It’s not just the GIANTS celebrating a 100-game milestone on Saturday at Spotless Stadium.
Paula and Steven Strother are part of those remarkable footy fan stories you hear about. But to hear their story in person only reinforces just how special they are.
As the GIANTS get set to celebrate their 100th match in the AFL on Sunday against the Swans, Paula and Steven will be right where they have been for every single one of the GIANTS 99 matches so far - behind the goals cheering on their team.
The mother and son duo from Douglas Park near Picton haven’t missed a single one of the GIANTS’ games - home or away - in four and a half years in the competition.
It’s not just GIANTS matches they attend, they are also at every banner making session which is a two and a half hour round trip from their home in Western Sydney.
At banner making on Thursday night, GIANTS players Josh Kelly and Daniel Lloyd presented the pair with a 100-game cake and thanked them for their support.
“We’ve just presented a cake to them and it’s really remarkable their support, it’s what keeps the club together,” Kelly said.
“It’s vital for any club, we’ve had some tough times at the club but for people like Paula and Steven to stick with us, it’s really unbelievable of them and their support doesn’t go unnoticed.”
The Strothers have travelled to Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Tasmania following their team. At best guess, they’ve travelled over 165,000 kilometres to watch the GIANTS.
“I just love football,” Paula said.
“We didn’t intentionally go out to be there for 100 games but we didn’t want to miss that moment of winning, first goal, anything and it just snowballed on week after week.
“At the end of the season when the fixture came out, it was ‘ok, let’s book our flights for the away game’. I couldn’t imagine not going now.
“My bag basically stays continually packed. We've got a two hour drive from the airport - next Saturday three o’clock in the morning my alarm goes because we’re on the the 7am flight. And that’s the way it always has been.”
In 2015 Paula was awarded the GIANTS’ Woman of the Year for her continued support of the club.
“I love being involved. I used to think I’d never do this, from Adelaide I was just going along to watch football in Adelaide but coming over here now and being part of the GIANTS cheer squad, wow it’s absolutely fantastic,” she said.
“It’s an honour to go out there and play a small part, a minuscule part really, in the club and you feel like you’re part of it.”
After crossing 100 games off the list on Sunday at Spotless Stadium, the duo now set their sights on another hundred and the GIANTS’ first finals series.
“I will be there. I don’t care if we have to go back to Melbourne, Perth, I don’t care where it is in that finals series, we’ll be there. We cannot miss it,” Paula said.
The GIANTS take on the Swans in their 100th AFL match and Sydney Derby X at Spotless Stadium on Sunday at 4.40pm. There are limited standing room tickets remaining, click here for more.
