Outside the stadium: Panther's super fans
17 Images'Outside the stadium' is a public art project by Penrith Performing & Visual Arts featuring Lyndal Irons' photographs of Panthers fans across the west in the lead-up to the NRL Grand Final on Sunday. The portraits will be displayed on the windows of the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre which has a long history of Panthers support, from winning the memorabilia display competition to hosting the Panthers Civic Reception post their 1991 victory.
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Obviously as a child you revere those special players and I still do. The overarching reason (that I am a fan) though is that they just make me happy. It's only one side of my being, there are a lot of things that drive me and make me happy. But it is constant in my life that is just irreplaceable really. During the COVID period it was really difficult for a lot of people because we didn't have access to that thing in our life that makes us so happy.Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Danielle McLoon's Holy Turf - a transplant of grass from Penrith Stadium now growing in Warrimoo.Credit:Lyndal Irons
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David Mulquin and his mini panther Roycie Simmons, named after the legendary Panthers hooker. David grew up in the Penrith area and played junior league as a child. Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Danielle McLoon from Warrimoo.Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Memorabilia from the extensive collection of Danielle McLoon. Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Wilton is a lifelong fan of the Penrith Panthers and owns over 30 hats from the team's merchandise, and a great many jerseys. “I remember even when I was a young ‘un, we would, like, most of the kids around school went for Parramatta ‘cos they were the better team, but we were just sticking solid to Penrith. And ever since then, just...been there always". I always wear a hat around and a Panthers ring as well. I lost my dad about 10 years ago, so I’m just hoping to...he’s always been at the last two grand finals, so hopefully in two weeks (for the 2020 Grand Final) he’ll be sitting by me.Credit:Lyndal Irons for Penrith Regional Gallery
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Bookcase detail from the home of Blaxland Penrith Panthers fan Wilton. He says "The first grand final was just a bit of a...I think I cried actually, when we first won. I was actually wearing this jersey at the 1991 grand final, and I was actually above Royce Simmons when he scored, so that was a pretty emotional moment". Preston Campbell, even though he’s not a Penrith junior, is one of my favourite players ever and I talked to him once and he asked me questions back, and I don’t care if this makes it, but Preston Campbell just should be...he’s a beautiful human. I just told him he was my favourite player and then he asked me questions back, like “What do you do, Will? Where are you from?” Like, I was just taken aback going “Wow, that’s the first player who’s ever actually asked me a question back.” And you look up Preston Campbell, what he’s done for everything, he’s an amazing, amazing human. He started the Indig games and...all the Indigenous play against everyone else, and he started that about six years ago.Credit:Lyndal Irons for Penrith Regional Gallery
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Vintage members badge for the Penrith Panthers, owned by Blaxland fan Wilton. Credit:Lyndal Irons
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EMU PLAINS: Sue Watling and her dog Angel are both keen Panthers supporters with matching jerseys. Sue took to the team soon after migrating to the area from the UK, finding a family-like community to belong to.Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Father and son Penrith Panthers fans Rory Cooke-Ives and Harley Ives kiss the badge following the successful graduation to Grand Finals against the Rabbitohs at a watching party in Camperdown.Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Sisters Kate Cooke and Isabella Cooke at a game watching party in Camperdown celebrating after the Penrith Panthers won a space in the Grand Final. They grew up in the Blue Mountains as part of a family of 8 dedicated Penrith Panthers supporters and regularly watch games together as three generations of Panthers supporters. Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Panthers supporter memorabilia on display at a game watching party at Camperdown.Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Rylee Randall, Penrith, is an 11 year old super fan of the Penrith Panthers. ¨"I had a cake for my 10th birthday and it was a Josh Mansour jersey with a number 2 and it had Mansour on it, and it had photos of the times I met him. And I'm kind of like an over-obsessive fan. Everything I have is Panthers themed, everything I do is Panthers".Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Fourteen-year-old Riverstone fan Cooper Shield and his 2020 Penrith Panthers signed jersey. Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Wayne Cook, former dressing room assistant, Penrith Panthers 1988-2009, South Windsor. Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Simone Waters and son John, Cranebrook. Members of the Penrith Flagies supporter group. Credit:Lyndal Irons
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Panthers fan Paul Coles displaying his panther themed tattoo, Mortdale. Credit:Lyndal Irons