Jamie Tape remembered ...special gift from Tigers supporter
Tuesday, 09 September 2008
Journalist: Jenny Oldland
Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Jamie Tape was the first player from SYP to make the transition from local footy to the AFL via Woodville-West Torrens; drafted by Richmond then traded to Collingwood he played 91 games at AFL level.
Richmond supporter and great Jamie Tape fan Riley Wolff, pictured with Jamie’s seven year-old son Tom, who was taken to Melbourne by grandparents Peter and Kathy Tape to collect the special locker Riley decided to gift to the family.
Jamie’s untimely death in January 2003 at 28, following his return to South Australia and the Eagles, rocked not only the communities of Coobowie and Edithburgh where he grew up but also the football fraternity in both states.
His sheer determination to play at the game’s top level and his prowess on the football field attracted many fans throughout his career, none more so than Tigers supporter Riley Wolff who recently made the decision to gift some very special memorabilia to Jamie’s son, Tom.
Riley Wolff was just nine years old when Jamie moved to Melbourne to become a ‘Tiger’. Debuting in Round 1 March 1994, Jamie instantly became Riley’s favourite player during his three seasons and 67 games with the club.
“When everyone else was in awe of Cambo, Daffy or Richo I couldn’t get enough of Jamie. I even remember calling the editor of Sports Weekly magazine to point out that ‘Sticky’, as he was called, had been duped on the vote count and they promptly corrected their error,” Riley says.
“My mother is the creative type and thought what better birthday present for me one year than making a replica of the lockers at ‘Tigerland’ and getting Jamie to autograph it. I still remember one Saturday afternoon at the ‘G’ after the game hanging around until about 6.30 for the players to walk back to Punt Road, seeing him and getting the locker signed. Over the years Jamie was at Richmond I sent him several letters and illustrations and even now as an adult I enjoy watching old VHS tapes of his games, especially the ’95 season, which I’m sure all Tiger fans remember fondly!”
While the locker meant a great deal to Riley, and still took pride of place in his garage where he and his mates spend time watching footy, several months ago he contacted the Richmond Football Club offering his locker and signed centenary jumper to Jamie’s family as a gift and an example of how much he meant to Tiger supporters.
To receive the gifts from Riley personally, 7 year-old Tom travelled to Melbourne with grandparents Peter and Kathy Tape for Richmond’s Round 16 game against Essendon. Decked out in all the Tiger’s gear, Tom was also able to share the occasion with young cousins Nick and Sam, Uncle Simon Tape and his partner Mel. And not only did the boys get to experience a game at the MCG, they were able to sing the Tigers song, which they had spent some time practising, after their win against the Bombers!
The locker is now installed in Tom’s bedroom back home in Port Lincoln, where he lives with Mum Kelly, her partner Christian and baby sister Grace. Tom has just finished playing his first season with the Lincoln South Under 9s, beginning his footy career early just like his father, who started with the Edithburgh Minis before going on to be the youngest ever winner of the SYP Football League’s Mail and Tape Medals (best and fairest A Grade player) at just 17 years of age.
“It is gorgeous to think there are people out there who still remember Jamie, and that someone would be kind enough to give something like this to Tom, not to mention taking the trouble to track us down through the Richmond Football Club,” Kelly said.
Tom apparently took the whole trip, which included flying from Port Lincoln to Adelaide unaccompanied, in his stride and while the big highlight of the trip was always going to be the chance to play with Nick and Sam, Kelly said, he was also very aware that he was going to see the ground where his father played in Melbourne.
Richmond supporter and great Jamie Tape fan Riley Wolff, pictured with Jamie’s seven year-old son Tom, who was taken to Melbourne by grandparents Peter and Kathy Tape to collect the special locker Riley decided to gift to the family
