A small, but predominantly pro-Yellow and Black crowd made plenty of noise in cheering Richmond on to victory over Sydney at a rain-soaked Gabba yesterday. It was the first time during this coronavirus-crazy season that the Tigers had played in front of spectators, and they were most grateful for the support they received. Here’s what coach Damien Hardwick and star players Kane Lambert and Tom Lynch had to say about the return of the Tiger Army . . .

Damien Hardwick

“Great to have the crowd here . . . Loved it. It was amazing when we first ran out. I haven’t heard it for a while, it sounded like 50,000. It’s just great to have Richmond people here. We really loved it. So thanks for coming.”

Kane Lambert

“It’s a little bit hard to see, but we can definitely hear them. It’s great to have supporters here. It’s certainly a changing time back in Victoria, so we’re thinking of all our supporters back there. But we appreciate them coming out tonight.”

Tom Lynch

“It was pretty good to run out and actually have a crowd. Obviously, haven’t had it for a while, so it was great to see the fans in here. We’ve got the best fans in the land.”