Football is a tribal game. Support for teams is passed from father to son, mother to daughter and down family lines, whether it be through an affiliation with the club, supporting the local team or love and admiration for a particular player.
Through experiences like the ‘Keep North South’ campaign and stubborn grit and rallying against the narrative that North Melbourne must relocate, North has some of the most passionate and determined fans of any club in the AFL.
Despite being raised as a Geelong supporter, it hasn’t taken Charlie Lazzaro long to not only see what is special about the Roos' fan base, but to entrench himself in the culture and future of the club.
“I’m royal blue and white through and through now,” Lazzaro told North Media.
“I think the fans and everyone that is a member of North Melbourne should be so excited for not only the rest of this year, but for certainly what’s to come. I think we’re building towards something really special and I think you guys should come on the journey with us.
“From the moment I came into the club I had the aspiration to play 200 games. I think that’s been something at the back of my mind for as long as I can remember … hopefully there’s a few premierships along the way for the North Melbourne supporters too.”
Still just four games into what is hopefully a long career with North, Lazzaro says there have been plenty of pinch yourself moments in his journey so far.
Despite these moments though, he says he hasn’t been overawed by the calibre of opposition he’s found himself up against so far and backs his ability to influence games off his own boot.
“Obviously coming in there’s some big names around the competition and there’s some players who’ve been playing for a really long time, and they’re certified superstars,” he said.
“There is an element of intimidation, but I think when you get drafted there’s certainly an understanding that your good is good enough, and I think it does empower you to become, or it forces you to become, confident in your ability.
“Over the pre-season all us first years have really knuckled down and had really good pre-seasons, and I feel like that’s setting us up for, hopefully, a really bright future.”
