The AFL gave the Tigers 6 Interstate games in 2006 and yours truly managed to travel too all 6. The question that I am most often asked is "which is the best trip, which is the best venue and which is the "best" crowd

SUBIACO OVAL ...

West Coast

For me a trip West to watch a game at Subi when your playing the Eagles is, well, bearable. The Eagles fans although parochial in comparision to those from other states don't give the visiting fans that hard of a time. Which has to be an advantage. But then again they don't really have to because they are successful.

I've said this in the past Subi as a venue reminds me of VFL (Waverley) Park! Big and spacious but for the humble spectator when the a ball is up the other end of the ground you've got no hope of seeing it.

One of the biggest problems with Subi is the scoreboard - poor quality, actually in hindsight maybe they go it from VFL Park because think that horrible video screen we put up with in the 1980's and you'll get the feel for the one at Subi. And geesh if you're hoping for updated scores from other games well forget it.

One of the advantages of a trip to Perth (if you're up to it of course!) is you can do it in one day. Say it's a Saturday night game you can leave Melbourne around lunch time, catch a train to the ground and then catch the "Red-Eye" home. However be warned if you team loses the "Red-Eye" is a bloody long flight.

As I said at the begining Eagles fans are bearable and you will genuinely feel safe ...........

Fremantle

Safe ... did someone safe? IMHO there is no worse road trip in the AFL calendar than a going to a Freo game at Subi. We all talk about some footy fans being "feral" and/or "deluded". Fremantle fans can proudly (?) boast to being both.

At Subiaco they show it everytime without fail.

For starters they give us the anchor thing that makes it's appearance by having around a dozen people (all adults too no kids) dragging it around the ground just prior to the team running out.

Then you have the fans reacting to each win as if they've won a premiership. Then as you leave the ground you have people who will shove flags and scarves in your face and say "Freo" or you may cop abuse from people hanging from the rafters. The best bit is they yell and scream about Freo being in the 8! Now this is all well and good in round 22, maybe even after rounds 18 or 19 but in round 10? Give me a break!

And of course then there's the song......enough said

THE GABBA

I love going to the Gabba. If there's one interstate trip a season that I am going to make it's always going to be the Gabba.

It's an easy flight, the law of averages tells us that the weather is usually going to be warmer than Melbourne and over the last 2 years the Tigers have started to win up there - what could be better?

Actually one of the other great adavantages of the Gabba is you have the opportunity to be entertained by the parts of the crowd who are clearly new to the game. At the Gabba you can always tell the "locals" from the former Victorians who now call Queenslandor Norther NSW home (ala OER's Julz and Mopsy). The "locals" as I call them will go up as one cheering for points and when the ball is kicked out on the full (they mistake this for a goal). This can be quite comical especially when the opposition have kicked the ball to the other end and Richo's pulled down a screamer and the Brissie fans are still cheering the previous point.

The other thing with Gabba and the Lions is that after winning 3 premierships in a row you'd think the fans would know the words to the song. Alas dear reader they do not - the words to the Club song are put up on the scoreboard to help....

THE S.C.G.

It was my first trip to the SCG in 2006. My previous trip Sydney was a few years ago when the Tigers played out Telstra Stadium (Homebush). I am please to report that the words to Club theme songs are not restricted to the Gabba, the SCG also supply the words to the song on the SCG Scoreboard, complete with bouncing ball so you too can keep up with the words. I ask you is there nothing these Clubs will not do for their fans?

Did you know at the SCG you cannot get a pass out ot leave the ground during the course of a game? Now I can hear the gasper brigade saying where do we go for our quarter time smoke? Fear not smokers there is a designated area behind the stands for all the smokers to get together puff away. Now I know where the term "smokers stand" comes from.

I was disappointed with the SCG because I had trouble viewing the game! You see I was sitting in the lower level of the Doug Walters Stand and in front of that your view is restricted by poles that sign what area you are in. So instead of putting the Aisle or Bay number on the back of seats like most normal venues do the SCG stick poles up.

As for Sydney fans, apart from calling the umps "refs" and frees "penalties" I think they have a great understanding of the game. Now if they could only learn the words of the song.....

AURORA STADIUM

Let me start by saying I love Tassie, always have. But my AFL Tassie experience was a shocker except for as I've mentioned before the weather. The weather was just sensational and I must say the Stadium itself is great but the game? I still shake my head wondering what the hell happened

Perhaps our problems in Tassie stemmed from the fact we were not in enemy territory? I'm telling you in Launceston everyone and I mean everyone embraced the Tigers. The kid selling the Footy record was yelling about the Tigers coming to Tassie. It was like we were the home team! Everyone loved us. When I go interstate I'm used to being abused, having people in my face trying to bait me but in Launceston it was like a warm and fuzzy Richmond Convention and I wonder how much that cost us

AAMI STADIUM

You've gotta leave the best til last I reckon

AAMI Stadium has always been a difficult trip and believe it doesn't matter if it's the Crows or the Power alot of these people are just plain "feral".

I remember one time a couple of years ago when we played Adelaide and I had a group of teenage boys follow me half way around the ground telling me how %^&*ing stupid I was coming to Adelaide to watch my team lose. How they knew I was from Melbounre I'll never know but then again ....

In 2005 after the Port game AAMI stadium security escorted us out of the ground because they were afraid there was going to be trouble because the Tigers had "almost" won the game!

I had always wondered what it would be like if we actually won over there. Would I need a police escort back to my car and then to the airport the next morning?

Season 2006 has provided the answer.

With the Tiger victory we got to witness an amazing event one that I never thought would happen in Adelaide because Adelaide people will tell you that they are more fanatical about their team, have greater loyalty to their teams and they never leave

In 2006 Port Adelaide fans left early! Some left at 3 quarter time others left half through the final quarter. But they left early and it was the most peaceful trip to AAMI I've ever had

SO THE BEST AND WORST FROM 1 TO 6

1. The Gabba: A Tiger victory at our home away from home

2. AAMI Stadium: A Tiger first! Victory aagainst the Power and no abuse

3. Aurora: Great weather shame about the game

4. Subiaco -v- WCE: the lesser of 2 evils - supporters who are actually real footy fans

5. SCG: At number 5 by default.

6. Subiaco -v- Freo: Bad song, bad colours shocking fans - a leathal combination

AND FINALLY

How well do you know your fellow OERites?

Keep Prowlin - WP