THE DEMON Army is red and blue, through and through, and its ticketing team has been recognised for its incredible work in 2021.

Part of Melbourne’s official cheer squad, the team has been deemed the AFL Fans Association Supporter Group of the Year, with Rachel Hare and Beth Lockhart receiving a special callout.

The duo was joined by Amy McIntyre, Mandy Horsburgh and Sophie Galer in being congratulated for helping fellow Demon Army members navigate the complicated ticketing system throughout the 2021 AFL season.

With COVID-19 restrictions once again impacting games, the team registered, redeemed and distributed tickets to more than 700 members, all while assisting those struggling with the new digital way of attending.

Referring to the seating allocation as a giant puzzle, the team fielded requests each week, for aisle seats, undercover seats and members wanting to sit with specific people, with changes in crowd capacity adding to the task.

The tireless work ensured the Demons had immense support throughout the season, where crowds were permitted.

It is the third time the Demon Army has been acknowledged by the AFLFA, with the entire cheer squad being named the Supporter Group of the Year in 2017 and 2018. Members Ryan Sinclair and Shaun Dux were also awarded the Male Fan of the Year in the same seasons, respectively.

While the team, like many Melbourne-based Dees fans, will unfortunately be unable to attend the Preliminary Final next week, its support has been felt and appreciated by all this year.

And if there’s anyone who will be cheering on loudly from home come Friday night, it’s the Demon Army.