By Bonny Burrows
Ron Dyker has been a self-proclaimed Tigers’ tragic since the day he was born.
The 89-year-old Pakenham man lives and breathes the yellow and black, like his parents before him.
“We lived in Burnley, a suburb of Richmond. Mum and dad were Tigers, my brothers were Tigers, so I was a Tiger,” Ron said.
His first taste of football was through listening to static on crystal sets his father made.
“I never had a radio until I was nine years old,” Ron said.
Now he watches his beloved Tigers on the television while he’s clad in yellow and black.
While he misses the old days and the talents of Kevin Bartlett, Royce Hart and Roy Wright, Ron’s hoping this season will see a win to break the almost 40-year drought for the club, and is confident they have what it takes.
“But if they don’t win I’m still happy they’ve made it this far,” Ron said.
Ron’s not quite sure why he and other Tigers tragics have received the reputation they have, but he’s proud to own it.
“The theme song is so good. I don’t know why people love Richmond to the extent they do but if you love them you don’t love anyone else, and you especially hate Collingwood,” he said.
