Tasmanians swoop on the Pies, backing local players for the win
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Collingwood supporters in Tasmania are outnumbering those from the west and backing local players Jeremy Howe and Brody Mihocek for this weekend's grand final.
But what the Eagles lack in membership numbers, they make up for in passion.
Tasmania's 2,022 paid-up Collingwood members are showing their colours across the state while Eagles sightings are rare, with just a couple of hundred card-carrying supporters.
Dodges Ferry firefighter Andy Howe proudly paraded with his son Jeremy in Melbourne's festivities on Friday.
It's a dream come true for the life-long Pies supporter who will get to watch his son, a defender, play in today's grand final.
Mr Howe landed in Melbourne on Thursday to stay with Jeremy and support him in the final.
"It's a sensational feeling to be over here this weekend," he told ABC Radio Hobart.
"And to not just watch the grand final, but watch your son play football in a grand final is sensational."
It is Jeremy Howe's first time playing in finals and his dad says he's "extremely excited".
Mr Howe said he liked the Pies' chances of taking the flag later today.
"I think everybody probably had them written off against Richmond last weekend and then they came out and showed them what they can do," he said.
Jeremy joined Melbourne in 2010 and played 100 games with the team but when he switched to Collingwood, it brought a tear to his father's eye.
"He jumped at it. His idol was Nathan Buckley so it couldn't get better," he said.
As his son's number one fan, Mr Howe has been in and out of the club rooms as he supports Jeremy through the finals.
"The excitement in the change rooms is great," he said.
Jeremy will be playing alongside fellow Tasmanian Brody Mihocek, who hails from the north-west.
Dodges Ferry backing local Howe
The small town of Dodges Ferry, south-east of Hobart, has been getting behind local Jeremy Howe.
The bakery has proudly donned streamers and signs, and along with the butcher's shop, will close so staff can watch the match.
Butcher Tom Sutton is a life-long Collingwood supporter.
"I go for the Pies. I know Jeremy Howe and he's a good fella and his father is a good bloke," Mr Sutton said.
"Everyone is getting behind him — good luck mate, go Pies!"
Parliamentary family duo David and Michelle O'Byrne are two other keen Collingwood supporters.
The O'Byrne's have been donning Pies' get-up throughout this week's sitting of Parliament, reminding their colleagues who they will be backing.
Eagles a rare sighting in the apple isle
West Coast Eagles supporters are a more rare sight in Tasmania and there are also no Tasmanians on the side, but those backing the Eagles are loud and proud.
Tasmanian sports journalist Brent Costelloe is a proud supporter and will be at the game today.
His wife Alison, a journalist with the ABC, is a Collingwood supporter.
"It's been an interesting time [but] I'm worried about leaving my little boy Fletcher at home because he will be the only West Coast supporter in the house," Mr Costelloe said.
Ms Costelloe said she would be covering Mr Costelloe's West Coast paraphernalia in black and white while he is away and said she was not fazed by Collingwood "haters".
"It's always been that way, people are very passionate about Collingwood," she said.
"It spurs you on a bit."
Former Tasmanian Terri Nas has been a life-long Eagles supporter, despite her home town of Launceston being almost 4,000 kilometres from Perth.
"I often get asked, as a Tasmanian living in Melbourne, how it is that I came to barrack for a West Australian team," she said.
"The answer is, I think as a small child my cousin barracked for them.
"I think West Coast supporters are an endangered species in Tasmania as they only joined the AFL in 1986.
"And let's be honest, it would be quite blasphemous if you jumped ship from your existing team."
Fellow Eagles supporter Patrick Trigg said there were clusters of supporters in Tasmania all aged around 30.
"There's quite a few my age because when we were growing up they were quite successful," he said.
"There's more than you'd think, but not as many as the Melbourne sides."
Mr Trigg is attending the game today and spent about 15 hours buying a ticket online.
"It was incredibly hard to get a ticket," he said.
He said he was nervous about the game but "quietly confident".
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