In celebration of Magpie Army Week, Collingwood is recognising some of its best member stories that showcase the deep connection the community holds with the black and white stripes.
24-year member Claire Hopkins’ family journey sees their connection with the Club not only date back over a century, but also ties in a beautiful affiliation with the development of the Pies’ spiritual home, Victoria Park.
Claire’s maternal Great Great Grandfather, Lauritz Hansen, arrived in Australia in the late 1890s as a Danish immigrant and sea merchant seeking a fresh start.
Having docked in Melbourne, Lauritz – who by that stage was in just his early 20s -jumped ship and sought to start a new life in Australia, using his skills as a builder.
While he couldn’t speak much English and was a fairly shy fellow, Lauritz quickly immersed himself in Victoria, purchasing a house in Clifton Hill in 1906 after spending his time in the Goulburn Valley during the earlier years of the 20th century.
Having settled himself in Collingwood heartland, it was in 1909 that Lauritz’s – and subsequently Claire’s – affiliation with the Magpie began.
Having been building largely residential estates during his time in Australia, Lauritz began construction of a new ‘Members’ Stand’ at Victoria Park in 1909, in a big boost to the Pies’ home ground.
Taking just four months to construct at the Lulie St end of the ground (where the Sherrin Stand now is), the new infrastructure allowed the original wooden stand at Vic Park to be moved further south to the corner of Turner and Lulie streets and increased the ground’s capacity.
Furthermore, the new Members’ Stand built by Lauritz provided seating for Female Season Ticket holders and could seat up to 1500 patrons – a significant boost for the suburban ground.
Lauritz’s Members’ Stand would endure 60 years of Magpies history, holding firm until it was demolished in 1969, when the first third of the current day Sherrin Stand began construction.
Throughout that time, Lauritz established his building company ‘Hansen Yuncken’ in tandem with friend Otto Yuncken – which is still running and family owned today, delivering extensive sporting and community infrastructure.
It also laid the foundations for his family’s every deepening love for the Magpies, with Claire continuing the passion four generations later.
Lauritz’s grandson – Claire’s maternal grandfather – really entrenched the love for the Pies over the course of his lifetime, passing it down to Claire’s mother and so on.
Claire, her Mum, and Claire’s 10-month-old daughter can now regularly be seen in the outer at the MCG cheering on the Pies, along with their extended family.
It’s this long-standing connection to the black and white stripes that makes Claire and her family embody the spirit and passion of the Magpie Army, as the Club celebrates a record-breaking 112,068 members in 2025.
