Fremantle have taken another step away from their West Australian maritime roots this week with the controversial naming of their number one ticket holder. The club announced they had given the prestigious honour to an army man who won the Victoria Cross, Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith. Luckily, Ben has some strong Fremantle Footy Club credentials not least of which is being Fremantle supporter...something which has not always been top on the list of requirements when Fremantle pick their celebrity endorsers (looking at you Eskimo Joe). Better than that though, he's the obvious casting choice when the new live action movie of Fremantle's old mascot Grinder Origins eventually gets green-lighted.
Grinder Origins will explain the little known story about how Grinder was found trapped under the Fremantle prison, where he’d been for a hundred years with no one but stray seagulls for friends, and was rescued by David Hatt in a 1995 expedition to find a location suitable for club rooms, agreeing to become the club mascot as a sign of gratitude...much of which is beside the point.
Ben was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2011 for his actions on 11 June, 2010 during a battle in the village of Tizak, in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Obviously he’s very honoured now to receive the position as Number 1 ticket holder of Fremantle and thinks the Dockers are a good chance for a flag this year.
Ben replaces soft rock band Eskimo Jo who held the job despite having provided the music for the West Coast Eagles season advertisement at one point and having an Essendon supporter in the band, and went on to unsuccessfully change the Fremantle club song.