If you thought the fizz had gone out of the Canberra Raiders's finals campaign, if this week feels strangely underwhelming compared to last week's fever-pitch excitement, super-fan Trevor Bennett has one thing to say to the national capital: WAKE UP AND GET WITH THE PROGRAM PEOPLE!
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"If you live here, you've got to support them," he said.
"One of the things I'm proud of is being a Canberran."
Canberrans are notoriously fickle with their support of their sporting teams and last week's loss to the Sharks may have taken some wind out of the sails of the Raiders, but in Trevor's Green Machine-themed man cave in Tuggeranong, the excitement level is still through the roof.
He's been following the Raiders since they entered the competition in 1982. His garage in Gilmore displays every team photo since then.
"We used to go to Seiffert Oval and watch all the Sydney superstars. Then we started to win some games," he said.
Trevor, who turns 67 next week, started working for ActewAGL in 1966 as an electrical apprentice. He retired this year after 50 years of service, which included 11 years as apprentice training officer. His farewell at ActewAGL House in Civic in February included three special guests: Raiders stars Sam Williams, Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin.
"It was mind-blowing," he said.
Trev was third in line in the queue to buy tickets for the Raiders' do-or-die final against the Penrith Panthers at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night. He says no one would ever regret being there on the night.
"If they get beat you won't see them again until next season and you'll miss that magical, amazing atmosphere of being at the game," he said.
More than 20,000 tickets have so far been sold to the game, with about another 6000 to be sold for the stadium to reach capacity.
