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Richmond Back2Back Premierships 2019/2020

Booklet showcasing artwork created by Jamie Cooper to commemorate Richmond's Back-to-Back 2019/2020 Premiership victories.

Booklet showcasing artwork created by Jamie Cooper to commemorate Richmond's Back-to-Back 2019/2020 Premiership victories.

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B A C K 2 B A C K<br />

PREMIERSHIPS<br />

<strong>2019</strong>/<strong>2020</strong><br />

RICHMOND FOOTBALL CLUB<br />

The creation of an iconic artwork<br />

by Jamie Cooper


INTRODUCTION<br />

To celebrate its <strong>2019</strong>/20 AFL Back-to-Back Premiership<br />

victories, <strong>Richmond</strong> Football Club commissioned renowned<br />

Sports Artist Jamie Cooper to create a significant artwork to<br />

commemorate this historic achievement. A great deal of hard<br />

work both on and off the field has gone into creating this<br />

defining era in the Club’s history and so, it was felt that<br />

it deserved to be immortalised in oils.<br />

In the artist’s own words:<br />

‘ For footballers of all levels the ultimate moment is when the final siren<br />

sounds in a Grand Final and the realisation of what has been achieved<br />

sinks in. Pure joy, relief and a lifetime dream come true are all rolled into<br />

one. Back-to-Back AFL <strong>Premierships</strong> are rare and the result of a lot of<br />

hard work from so many. I’ve attempted to distil two seasons, hundreds<br />

of thousands of collective hours from the whole Tiger family, fans,<br />

Club staff and the entire senior list, into the players from the two<br />

premiership teams and their emotions in THAT VERY MOMENT. Sifting<br />

through thousands of images, I’ve collated a scene that captures players<br />

in<br />

their own personal moments of triumph. The result, I hope is…<br />

… PURE TIGER JOY.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

The following is a journey<br />

through the process, from<br />

the Artist’s creative viewpoint,<br />

the Club’s perspective plus<br />

many insights and feedback<br />

from the players themselves.<br />

2


DAVID ASTBURY<br />

‘ This image was taken from well after the<br />

final siren in <strong>2019</strong>. David had donned<br />

the Club cap and scarf and was actually<br />

holding the Premiership Cup in his right<br />

hand. I’ve brought him back out onto the<br />

field just in his playing gear. It was the<br />

expression on his face that captured me.<br />

Such unbridled joy. I wanted someone up<br />

close to the viewer as if he could leap off<br />

the canvas and invite us in.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

1<br />

DYLAN GRIMES<br />

‘ Sometimes I find the perfect shot,<br />

requiring little if any artistic license.<br />

The only thing I had to do was change<br />

the angle on his foot to help it sit<br />

better on the turf from the viewer’s<br />

perspective. It was actually taken from<br />

a photo as the final siren went in<br />

<strong>2019</strong>. I thought it appropriate that he<br />

was beside fellow key backmen Balta,<br />

Vlastuin and Astbury.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


NOAH BALTA<br />

Noah became a Premiership Player for the first time in the <strong>2020</strong> win and,<br />

turning 21 the day before the Grand Final, is the youngest member of the<br />

team. He has quickly become a <strong>Richmond</strong> star and a pillar in defence.<br />

