Can huge crowds tempt Lynch?

By Paul Frederickson

Who is 199cm tall, has kicked 234 goals for an average at best team and will be a 26 year old free agent at the end of the season? That would be the talented Gold Coast forward Tom Lynch. Richmond will be a major player in the chase for the forward's signature.

Hands up if you want to wear yellow and black in 2019.

Richmond has two memorable, and not necessarily successful, huge free agent targets in recent decades in Ben Cousins and before that the unlucky Nathan Brown. It has been a long time since Richmond has aggressively chased a big name free agent at the start of a new season. Whilst Prestia, Caddy and Nankervis were exceptional recent pick ups only Prestia would match whatever have been considered a biggish name of the three when recruited.

The Gold Coast will be the front runners to secure Lynch as he will be a restricted free agent, much like Dustin Martin in 2017. That means the Gold Coast will have the final option to match whatever rival clubs offer. If he wants to stay he will remain at the Suns for 2019 and beyond.

Why would he leave for Richmond?

His is a Victorian and the lure of coming home may be a factor.

We are in a Premiership window with the third youngest list in the AFL. There will be a lot of competition for spots and success begets success.

The crowds. With the highest attendances of 2017 and already the highest membership numbers in the club's 133 year history Lynch is guaranteed to play in front of bumper, and adoring crowds.

Friendships. Already close friends with Prestia and Caddy he won't be coming to tiger land friendless.

So let's set our targets high and become the club of choice for free agents!

GO TIGES!

Tiger fans come in all different guises

 By Paul Frederickson 

Is any one fan greater than another? Does any one fan support harder, love their club more than anyone else? There are degrees of fandom but great clubs are families and embrace everyone, including their strange uncle or distant cousin. As Richmond embraces an era of success and unprecedented recognition from not only the AFL fraternity but the Australian sporting landscape there will be people who jump on-board the Tiger train. We, as long suffering supporters, need to make sure we all make room on the platforms and carriages.

As 2017 commenced and we started 5-0 many of us started to believe, then the blips occurred as a combination of close losses mixed with some huge losses reminded us of our decades of fragility. There is no way we could have a season that resulted in a long awaited and craved Premiership without there being massive highs and lows. It could never have been a Richmond season without the shadows of doubt. Then September came and we beat all three of our fellow top four competitors by a total of 135 points! Even then it took three fantastic second half performances to gain the ultimate AFL prize! We got more excited and scared as the prize got closer, and many who weren't previously supporters of our club were swept up in the tsunami of fervent support!

     This illustration is typical of many jibes that we have endured over the years.

Yes, we have been Ninthmond, the pretenders, the finals failures. We have been through largely barren periods if not eras. We haven't all been as supportive as we could be in the dark times but who can blame a single supporter from expressing their angst? We have seen supporters dump animal faeces at the door of the club, spit on coaches, throw beers at players, burn memberships in microwaves. These acts are disgraceful and full of anger but it would a huge surprise if, to almost a person, these supporters aren't basking in the feats of our 2017 team triumph. So are these supporters and their misguided anger any less passionate supporters than you and I?

In that same regards, people who are now professing their love for the yellow and black may be new to the club but are they any less worthy than long suffering fans to call themselves fans of the mighty tigers? Although it is almost impossible to quantify it has been suggested that approximately 500,000 people around the country say that they follow Richmond Football Club to some extent. As of mid-February 2018, Richmond has almost 75,000 members as the club strives for, and openly aspires to reach 90,000 members in 2018. Unprecedented numbers for a club with a smaller national base than many of our contemporaries. So we have to be clever in the way we help convert those who say they follow the club to become financial supporters of the club. Long-term supporters can help to meet and exceed the goals.

Tattoo parlours across the country would be making a fortune out of producing Richmond Premiership tattoos.

The club has brilliant community engagement programs and connections whether they be the Bachar Houli Foundation, the Korin Gamadji Institute, school visits programs or the connection to Swinburne University. The club has increased their social media and media reach through brilliant insights into the inner workings of the club. So the club is almost perfect in the way it embraces the community as well as supporters. But it is mid and long-term supporters that will play a major role for the club in the next few years. The only way we can increase the 500,000 supporters and 75,000 members is to be a club that embraces every single person we can whether they have followed the club for 70 years or started in September 2017. It is fellow supporters that play that role by embracing those who are new to the fold.



In the lead up to the ultimate prize of 2017 the crowd numbers and noise that the tiger army increased too was captivating. So many of my friends, who don't follow our mighty club, stated similar sentiments, wishing us the very best, but many secretly hoping that our failures would continue. Then, in the afterglow of our recent success I've seen the most amazing street art, decorated homes and SO MANY tattoos displayed on social media and in the flesh. The outpouring of happiness and shedding of darkness has been palpable, unlike any other I've seen in Australian sport. Who wouldn't want to join our mighty army?

                                                    New generational support!

Let's invite them in, teach our lore and most importantly make them feel as wanted and embraced as any other tiger, no matter how long the passion has been in place! I know I will be. Will you?

Go tiges!