AFL Prelim Finals: Deserving Saints win through to Grand Final

After spending my first week of holidays in Yarrawonga, I’m keen to get home and head off to the Dogs-Saints game. Hours after getting home Dad and I are out on the road again to Surrey Hills station. We aren’t willing to take on preliminary finals traffic. On the way to the station we make [Read more]

AFL Final — Week 1: A Tiger fan among Saints and Pies

September is one of my favourite months of the year. Full of high quality football matches and no Richmond thrashings. Dad and I always get full use out of our AFL memberships by going to as many finals as possible. This year we’ve got off to a good start as on Saturday we were at [Read more]

Round 22: Tigers find a fitting way to end the season

At the start of the season this game was going to mean a lot. It was going to be Richmond’s victory leading into its first finals campaign since 2001; it was hopefully also going to be the homecoming and celebration of Ben Cousins returning to Subiaco to face his old club. Twenty-one rounds later and [Read more]

Round 21: Richmond v Hawthorn — the game that divides a family

When marriage occurs in Victoria , negotiation is necessary on football teams. Some are fortunate enough to have met someone who supports the same team as they do, but the majority of couples have a dilemma. There are two paths that the couple can go down: 1. The less passionate footy follower agrees to give [Read more]

Round 20: Farewell to a true Tiger champion

Today was always going to be a painful day. Collingwood are in fine form while Richmond are putting forward a case for relegation to be introduced to AFL. If it wasn’t bad enough to put up with an imminent thrashing against my least liked team in the AFL, earlier in the week it was announced [Read more]

Round 19: Tiger prospects look shaky after Sydney shellacking

Mum and I headed off to the footy unusually early, even for our standards. The reason was because we needed to sneak in RMIT’s open day before the footy. I have plans to be there in 2012. Earlier that day I read an article by Emma Quayle, where she asks where Richmond and North Melbourne [Read more]

Round 17: Richmond v Essendon – Worth the pain

After witnessing one of the greatest games this season ( JIMMMY!), I’m heading back to the ‘G’ with the casual attitude of yesterday ‘arvo’ thrown out the window,  Yesterday I wanted a close, high standard free flowing game of football and I got it.  Today, as I put on my Richmond jumper (now with the [Read more]

Round 16: Richmond vs North Melbourne – a draw is just as bad as a win

by Michael Allan We’ve reached the home stretch. Only six more games before eight teams are knocked out and the finals begin. It’s around this time when Richmond (and several others) are put under the microscope, as the tanking debate re-emerges. I’m always torn with this: on one hand, it will better suit the club long [Read more]

Round 15: Carlton v Richmond – a day to forget

Mum and I have been tested a lot this year. Losing to the reigning wooden spooners, losing in the last minute against Port, travelling to the Gold Coast to witness a poor performance and worst of all, being thrashed by rivals Carlton, Essendon and St Kilda (Can’t wait till we play Collingwood).  Today may be [Read more]

AFL Round 14: Richmond v Adelaide – Same Tigers, different ground

As soon as the 2009 footy fixture was announced one game stood out. Richmond v Adelaide, eight point game, finals contenders,  Gold Coast and in the middle of school holidays, the offer sounded too good to be true. Even dad was willing to sacrifice a Hawthorn game for the holiday. Unfortunately that wasn’t how the season panned out. While one team [Read more]

Round 13: St Kilda v Richmond: At least Milne didn’t kick a goal

By Michael Allan It’s that time of year again. That day when I question whether I should turn up to watch. The day when bad memories come back to haunt me. Today Richmond play St Kilda. Many Richmond supporters would say they hate Carlton, Essendon or Collingwood the most. Not me, if there’s one team [Read more]

AFL Round 12: Lights, Camera, Cousins!

by Michael Allan As I walk through the turnstiles looking around for the absent Record seller, I notice something unusual, West Coast supporters are everywhere. How could I forget? Tonight, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Cousins” (I was drafted under exceptional circumstances) crosses another plot in this gripping saga as Ben faces his old club West Coast. [Read more]

Round 11: Richmond v Western Bulldogs – Tigers farwell coach in characteristic fashion

Tonight is the farewell game for Richmond’s Terry Wallace, his five year plan ending in failure with Richmond not much better off than when he came to the club. But tonight we may see even more farewells. Jordan Mcmuffin has been selected ,while Pettifer and Simmonds will get their last chance to show the new coach [Read more]

AFL Round 10: Tigers hang on in thriller

by Michael Allan Another Saturday night, another Richmond game to sit through. Fortunately tonight I don’t have to leave the comfort of the couch to do so. The parents are out tonight so it’s just my Hawthorn supporting sister Bron  and I are watching ‘Before the Game.’ I need all laughs I can get before another dismal Richmond loss. Normally I’d be confident against Freo [Read more]

AFL Round 9: Nightmare at the G

By Michael Allan I don’t know what to think of Richmond anymore. At the start of the year I penciled the dreamtime match in as one of our 14 wins on the way to September. Seven losses later I’m struggling to keep up with all that is wrong with Richmond. It started off with their [Read more]