Bendigo hotels did a booming trade on Saturday as football fans went in search of beer and a big screen to watch Richmond win its eleventh AFL premiership.
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Crows were outnumbered by yellow-and-black-clad Tigers supporters, a community elated to see their football club shine in their first grand final outing in more than 30 years.
Among those at the Foundry complex on Saturday afternoon was Gerrard Woodhouse.
Read more: Grand final fever in Bendigo | Your photos
Despite his team trailing in the second quarter, he said he was nervous, not dejected.
The atmosphere in the venue was friendly, he said, even with a table of Adelaide fans seated to his right.
It was then he leaped to his feet to celebrate Jack Riewoldt’s first six-pointer of the match.
Nearby, three generations of Tigers were also enjoying the taste of premiership success. Aged between eight and 80 years old, members of the Tonkin family were all confident their team would come out on top.
The family’s youngest members – including an excited Copeland Ireland-Smith – had their hair cut this week to resemble their favourite Tiger, Brownlow medalist Dustin ‘Dusty’ Martin.
Their confidence paid off.
By half-time Richmond was ahead of their opponent and by three-quarter-time, there was no sign they would be overrun.
Campbell’s Creek’s very own Martin was a standout throughout Saturday, kicking a late goal that had him tugging on his guernsey.
He was named Norm Smith medalist, the first player to win both prestigious medals in the same week.
After quarter time, there wasn’t a lot to smile about for Crows backers.
The ladder leaders at season’s end finished the day empty-handed, falling eight goals short of their Victorian rivals.