By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
DIEHARD Cats fan John Ryan has gambled $500 on what he expects will be a beautiful set of numbers.
The Leopold footy fanatic has the only Victorian vehicle registration plate with the dates of all four modern-era Geelong premierships – he hopes.
That’s right: four premierships.
John reckons the Cats are odds-on this year to continue their odd-year flag-winning ways, following victories in 2007, 2009 and 2011.
“It’s lucky 13 for some,” John chuckled.
“I don’t want to count my chickens but I had to take the chance. If they don’t win the flag I’ll have some expensive pieces of metal lying around the house.
“But if they do get up, I reckon I could name my own price,” he said.
“Yes, it is a gamble, but there’s no bookmaker in sight. Some people buy a house as an investment, so I see this as a smaller investment.
“It’s worth the risk.”
John said HE chatted to a VicRoads supervisor when he first thought of the idea.
“He said it would be unfair of him to give me a figure but he had seen plates less valuable than mine worth $50,000 or more.”
John described himself as a “mad Cats supporter” who went to the 1951 and 1952 grand finals as a child.
“I’ve supported them for 60 years. I used to be a member and go all the time.
“My health isn’t what it used to be now, so I watch them on television.
“They have only lost one game, the next three are almost gimmes, then they have a bye, so by round 13 they should be 12-1.
“They have five players to come back into the side, they have lots of games at Kardinia Park, so they’re certainly going to play finals.”
John said he would not fix the rego plates to a car regardless of the outcome.
“My younger brother, Alan, has a plate with 7 9 11 on his car. It might have given me a bit of an idea.
“With brotherly rivalry, I wanted to go one more.”
John said he might be willing to part with the plates “if someone offers a good price” but he preferred to hang on to them “and see if they can prove me right”.