‘ I wanted Noah seen as a ‘giant’ figure in<br />

defence. Even though new to the team,<br />

his physical presence was significant<br />

in lifting the smaller players around him.<br />

This image was originally of him up on<br />

the fence after the game holding the<br />

cup in front of an ecstatic crowd. His<br />

outstretched arms and the angle looking<br />

up at him from below emphasise his<br />

intimidating stature.’<br />

2<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

NICK VLASTUIN<br />

‘ Nick is seen in the actual moment at<br />

the final siren time in <strong>2019</strong>. His focus<br />

sends us further into the painting.<br />

He is positioned alongside his fellow<br />

Tiger defenders, symbolically forming<br />

an impregnable wall.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


DION PRESTIA<br />

An incredible talent of the <strong>Richmond</strong><br />

Football Club, Dion joined the Tigers in<br />

2017. That same year, <strong>Richmond</strong> went on<br />

to break a 37-year Premiership drought.<br />

Coincidence? You can decide.<br />

3<br />

Dion quickly became a mainstay in<br />

the Tigers’ midfield, displaying great<br />

finesse and unique ball handling skill.<br />

Several sublime performances during<br />

<strong>2019</strong>, capped off by providing pivotal<br />

performances in the <strong>Back2Back</strong><br />

premiership victories, earned him the<br />

Jack Dyer Medal.<br />

‘ I loved this dynamic, on the run pose of ‘the<br />

human meatball’. It brings the viewer toward<br />

the centre of the painting and creates a nice<br />

sweeping movement across the scene. I also<br />

like seeing the players’ numbers, as this is such<br />

a part of their identity. This image was taken<br />

after his goal in the 3rd quarter in <strong>2019</strong>.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

‘ It’s amazing to be on a list with names<br />

like Riewoldt, Cotchin and Martin who are<br />

such champions of the <strong>Richmond</strong> Football<br />

Club. I think I was just really proud of what<br />

we were able to achieve as a team, and<br />

personally despite having setbacks like<br />

injuries, getting traded and moving away<br />

from my family. To win the Club B & F in<br />

the same year as a Premiership, it really<br />

makes it all worthwhile. I cried on Best<br />

and Fairest night.’<br />

Dion Prestia


NATHAN BROAD<br />

‘ Total artistic license for no<br />

particular reason here. I just<br />

wanted to create some interaction<br />

between the players. This was<br />

a shot of Daniel Rioli and Jayden<br />

Short embracing during the GF<br />

in <strong>2019</strong>. I have subbed Nathan<br />

in for Rioli (as I needed Daniel<br />

somewhere else) to create the<br />

two backmen sharing the love.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

4


5<br />

JAYDEN SHORT<br />

Jayden is a consistently high performing<br />

player, putting in outstanding efforts week<br />

after week. After facing a tough <strong>2020</strong>, not<br />

only because of the obvious challenges posed<br />

by the pandemic, it was especially tough for<br />

Jayden, sadly losing his father early in the<br />

year, leaving him unsure as to how he would<br />

cope with it all. Short showed great resilience,<br />

citing the incredible support from everyone at<br />

the Club. He went on to have an amazing year,<br />

with a near best on ground performance in the<br />

<strong>2020</strong> Grand Final and winning the <strong>2020</strong> Jack<br />

Dyer Medal. This capped off an emotional yet<br />

fulfilling year for this great young player.<br />

‘ Jayden is embraced, through a bit of artistic license,<br />

by fellow back man Nathan Broad. This image was<br />

taken from a home and away match in <strong>2019</strong>, but<br />

created a great interaction with another player which<br />

I thought was important to the scene. I’ve placed him<br />

in his <strong>2020</strong> Grand Final gear to symbolise his near<br />

best on ground performance that day and his Jack<br />

Dyer medal win in the same year.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

‘ Winning the <strong>2020</strong> Premiership was an<br />

amazing feeling, not really something<br />

I expected to be honest. A really amazing<br />

feeling and very humbling. It’s pretty<br />

hard to believe, it doesn’t really feel<br />

real. We won it last year (<strong>2019</strong>) and<br />

you always want to repeat that feeling,<br />

and to be able to get it done again was<br />

incredible. What better way to end that<br />

challenging year. Amazing.’<br />

‘Hub life in <strong>2020</strong> had its challenges,<br />

but I tried to have a positive outlook<br />

on it, trying to make the most of a bad<br />

situation, to turn it into a good one.<br />

Obviously, I’d left my family and my<br />

girlfriend back home. I did miss them<br />

of course but I just tried to make the<br />

most of being with the boys, coaches<br />

and staff.’<br />

Jayden Short


TOM LYNCH<br />

‘ Depicted here celebrating his<br />

goal in the last quarter in <strong>2019</strong>.<br />

Perfect angle, pose and joyous<br />

expression for this final siren<br />

moment. He went straight in.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

6


SHAI BOLTON<br />

‘ Shai is seen leap-frogging over Shane<br />

Edwards to get into the action at the<br />

centre of the painting. It was just a<br />

nice dynamic pose, creating interesting<br />

interaction and movement between the<br />

players. Jumping for joy!! It was taken<br />

from the final siren moment in <strong>2019</strong>.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

