I liked the suburban VFL grounds because....

[bulldogtragic]

When I was very little, I could walk from end to end at the end of the quarter to always be behind our goals.

[chef]

I could stand and watch the footy and have a kick on the ground afterwards.

[bornadog]

I loved standing in the wind and rain and getting soaked :D

[Eastdog]

It brings a sense of grassroots back to the game which is seriously lacking today. Would have been great to travel for me all the way from the Eastern suburbs to the Whitten Oval and cross the West Gate Bridge back home with a Bulldogs win :)

[bulldogtragic]

I loved standing in the wind and rain and getting soaked :D
Hey that's a FFC birthright BAD :)

[bornadog]

Hey that's a FFC birthright BAD :)

On a serious note, use to love meeting mates between the umpires race and the players race at Western Oval as it was called.. There use to be at least 10 of us who probably only caught up at the footy and very few caught up outside game days. Most of us went to the same school but we were in different year levels and juts knew each other. 1984, 1985 were fantastic years to catch up, especially 1985. In fact other than 1981/2, we won most of our home games in the 80's, so we really enjoyed it. Same as in the mid to late 70's, won lots of home games but very few away.

The atmosphere was always electric at Whitten Oval, especially when the crowds got to around 20,000. Didn't really enjoy other suburb grounds, although there was always some fun at Arden st getting stuck into North Fans, or on the hill at Windy Oval, screaming at the Essendon ferals. Vic Park was a nightmare and we won very few there. Remember going there for an ANZAC day clash :eek: in the 80's and I think we won that one. ( I should look that up)

I even remember going to watch South Melbourne at their ground and Fitzroy at the Junction Oval - not happy hunting grounds. Princes Park I hated because that is the club and supporters I hate the most. We generally played well there.

Geelong was always a treck and very few wins there. When we won our first game there in over 20 years it was oh so satisfying. Hawks ground in Hawthorn was a dump and I don't remember going there, (maybe once as a kid). Saints well, what a pack of ferals at their home ground. These days I live around the corner from Toorak Park, which hosted some games back around the second world war. (not that I was around :D ) I pop down there now and then to watch Old Xavs.

Always loved home games.

[LostDoggy]

Hopefully will get back to Whitten Oval next year to watch a few games

[Eastdog]

Hopefully will get back to Whitten Oval next year to watch a few games

Has it been confirmed yet that our new VFL team will play their home matches at WO?

[bulldogtragic]

At the WO it you were able to run onto the ground on the siren, swamp the players and go down the race. Awesome stuff as a kid.

[Twodogs]

You could move from place to place. If the spot you were standing in wasn't so good or you had an idiot next to you then no problem you could just go and stand somewhere else.

Also there was a certain breed of person you would see at the footy that seems to have disappeared these days. I don't know how to describe these people-they were just different. You wouldn't see them anywhere else but at the footy.

You could lean over the fence and get the players' attention.

I like Docklands but I really, really miss Whitten oval. Every Club that gave up their ground lost something. The mass migration of clubs to 'better' facilities we saw in the '90s didn't happen anywhere else in the world and the competition is the poorer for it.

[bulldogtragic]

You could move from place to place. If the spot you were standing in wasn't so good or you had an idiot next to you then no problem you could just go and stand somewhere else.

Also there was a certain breed of person you would see at the footy that seems to have disappeared these days. I don't know how to describe these people-they were just different. You wouldn't see them anywhere else but at the footy.

You could lean over the fence and get the players' attention.

I like Docklands but I really, really miss Whitten oval. Every Club that gave up their ground lost something. The mass migration of clubs to 'better' facilities we saw in the '90s didn't happen anywhere else in the world and the competition is the poorer for it.
I know exactly what you mean TD. Different football environment back when, unique even. I loved getting there early to watch the ressies (remember them!) and getting autographs from the players around the bench. For me the Western Oval was a snapshot in my life. I used to go with my nan and all her sisters and cousins, all old football ladies who would get seats in the two rows around the ground and scream "kick the ball". Boy did they all love Douggie. Even more so than Teddy. Not many of my old ducks are left, but they all got to see a premiership, so they all felt very lucky. Funny how a place can be a snapshot of a point of time. I feel sorry for the generation who have only known big cold stadiums, plastic seats and plastic bottles/cups. But footy has moved on, so be it.

