Richmond awards life membership to every 2017 premiership player
AFTER earlier altering its constitution, Richmond today awarded life membership to its entire premiership-winning line-up. And that includes a man with five AFL games to his name.
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RICHMOND has awarded life memberships to every 2017 premiership player and coach Damien Hardwick after altering its constitution on the back of the drought-breaking flag.
Tigers president Peggy O’Neal made presentations to 17 of the premiership players and the triumphant coach at Punt Rd this morning, two months after an annual general meeting vote determined the board should be able to award life membership at its discretion.
The other five members of the Tigers’ 2017 premiership team — Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt, Alex Rance, Shane Edwards and Dustin Martin — were already life members of the club having met standard criteria.
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Before the December vote only multiple VFL/AFL premiership winners or a single VFL/AFL premiership player who had played a minimum of 100 senior games could be considered for life membership.
Non-playing criteria could also allow election.
The changes mean grand final hero Jack Graham, who has played just five AFL games, is now not only a premiership player but also a life member of Richmond at age 19.
Nathan Broad (12 games), Dan Butler (23 games) and 2017 recruits Josh Caddy, Toby Nankervis and Dion Prestia were among others to benefit from the constitutional change well before their time.
Speaking on behalf of the playing group at the presentation, Richmond midfielder Shaun Grigg said life membership made the group’s achievement last year all the more special.
“To achieve something special all together, it’s a lifelong memory and speaking to other premiership players who here today as well they’ve welcomed us into the club and we look forward to getting to know them as well,” Grigg said.
Graham said there were plenty of people to thank who had also been part of the journey.
“To the boys, friends and family for their support, the fans, we really couldn’t do it without you,” he said.
“It’s a journey and we keep going forward.”
Eight past premiership players were also presented with life membership on the back of the eligibility changes, those players being Eric Moore (1969), Mike Bowden (1969), Craig McKellar (1973), Stephen Rae (1973), David Thorpe (1974), Daryl Cumming (1974), Cameron Clayton (1974) and Stephen Mount (1980).
The Tigers defeated Adelaide by 48 points in last year’s grand final, seeing the club claim its 11th premiership but first since 1980.
Richmond will take part in the AFLX round-robin at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on February 17 before getting an opening pre-season series clash with Essendon in Wangaratta on February 24.
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