7 BRANDON ELLIS<br />

‘ To create a believable scene from<br />

several disparate images, a variety<br />

of poses and angles are needed.<br />

This makes the moment look more<br />

natural and interesting. This image of<br />

Brandon is also taken from the final<br />

siren moment in <strong>2019</strong> and helps form<br />

the ring around the central image of<br />

skipper Trent Cotchin. I also enjoy<br />

seeing a player’s number.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


8<br />

JOSH CADDY<br />

‘ Captured in those first few seconds after<br />

the final siren in <strong>2019</strong>. The side-on pose<br />

was perfect to help form a ring of players<br />

around skipper Trent Cotchin.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


JACK RIEWOLDT<br />

9<br />

‘ Every successful side has a core of quality<br />

leaders. Jack has done the hard yards, playing<br />

several roles up forward as this group developed<br />

over the past decade. He has gone from young<br />

buck to elder statesman, being one of the longest<br />

servants for the Club from this group, and rightly<br />

belongs at the heart of this scene with fellow<br />

elders, Trent Cotchin and Dusty Martin. His five<br />

goals in the <strong>2019</strong> GF saw him one of the best on<br />

ground. This image was taken from one of his two<br />

goal celebrations in the <strong>2020</strong> GF. I’ve tried to<br />

create a sense of him rushing towards Trent as<br />

the realisation sets in.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


SHANE EDWARDS<br />

‘ Another great image from THE MOMENT.<br />

The final siren in <strong>2019</strong> where the players<br />

swarmed the Captain. I just had to flip<br />

him to face the other way. As a long<br />

serving player for the Club and such<br />

a great performer in both <strong>Premierships</strong>,<br />

I wanted him central in the painting.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

The <strong>Richmond</strong> Football Club’s longest ever<br />

serving Captain, a Brownlow medallist, threetime<br />

Club Best and Fairest and <strong>Richmond</strong>’s<br />

only ever three-time Premiership captain.<br />

Captain at 22, Trent was destined for great<br />

things at Tigerland. Eight years on, it is safe<br />

to say he has delivered. Through his leadership<br />

both on and off field he was able to guide<br />

every one of the 25 players depicted in this<br />

historic piece, to Premiership glory.<br />

TRENT COTCHIN<br />

10<br />

‘ This image of him at final siren time in <strong>2019</strong> is the<br />

heart of the painting. Who could deny him success<br />

after so many years of loyalty? Maligned externally<br />

early on in his captaincy, all voices have been silenced<br />

by his ability to keep learning and growing in his<br />

leadership role. A terrific mentor and example both on<br />

and off the field, this dedication to being better has<br />

earned him respect throughout the AFL and brought<br />

along with it three <strong>Premierships</strong> as Captain and a<br />

Brownlow Medal… to date. I also wanted him to be<br />

close to the two other senior players that I see as<br />

the Big Three. Himself, Dusty and Jack Riewoldt.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


On <strong>2019</strong><br />

‘ It was just so special and a little bit surreal<br />

really. I’m incredibly grateful to our group and<br />

the 22 players that go out there each week,<br />

and to their families and all the sacrifices<br />

that they’ve made.’<br />

On <strong>2020</strong><br />

11<br />

‘ It’s hard not to get emotional when you<br />

speak about the care and love we have<br />

for each other. It fosters really special<br />

relationships that go beyond just being<br />

part of a football club. They’re relationships<br />

that you hold onto forever. The memories<br />

are incredibly special, but it’s the stories<br />

from the journey that mean the most to us<br />

as a group. This year [<strong>2020</strong>] has been like no<br />

other that I’ve ever experienced. I was pretty<br />

emotional after the game [<strong>2020</strong> Grand Final].<br />

The <strong>Richmond</strong> Football Club is more than<br />

just a footy club. I’m incredibly grateful<br />

to be part of such a unique and proud<br />

organisation. To play a small part in it is<br />

unique and humbling and something that<br />

I’ll always be very proud of.’<br />

Trent Cotchin


BACHAR HOULI<br />

A quintessential <strong>Richmond</strong> man, Bachar encapsulates the culture of the <strong>Richmond</strong><br />

