news, local-news, Raiders, finals, green bread, green sausages

As he was mixing the curious green dough in his Wanniassa bakery at 4.30am, Quan Nguyen admitted getting goosebumps down his flour-caked arms. "It's so exciting, isn't it?" he chortled. "It's like back in the 1990s; everyone is excited. A bit nervous, but excited, too." Meanwhile, across the border in Queanbeyan, Peter "Butcher" Lindbeck was also preparing his infamous footy finals snags and was delighted to learn that a local baker had prepared the perfect compliment to his lime green sausages. "Green bread and rolls? That's terrific news," he said. "A green snag in a green bread roll; I mean, what else could a Green Machine fan want to wolf down at finals time?" While "Butcher" has been grinding out his green snags at his Queanbeyan butchery since 1987, green bread and rolls are a first for Mr Nguyen at Vina Bakery. The product may look odd and may only appeal to the die-hards but there's plenty around at this time of year as the Canberra Raiders head into a preliminary final appearance at Canberra Stadium on Friday, September 27. One of those loyal fans is Mick Lennon, of Kambah, who will be "touching up" the colour in his green whiskers and eyebrows ahead of the biggest home game in the club's history. "Apologies, but it [the beard] isn't as green as usual," he said. "I usually give it a good greening before every home game so I'll be working on it for next week." Mr Lennon has been a "huge" Raiders supporter and member since he moved to Canberra in 1995 and has "two sons who are just as mad keen". He, too, was sharing in the building excitement of a home final against an as-yet-unknown opponent. "One of my sons has moved to Brisbane but he's coming back for the big one if the Raiders make it all the way," he said. "Butcher" Lindbeck, who played rugby union with Raiders coach Ricky Stuart at the Queanbeyan Whites, admitted to the same "weird feeling" this year that he had in the 1989 premiership year. "It's an unfashionable team that's run under the radar all year, just like '89," he said. So if a grand final appearance comes, Raiders fans will not just see green but be eating it as well.

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