COACH Neil Craig has heaped praise on the supporters who make up the club’s Foundation Heroes.
Craig, who attended the sixth Foundation Heroes function on Wednesday night - this year held at Peninsula at Docklands - said it was an overwhelming night.
“It’s been a new experience for me, the Foundation Heroes at this footy club,” he said at AAMI Park on Friday.
“They’re a special group of people. Just purely from a financial input to this footy club, it’s something I’ve never seen ever in the AFL, in terms of their generosity – their unconditional generosity.
“Times are tough at the moment – on field performances, so that really tests people, when you ask them to give money to a cause. I was there on Wednesday night, and you sit and you listen and you watch. You get a sense of the room, and you’ve got your real hardcore supporters there.”
Craig said the contribution from the Foundation Heroes signalled an important message for the players.
“When they get asked to put their hands in their pocket again and they continue to do it, it sends out a fantastic message to our playing group,” he said.
“You talk about running to the line and finishing the season [strongly], it’s the same with our supporters and in our case, the Foundation Heroes. They are a special group of people in the AFL, so this club is really lucky to have them – really lucky. It’s a great contribution.”
Meanwhile, Craig said Fremantle will test Melbourne’s offensive game, its perseverance and resilience. He added that Freo was a quality side and extremely well coached.
“We’re looking at it as a great opportunity for this group to play against no doubt a side that I think will finish in the top four easily,” he said.
“It could quite possibly go into a Grand Final, so you always seek those opportunities, no matter where we are at the moment, to pit yourself against the better sides in the competition.
“We get that opportunity on the MCG in our last game [on our home ground] this year. It’ll be tough game for us, and it’ll test a whole range of areas of our game … all good things for an investment in the future.”