Football Club in every way. Through both his Bachar Houli Academy for young and<br />

emerging players and the Bachar Houli Foundation, he works in our community<br />

to nurture it and develop a brighter future for everyone involved. A fair player in<br />

every sense of the word, Bachar has solidified his position within the starting team<br />

through years of hard work, leadership and wisdom, cultivating in three Premiership<br />

medallions. Most notably in his <strong>2019</strong> campaign, Bachar was impossible to ignore<br />

on the field, amassing a team-high 26 disposals and six tackles. His performance<br />

earned him a deserved place in the <strong>2019</strong> All-Australian team.<br />

12<br />

‘ With Bachar I have taken A LOT of artistic license. I wanted him<br />

central as he has been such a great performer for the Tigers<br />

through several finals campaigns. Although externally he perhaps<br />

doesn’t get the kudos of the likes of Cotchin, Martin and Co, within<br />

the team he is rated appropriately highly. I found this shot from<br />

the 2017 Grand Final which technically disqualifies it from the<br />

brief being the <strong>2019</strong>/20 wins… BUT… it’s MY painting so I went<br />

with this image of him leaping into the air in triumph. It enabled<br />

me to add a completely different airborne pose to add variety to<br />

the scene. I also thought it kinda resonated with his style of play.<br />

Central to all the success around the midfield but happy to work<br />

away in the background doing his bit for the team without fanfare.<br />

A true player’s player.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


Reflecting on <strong>2020</strong><br />

‘ To be able to celebrate the <strong>2020</strong><br />

win with all those people who were<br />

in the hub for 110 days or so was<br />

really special, but I felt like there was<br />

something missing. Clearly the thing<br />

that was missing was the Tiger Army.<br />

There’s a big difference between<br />

30,000 and 100,000. If I’m completely<br />

honest, I’m still so humbled and<br />

grateful to be a part of it.’<br />

13<br />

‘ These are the moments you cherish<br />

forever. They are very special times.<br />

I’ll reflect more once I go home,<br />

probably opening my safe, taking the<br />

other two medals out, look at them<br />

and realise that I’ve been very fortunate<br />

to be part of three <strong>Premierships</strong> with<br />

the greatest football club out there.<br />

A football club that is huge on culture,<br />

huge on connection and so I am very<br />

proud to be a Tiger for life.’<br />

Bachar Houli


DUSTIN MARTIN<br />

An awe-inspiring, undisputed<br />

superstar of the modern game,<br />

Dustin Martin has been hailed<br />

as possibly one of the greatest<br />

players to ever grace a football<br />

field. He has gone where no one<br />

else has gone before in becoming<br />

a triple Norm Smith Medallist by<br />

delivering three ‘Best on Ground’<br />

performances in every single<br />

Grand Final he has participated in.<br />

Instrumental in both of the Back<br />

to Back <strong>Premierships</strong>, Martin has<br />

single-handedly left his unique<br />

‘Don’t Argue’ impression on the<br />

game, inspiring an entire new<br />

generation of footballing strategy,<br />

which has all opponents asking the<br />

question: How do we stop Dusty?<br />

14


On <strong>2020</strong><br />

‘ It was tough, being stuck in the hub. I kept coming back to how grateful I was to be able to go out and<br />

play every week. I think it’s important to sit in that space of gratitude, knowing we’re all able to do<br />

what we love.’<br />

‘ <strong>2020</strong> was so hard being away from the MCG and us still able to win some of the games we did, like<br />

against Port in Adelaide and being down at half time against the Cats. It was a real sense of fulfilment<br />

after the year, because of the grit we showed.’<br />

What was going through your head at half time in the <strong>2020</strong> GF?<br />

‘ I can’t really remember but I just knew if we stuck to the way we play, stayed calm because we’d been<br />

in that position before; down at half time, and we’ve proven that we can finish strong. The grit we<br />

showed to come back and win the game, it was just a really special one.’<br />

15<br />

How hard has it been not having your Dad here to witness you win any of those live?<br />

‘ It’s been a massive challenge. I love my dad and he’s made me the man I am today. It’s my dream to<br />

have my old man and the rest of my family up in the stands to watch the Tiges win another Premiership.’<br />

Do you ever look back at the last four years and pinch yourself?<br />

‘ It’s funny, life moves so fast, so I think its super important to sit down and reflect. I remember being on the<br />

Goldie (Gold Coast) after three weeks of celebrating and I just sat on the balcony. I took a moment to reflect<br />

on it all, sending out a few texts, reaching out to teammates asking, can you believe what we just did?’<br />

