True AFL fanatic or a coach in training? Bizarre scenes as a VERY dedicated fan brings a whiteboard to Saints vs Essendon clash
- Man took following the game to a new level on Friday night at Marvel Stadium
- He looked like an assistant coach as he kept track of the action on a whiteboard
- Fan who claimed to have sat next to him said the man had ‘many other charts’
Some AFL fans are so dedicated they camp out overnight to get tickets, name their children after their favourite players and even paint their house in team colours, but one diehard took things to a new – and very strange – level at Friday night’s Saints vs Bombers clash.
Seated behind the goals at Marvel Stadium, the man was seen using a whiteboard with players’ names and positions marked on a diagram of the field, just like the set-up coaches use to explain strategy to their team during term and halftime breaks.
Anyone sitting near him could’ve been forgiven for thinking one of Essendon or St Kilda’s assistants couldn’t find a seat along the boundary or in the coach’s box and had to resort to taking a pew in the stands.
Chairman of the board: A fan took following the action to a new level during the Bombers’ win
The fan appeared to be making notes as he took in the game, in much the same way as some cricket fans fill out scorecards while they watch the action, or footy diehards record the goalkickers in their copy of the AFL Record.
A commenter on Reddit said they sat next to the whiteboard man during the game.
‘We spoke on the board. It signifies things like injury and suspension, but also his opinion on how the players perform,’ the commenter wrote.
‘There were many other charts, but it looked like the system to the whole thing was way deep in his mind.’
One of Ben Rutten’s assistants holds up a whiteboard (right) as the coach addressed Essendon during the quarter-time break on Friday night
It’s not clear which team the man was supporting, but he would’ve left the ground very happy if he was backing the Bombers, who ran out surprise 35-point winners in Spud’s Game, which was held in memory of late St Kilda great Danny Frawley.
If you’re keen to emulate the man next time you go to a game, AFL whiteboards complete with field markings can be bought online for as little as $75.90 – which might seem a bit expensive, but you can’t put a price on looking like you’re Ben Rutten’s right-hand man at a Bombers match.
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