Big name players attract fans from afar Adam Holmes
Tasmanian Examiner
11 March 2019For Richmond fan Oliver Wright, there was no better way to spend his first day in Tasmania than by getting the prized autograph of Dustin Martin on his back.
"Someone told me where the players were going to be when they get to the ground, so we went and Dusty signed my guernsey," he said.
Oliver came down to Launceston with his dad Ross Wright - a special treat for his son - and they had the best seats in UTAS Stadium in the front row on centre wing. It was the third time he had met Dusty and he was in prime position to meet the players after the game.
Mr Wright said they had enjoyed their time in Launceston - but just wished a few more places were open on a Saturday. They were confident the Tigers would have a successful 2019. "This was always meant to be their year, and winning the premiership in 2017 was a bonus really," Mr Wright said.
Emma Kirkhope, of Longford, took her Tiger fan daughters to the footy - and for some it was the first time they had seen their team play in Tasmania.
"We've gone to see them in Melbourne a few times," she said. "It's pretty awesome to see them here."
The Examiner spoke to Tigers fans as they made their way into the ground, and most had come up from Hobart. It was the first time the Tigers had played in Launceston since 2013 when they won with a kick after the siren in a preseason game against the Hawks.
Saturday night's match almost matched that excitement - Richmond coming back from 40 points down at half-time to win by eight.
Michelle Oliver and her son Josh made the trip from Hobart - complete with autograph-laden merchandise. Josh struggled to decide who he liked more - Dusty or Jack Riewoldt. But there was one thing he was sure of: a 2019 premiership for the Tigers. "I reckon they'll win it," Josh said.
Free entry for season ticket holders helped to boost crowd figures, along with both clubs naming strong teams. The official crowd of 6982 was one of the strongest so far in the 2019 JLT Series.
For Hawthorn, big recruits Chad Wingard and Tom Scully were missing, but the remainder had the look of a round one team. The Tigers were without new recruit Tom Lynch. The other big names were there though and played for much of the match: Dusty, Jack, Alex Rance and the rest.
Fans got the chance to have a kick on the ground after the match for about half an hour, before huge crowds gathered outside to see the teams board their buses.
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