Dustin Martin<br />

‘ Dusty’s finals performances are beyond compare, quite literally in the history of AFL football.<br />

I wanted to focus on the now iconic gesture he has developed over the past few years. The<br />

jumper stretching celebration after yet another Grand Final goal. The moment I am thinking<br />

of is his last quarter snap in <strong>2020</strong>, which sealed the win and his third Norm Smith Medal.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


TOBY NANKERVIS<br />

‘ Look at the expression on Toby’s face and<br />

the intensity of his pose! This is what it’s<br />

all about. This image is from the exact<br />

moment the final siren sounded in <strong>2019</strong>.<br />

In reality he was rushing to a kneeling<br />

Trent Cotchin, but I have moved him<br />

(as Trent is already surrounded) to match<br />

up with Liam Baker who was suitably<br />

posed to face him.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

16


KANE LAMBERT<br />

17<br />

‘ I’m always looking for a different pose<br />

that expresses the thrill of victory. Often<br />

I will steal an image from another<br />

moment if it expresses that feeling I’m<br />

looking for. This one of Kane Lambert<br />

scoring his third quarter goal in <strong>2019</strong> gives<br />

that impression. The intense thrill and<br />

release when seeing the ball go through<br />

the sticks is similar to that unbridled joy<br />

of the final siren (when you win!). I loved<br />

this image of Kane winding up to give a<br />

mighty fist pump. But I’ve put him in the<br />

<strong>2020</strong> gear just to give a better balance<br />

of the two years.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


MARLION PICKETT<br />

Perhaps one of the most inspiring stories in AFL<br />

football’s long history, is that of Marlion Pickett.<br />

As a young man, he faced difficulties spending<br />

time in youth detention. As an older man he<br />

faced adversity through time in prison, however<br />

despite this, Marlion never forgot the game he<br />

loved. At 27 years of age, while playing in the<br />

Western Australian Football League (WAFL)<br />

he caught the eye of <strong>Richmond</strong> who wanted<br />

to bring him over to Tigerland, even though<br />

he was injured. He was brought in, came back<br />

from injury and was awarded the best player<br />

award in <strong>Richmond</strong>’s VFL Premiership victory.<br />

The very next week, his life-long dream to play<br />

AFL football was realised, as Marlion became the<br />

first player in 67 years to make his AFL debut in<br />

a Grand Final. He put in a pivotal performance<br />

and scored a debut goal which sent the entire<br />

Tiger Army into raptures. A year on from this,<br />

Marlion achieved a second Premiership honour<br />

with the <strong>Back2Back</strong> Premiership after playing<br />

only 20 senior games.<br />

18


19<br />

‘ Some moments pick themselves.<br />

Debuting in the <strong>2019</strong> Grand Final<br />

was amazing enough, but Marlion<br />

kicking his first goal in the third<br />

quarter was a dream come true.<br />

It was a beautiful moment for the<br />

whole team who came rushing in<br />

to congratulate him. One of the<br />

first on the scene was Daniel Rioli,<br />

who I’ve recreated here to share<br />

Marlion’s moment. I also added<br />

this image of Kamdyn McIntosh,<br />

ecstatic about his <strong>2020</strong> GF first<br />

quarter goal to create a nice little<br />

scene of joyous Tigers. Kamdyn’s<br />

side-on pose lent itself to joining<br />

with the other two, especially since<br />

in reality it was Rioli who he was<br />

embracing in that image I used.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

How hard was it for you to overcome being sent to prison?<br />

‘ It was one of the hardest times of my life. Having to leave my kids and<br />

my partner, not being there for their first birthday and Christmas…<br />

I missed out. I started from the bottom, rock bottom, and now I’m here.<br />

If you’re willing to change and follow your dreams, really chase them,<br />

anything can happen.’<br />

How did it feel when you were drafted by <strong>Richmond</strong>, despite<br />

your injury at the time?<br />

‘ With my broken finger, I thought my hopes of getting drafted were gone.<br />

Then my name got called, Jess ran out the front door and left me sitting<br />

there, scratching my head, I think she was more excited than I was!’<br />

During a 2012 documentary Marlion was posed this question:<br />

What do you think you will do once you are released?<br />

‘ Hopefully I can make the AFL, it’s been my dream since I was a young<br />

kid. Yeah, hopefully it comes true.’ – Marlion in 2012, while still serving<br />

his time in Wooroloo prison. Seven years before the <strong>2019</strong> Grand Final.<br />

