As a tragic fan of the Western Suburbs Magpies as a child, I idolised Tommy Raudonikis. He was my first sporting hero. He was cheeky, rough around the edges and on the field, he never gave in.
With my father, we d trot off to Lidcombe Oval in Sydney most weekends, me in a black-and-white beanie with a small matching flag, to cheer Tommy on as he led the Magpies out.
He also held aloft the Amco Cup one winter s night in 1977, the last first-grade competition the Magpies won. I was allowed to stay up past 8.30pm for that one. It s a night I ll never forget.