South Sydney supporters talk of their love for the red and green Dream come true! Compiled by Renee Louise Azzopardi Laura Buzo, Mascot the game. I guess growing What are three qualities you field with Greg Inglis. No up in the Souths region had think make a true souths fan? team would measure up! a great influence on me. Loyalty. Support. Never- say-die attitude. Where will you be on grand Who is your favourite player final day and how will you and why? Where will you be on grand celebrate? Sam Burgess, because he final day and how will you This year I will be watching George Burgess (or is it Tom?), Kirisome Auva’a and Joel Reddy at Redfern Oval Photo: Kat Hines uses his full ability during celebrate? the grand final with my mum, an 80-minute game and is an If not at the game, I will grandma and friends. My inspiration to the rest of the gather some family and friends and I will get dressed team by leading the charge. friends to my place, have a up with red and green wigs Building up to JOEL BoRG, 14 large TV screen viewing of and face paint and we will What do you think Russell the game and when Souths jump up with joy when What does being a souths fan Crowe and Michael Maguire win I will enjoy the evening Souths win. I will re-watch something special mean to you? have brought to the club? celebrating with a party – I’ll the highlights after the grand I look forward to games Russell Crowe was able to bring out my very best scotch! final is played. We will Renee Louise Azzopardi be the ultimate gift for Souths’ – it brings me happiness, acquire talent from overseas also eat something special all-time leading try scorer, who laughter with my mates, great and much needed funds, and be together during the REDFERN: “GLORY, glory to has been through thick and times. I am proud of my team which helped to rebuild the pre-game entertainment. South Sydney! Glory, glory thin with his beloved club. and the way they respect team. Since joining South to South Sydney!” The chant “For us it’s very much about each other and their fans. Sydney, Michael Maguire was heard throughout Souths’ focusing on what we’ve been was able to lead us to the AMANDA CAMeRON, 34 training session at Redfern doing all year,” Maguire said. How long have you followed the finals with his class, attitude Oval on September 23. On After all, Souths won Rabbitohs and who influenced and discipline of the team. What does being a souths fan Friday September 26 the chant the majority of their games you in becoming a fan? mean to you? would be louder and prouder. week in and week out, and I have followed the Rabbitohs It means sticking through The Rabbitohs would defeat were only one game away from a very young age. thick and thin, as Souths the Roosters to be the first from taking the minor My mother followed have been through so much. team to qualify for the 2014 premiership, finishing the them as well, but my It means happiness for me as NRL premiership decider. regular season in third spot. passion for them just kept TUNDE CAMeRON, 14 when I see my son, Tunde, At the training session in growing as I grew older. watching Nathan Merritt The resounding victory Redfern, before a thousand What does being a souths fan on the fly, he smiles and is over their arch rivals from or so excited fans, the players Who is your favourite mean to you? happy, so I am as well. Bondi (32-22) would give seemed different. High Rabbitohs legend? I am very passionate about Russell Crowe and coach performance manager, Troy John Sattler – he was a tough Souths. At school I cannot Who is your favourite player Michael Maguire a shot at the Thomson, said the week off player. Even when he was wait for the weekend so I can and why? fairy-tale ending – Souths’ following the convincing win injured with a broken jaw see them play live or on TV. Big Greg Inglis, for sure. He first premiership since that over Manly had done them he kept playing and led the AnTHonY AZZopARDI, 55 Souths fans, to me, make the has the three s’s – strength, glorious day in 1971. the world of good. “We were club to a grand final win. league what it is today due to speed and sexiness. I am so The win would also mean able to rest up the guys that What does being a souths fan their die-hard attitude. I think glad he is at Souths playing that long-serving junior we needed to during the week, Where will you be on grand mean to you? also their history has a lot to in his most threatening and modern-day Rabbitohs giving them time to recover final day? The world. It means being do with this, making them position of fullback. legend, Nathan Merritt, who and then really upped the ante I will be there in the at the Cricket Ground and “the pride of the league”. announced his retirement at in the back end of last week … grandstand supporting my seeing the many grand What are three qualities you the training session, could [We] gave them the weekend team with heaps of passion. finals in my time; seeing Who is your favourite player think make a true souths fan? bow out a winner. Winning off to rest up and back into it how happy my father and why? Family-oriented; not shy to the premiership trophy would this week,” he said. S would be when they won. Nathan Merritt as he show your club’s colours by LoRRAINE BoRG is a Souths junior. He wearing their attire proudly; How long have you followed played for the Alexandria and possessing red and What does being a souths fan the Rabbitohs and who Rovers. I even know his green blood within your mean to you? influenced you in becoming birthday – May 26, 1983. body, flowing through your It gives me great honour to a fan? circulatory system. Souths be able to follow a team that Since I was five years if you could go back in time, fans don’t just have red shows pride, leadership and old. I lived in Surry Hills who would you include in your blood, they have green too! respect for each other and the and went to St Peter’s south sydney grand final team game. I am proud to wear the Catholic Primary School roster for 2014? Who is your favourite red and green and be a fan. where I played football I would include John Sattler, Rabbitohs legend? representing St Peter’s, Bob McCarthy and Ron Bob McCarthy. Not only How long have you followed and their colours were red Coote. They were magical in was he strong, but he the Rabbitohs and who and green, with a rabbit. their time and helped Souths was respected by all his Celebrations in Redfern Photos: Andrew Collis influenced you in becoming win a lot of premierships teammates. That’s probably a fan? Who is your favourite player over the years. I would keep why he became such a great My passion for the team and why? Greg Inglis, along with the coach. Today, he is still began in the early ’90s John Sutton. Unlike any Burgess brothers and also such a wonderful human when I met my husband. He other player, when the going Isaac Luke. And if I really had being who is so humble followed another team, the got tough, John Sutton, a a time machine I’d include and down-to-earth when Tigers. We would go out to local junior, has been there one player some say is the meeting fans like myself. games, but my heart wasn’t through thick and thin. I greatest player the code with the Tigers. The rivalry have seen him mature from has produced – the Little What are you hoping to see between us began when a young player to setting Master, Clive Churchill. He from souths in the 2015 Souths played the Tigers. My the standards as a first was a fullback – I could season? heart was with Souths to win grade player and captain. just imagine him on the Back-to-back premierships! S 2014 NRL Premiership Special Edition Wraparound. Edited by Sarah Grealy. SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 2014 NRL PREMIERS Proud and passionate South Sydney supporters at ANZ Stadium Photo: Jennifer Blau Mi‘WEchaeL PaGe DID IT!’ TH E SOUTH Sydney Rabbitohs have capped off an incredible journey to become the 2014 NRL premiers and New chapter in club’s proud history indisputably reclaim their title as “the pride of the league”. Sarah GRealY the Book of Feuds, says despite at the beginning of the match, thing,” Mark Courtney says. After being seen as surplus to the NRL competition these struggles the Rabbitohs but played on for the entire “I think because South in 1999, the Rabbitohs crowned a remarkable comeback SOUTH SYDNEY has seen have been continually resilient game to lead Souths to victory. Sydney Football Club was when they beat the Canterbury Bulldogs 30-6 … its fair share of battles. as a club. “In between those And, of course, there was an integral part of so many 43 years after their last grand final appearance.