What was it like to kick a debut goal in a Grand Final,<br />

in front of 100,000 fans at the MCG?<br />

‘ I kicked it to Dusty, it looked like he was going to have a shot, then<br />

I saw him looking my way so I started walking into space. It was<br />

really selfless what he did, to give a first gamer a shot on goal. The<br />

celebratory finger in the air was for Jess’ (Marlion’s partner) brother,<br />

he said he was going to come over (from Perth) to come and watch<br />

my first game.’ Sadly, Marlion’s brother-in-law passed away weeks<br />

prior to this moment.<br />

Marlion Pickett


DANIEL RIOLI<br />

‘ Daniel is seen here celebrating his first quarter goal in<br />

the <strong>2019</strong> GF with other single goal scorers, McIntosh (<strong>2020</strong>)<br />

and Pickett (<strong>2019</strong>). I wanted as much player interaction<br />

as possible and these three separate images from<br />

two different times and years, melded together perfectly.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

KAMDYN MCINTOSH<br />

Since his debut in 2015 Kamdyn has become<br />

a two-time Premiership player. A hard-working<br />

defensive pillar, using his everlasting engine<br />

to inject energy into every moment. His inspiring<br />

big second efforts and the shining example<br />

he is to the rest of the team has found him<br />

a beloved place within this <strong>Richmond</strong> family.<br />

After missing out narrowly for selection<br />

in the <strong>2019</strong> Grand Final Kamdyn was<br />

determined to prove his worth and through<br />

his aforementioned hard work, earned himself<br />

a starting spot in <strong>2020</strong>’s historic Grand Final<br />

victory. His efforts were also recognised<br />

by being awarded the Kevin Bartlett Medal<br />

(5th place in the Club Best and Fairest).<br />

20


What did it mean to you to win the <strong>2020</strong> Premiership, knowing that you<br />

missed out on selection the year before?<br />

‘ The feeling of the siren sounding was unreal. I wasn’t even thinking to be honest.<br />

I was all caught up in the emotion. It had just been such a long year, it just felt amazing.<br />

A highlight was definitely kicking a goal in the Grand Final, after playing in 2017 and<br />

not kicking a goal then, and not having the opportunity in <strong>2019</strong>, it was awesome.’<br />

How did it feel to win the Kevin Bartlett Medal in such a challenging year?<br />

‘ I can’t go past getting up on stage and winning the Kevin Bartlett Award as well as<br />

winning the Grand Final this year. I had a lot of questions of whether I would even<br />

play this year, so to be able to put that award around my neck, I did not expect it,<br />

it was amazing.’<br />

21<br />

During his acceptance speech it was clear how meaningful the award<br />

was to him, as he held back tears while speaking.<br />

‘ Some people may think the word family gets thrown around at football clubs all the<br />

time but it genuinely is a family here. It’s something that we’ve been working on for<br />

several years. The culture we have now is so different to how it was in my first year<br />

and to have seen it progress is crazy to me. It genuinely is like a family here. There’s<br />

no way I would’ve been able to get back in the side, win the Kevin Bartlett Award,<br />

the Premiership or any of that if it wasn’t for this playing group, the coach and the<br />

staff behind the scenes. I can’t thank them enough.’<br />

Kamdyn Macintosh


JACK GRAHAM<br />

‘ I chose this image of Jack purely as it suited the<br />

compositional requirements of the painting. He is<br />

bursting into the scene from the right-hand edge,<br />

along with Castagna, Baker and Soldo to create a<br />

dynamic rush of energy that draws our eye directly<br />

into the painting. Pure artistic license here. The edges<br />

of the painting are so important in engaging the viewer<br />

and inviting us in. Note the line from both ends of the<br />

canvas, with players in the foreground trailing back<br />

and in, all the way to Bachar in the middle floating<br />

above the central circle of players around the Skipper.<br />

Bachar is looking down at them so our eye, after<br />

zooming in from the edges, leads to him and is then<br />

reflected down to the heart of the painting.’<br />

22<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

JASON CASTAGNA<br />

‘ As with Graham, this image was chosen as it perfectly<br />

frames the right-hand edge of the painting. His<br />

diagonal pose is so dynamic as he leans into the<br />

scene, drawing our eye with him towards the action<br />

in the centre of the scene. It also symbolises his third<br />

quarter goal in <strong>2020</strong> that brought the Tigers within<br />

striking distance of the Cats and led to the eventual<br />

onslaught in the last quarter that overran Geelong.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


