ladder/news-story/518577d41ca8d36be3ccb457ff92a2f9
