The south-west Melbourne suburb of Hoppers Crossing may be around 30 kilometres from Richmond’s Punt Road Oval, but its connection to Tigerland is as strong as it is unique.
Hoppers Crossing contains about 70 streets, which were named after former Richmond players from throughout the Club’s history, including Tiger ‘Immortals’ Jack Dyer, Tommy Hafey, Kevin Bartlett, Francis Bourke and Royce Hart.
A story in this week’s local Wyndham Leader newspaper recounted the origins of the Richmond street names in Hoppers Crossing.
Prominent developer Baden Powell, an ardent Richmond supporter, named the streets during the 1970s and 1980s, as a tribute to his favorite “Tigers of Old”.
Francis Bourke, a five-time premiership hero with the Tigers, former Club captain and coach, said the Hoppers Crossing street names underlined the standing of AFL football in the community.
“Without even realising, you do have an impact for good or for bad on people who support you,” Bourke said.
The streets named after Richmond players in Hopper Crossing (courtesy of the Wyndham Leader article) are:
• Hughes Street (Frank Hughes, 1914-15, 1919-23)
• Minogue Crescent (Dan Minogue, 1920-25)
• Baggott Drive (Jack Baggott, 1927-35)
• Wilkinson Street (Graeme Wilkinson, 1960-61)
• Durham Crescent (Ron Durham, 1943-44, 1946-48)
• Patterson Avenue (Michael Patterson, 1959-69)
• Bayliss Avenue (George Bayliss, 1914, 1916-23)
• McCormack Crescent (Basil McCormack, 1925-36)
• Guinane Avenue (Dan Guinane, 1934-39, 1942-43 and Paddy Guinance, 1958-68)
• Burge Crescent (Fred Burge, 1942-50)
• Owen Crescent (Ian Owen, 1969-72)
• Hayden Street (Ian Hayden, 1962-64)
• Sier Avenue (Ken Sier, 1948-50)
• Davie Crescent (Brian Davie, 1953-59)
• Nettlefold Avenue (Bill Nettlefold, 1974-75)
• Clay Avenue (Dick Clay, 1966-76)
• Dummett Avenue (Bob Dummett, 1954-61)
• Poulter Street (Ray Poulter, 1946-56)
• Callander Crescent (Kevin Callander, 1961-62)
• Monteath Crescent (Bruce Monteath, 1975-80)
• Bourke Crescent (Francis Bourke, 1967-81)
• Bartlett Crescent (Kevin Bartlett, 1965-83)
• Hafey Crescent (Tommy Hafey, 1953-58)
• McMillan Court (Brian McMillan, 1962-64)
• Hunter Avenue (Maurie Hunter, 1929-33)
• Wilson Crescent (Billy Wilson, 1944-54)
• Sheedy Road (Kevin Sheedy, 1967-79)
• Cumming Drive (Daryl Cumming, 1971-76)
• Don Avenue (Donald Don, 1917-28)
• Symons Avenue (Jack Symons, 1934-44)
• Geddes Crescent (Allan Geddes, 1925-35)
• Saddington Avenue (Col Saddington, 1956-62)
• Smeaton Avenue (George Smeaton, 1935-42, 1944-46)
• Walsh Street (Wayne Walsh, 1968, 1972-75, 1977-78)
• Merrett Avenue (Leo Merrett, 1940-49)
• Fraser Street (Don “Mopsy” Fraser, 1945-52)
• Oppy Crescent (Max Oppy, 1942-54)
• Crowe Street (Neville Crowe, 1957-67)
• Perkins Avenue (Bill “Polly” Perkins, 1940-49)
• Sharp Street (Laurie Sharp, 1954-57)
• Dean Street (Roger Dean, 1957-73)
• Dyer Street (Jack Dyer, 1931-49)
• Spring Drive (Geoff Spring, 1948-57)
• Hart Street (Royce Hart, 1967-77)
• Hall Street (Clarrie Hall, 1912-22, 1924)
• Strang Street (Doug Strang, 1931-35, Gordon Strang, 1931-36, 1938 and Geoff Strang, 1965-71)
• Bayliss Avenue (George Bayliss, 1914, 1916-23)
• McIntosh Avenue (Norm McIntosh, 1920-24)
• Moffatt Crescent (Dave Moffatt, 1912-17, 1919-20)
• Herbert Avenue (Barney Herbert, 1909-12, 1914-21)
• Branton Road (Ron Branton, 1953-62)
• Swift Street (Fred Swift, 1958-67)
• Harris Avenue (Dick Harris, 1934-44)
• Weidner Street (Harry Weidner, 1926-32)
• Langridge Street (Ted Langridge, 1955-62)
• Sheahan Crescent (Maurie Sheahan, 1929-36)
• O’Neill Avenue (Kevin O’Neill, 1930-41)
• Roberts Avenue (Ken Roberts, 1947-51 and Brian “The Whale” Roberts, 1971-75)
• Priestley Avenue (Charlie Priestley (1938-47)
• Murdoch Street (Joe Murdoch, 1927-36)
• McKellar Avenue (Craig McKellar, 1971-75)
• Northey Crescent (John Northey, 1963-70)
• Fowler Street (Laurie Fowler, 1971-74)
• Judkins Avenue (Stan Judkins, 1928-36)
• Bowden Street (Michael Bowden, 1967-71)
• Balme Crescent (Neil Balme, 1970-79)
• Lamb Grove (Robert Lamb, 1973-78)
• Bond Street (Graeme Bond, 1967-73, 1975-77)
• Hunt Court (Rex Hunt, 1968-74)
• Boyanich Court (Ray Boyanich, 1970-72, 1976)
• Titus Avenue (Jack Titus, 1926-43)
• Rudolph Street (George Rudolph, 1922, 1924-28)
• Cameron Drive (Barry Cameron, 1959-66)
• Thorpe Avenue (David Thorpe, 1974-76)
• Barrot Avenue (Bill Barrot, 1961-70)
• Bolger Crescent (Martin Bolger, 1930-39)
• Bentley Crescent (Percy Bentley, 1925-40)
Tigers rule the streets
The south-west Melbourne suburb of Hoppers Crossing may be around 30 kilometres from Richmond’s Punt Road Oval, but its connection to Tigerland is as strong as it is unique.