LIAM BAKER<br />

‘ Liam’s image was taken from a celebration he was<br />

having with Dusty after Martin’s last quarter goal in<br />

<strong>2020</strong>. But the angle of his pose was perfect to match up<br />

with Toby racing towards him. I always want to create<br />

as much interaction as possible in these scenes, so I use<br />

a lot of artistic license to tell the story.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

IVAN SOLDO<br />

23<br />

Ivan’s outstanding performance in the <strong>2019</strong><br />

Grand Final saw him kick a goal as a ruckman,<br />

and become a Premiership player in only his<br />

21st game of AFL football.<br />

‘ In designing this fictional moment, there is a lot<br />

of design and construction that goes into player<br />

positioning. If you notice, both ends of the painting<br />

have players running into the frame, bringing our eye<br />

toward the centre of the painting. Its like ‘all roads lead<br />

to Rome’. I want your eye to journey across the painting<br />

from either side and lead toward Trent at the heart of the<br />

painting. I chose this image of Ivan as he towers above<br />

the others, leading us further into the scene. This image<br />

is of him after kicking the ‘sealer’ just before 3 quarter<br />

time in <strong>2019</strong>, putting the Tigers 62 points up.’<br />

Jamie Cooper


DAMIEN HARDWICK<br />

On the <strong>2020</strong> Premiership<br />

‘ What a season <strong>2020</strong> has been and what a football team<br />

we have. We had 100,000+ members and the might of<br />

the entire Tiger Army cheering us on all the way. That is<br />

as powerful a force that you can hope to have supporting<br />

you and we’re so grateful for it. I want to congratulate<br />

the entire Club, that includes every supporter and all<br />

staff, for what we have achieved this year. It’s incredibly<br />

sad that so many of our staff members won’t be with us<br />

next year, you’ve been a wonderful part of what we’ve<br />

achieved, you’ll be missed, we wish you well, and you<br />

will always be a part of this club. To our members and all<br />

our supporters around the country, we play for you and<br />

we hope that we’ve been able to put a smile on your face<br />

this year. This was a year like no other, we’ll never forget<br />

what we achieved together but more importantly, I can’t<br />

wait to see where the journey takes us next.’<br />

24<br />

‘ It is a great feeling, it’s been an enormous year, it’s been<br />

a challenging year there’s no doubt about that, but we<br />

feel incredibly privileged to have been a part of it and<br />

come up on top in a tough game and against a great<br />

opponent in Geelong.’<br />

Damien Hardwick


A man who has sewn his journey into the fabric of the <strong>Richmond</strong> Football Club.<br />

‘Dimma’ has taken his team to heights not reached for decades, breaking a 37-year<br />

Premiership drought in 2017. He had no intention of slowing down either, going on<br />

to lead the Tigers in becoming one of the greatest football sides of the modern era,<br />

performing at the highest level and sustaining it over multiple years. He has buried<br />

his roots deep into the club’s spiritual home at Punt Road and solidified his place as<br />

a legend of the <strong>Richmond</strong> Football Club, with the <strong>Back2Back</strong> Premiership campaigns<br />

of <strong>2019</strong>/20. A now three-time Premiership coach in just the past four years, he is the<br />

architect of a high energy, crowd encapsulating brand of <strong>Richmond</strong> Football, earning<br />

himself a Coach of the Year Award and three Jock McHale Medals.<br />

25<br />

‘ The brains behind the brawn. Dimma watches on from the<br />

boundary applauding his players. He is flanked in the crowd<br />

by CEO Brendon Gale and President Peggy O’Neal, whose<br />

off-field leadership has been just as significant in creating<br />

the dynasty that is well and truly here… and not over yet.’<br />

Jamie Cooper<br />

Note several other club identities and<br />

celebrity fans cheering on in delight,<br />

representing all Tiger fans that have<br />

waited a long time to see such an era<br />

of dominance at Tigerland.

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