[bulldogtragic]

The smell of hotdogs, when I get that smell it reminds me of the walkway at the Western Oval early 90's. It's funny how a smell can transport the brain like this.

[GVGjr]

The smell of hotdogs, when I get that smell it reminds me of the walkway at the Western Oval early 90's. It's funny how a smell can transport the brain like this.

I can recall the jam doughnuts as well. You would almost get 3rd degree burns when the jam splattered on you but they were great on a cold day,

[bulldogtragic]

Are youth at the footy. And the (other) kids who would run out trying to get a footy launched out of the out of the ground by Beasley, Delre, Grant etc, to take as a trophy.

[ReLoad]

Looking up at the scoreboard and wondering how E vs F was going, and who G vs H was, and why H was beating them.

That and going home after the game on a saturday afternoon listening to the footy wrap up on the radio in the car. (we drove a few hours each way) also when i was finally old enough to not have to take a milk crate to the footy to see the game.

We always stood behind the goals at the geelong road end, seeing the regulars and it really felt like family.

I also enjoyed the fact that our ground was considered "hostile" by every other team and everyone loathed playing there, it was our patch, our turf and our home. (the away teams change rooms were 3rd world at best, and my uncle used to turn the hot water off on the away rooms regularly)

[bulldogtragic]

Looking up at the scoreboard and wondering how E vs F was going, and who G vs H was, and why H was beating them.

That and going home after the game on a saturday afternoon listening to the footy wrap up on the radio in the car. (we drove a few hours each way) also when i was finally old enough to not have to take a milk crate to the footy to see the game.

We always stood behind the goals at the geelong road end, seeing the regulars and it really felt like family.

I also enjoyed the fact that our ground was considered "hostile" by every other team and everyone loathed playing there, it was our patch, our turf and our home. (the away teams change rooms were 3rd world at best, and my uncle used to turn the hot water off on the away rooms regularly)
I remember trying to get home ASAP, so in the wrap up of the Saturday footy on channel 7 I could hopefully watch 5 minutes of footage taken from the top of the grand stand.

I forgot about the alphabet coded score updates, that's a cracker nomination.

[Twodogs]

Looking up at the scoreboard and wondering how E vs F was going, and who G vs H was, and why H was beating them.

That and going home after the game on a saturday afternoon listening to the footy wrap up on the radio in the car. (we drove a few hours each way) also when i was finally old enough to not have to take a milk crate to the footy to see the game.

We always stood behind the goals at the geelong road end, seeing the regulars and it really felt like family.

I also enjoyed the fact that our ground was considered "hostile" by every other team and everyone loathed playing there, it was our patch, our turf and our home. (the away teams change rooms were 3rd world at best, and my uncle used to turn the hot water off on the away rooms regularly)


Did your uncle work for the club?

[bornadog]

We always stood behind the goals at the geelong road end, seeing the regulars and it really felt like family.

My father always stood there with his friends. When I was 5 years old we lived just up the street and my father always took us to the opposite end, ie behind the Barkley street goals.

[ReLoad]

Did your uncle work for the club?

I don't think he did (at least in an official capacity) but he used to all sorts of odd jobs around the club in the 70's and 80's. At one stage im pretty sure he and my other uncle were running the SP bookies near the cricket nets out the back, but he has never owned up to that.

[langers1971]

there was always a sense of satisfaction if your team won at an away ground,such as Vic park etc, not like today, where in Melbourne, we only play at MCG or Etihad, thats why i probably prefer footy in the 1980's to what we get today.

[Remi Moses]

Meeting up at Footscray station religiously at Midday
Massive buzz when we'd win away.

[bulldogtragic]

It meant it got to watch 2 games. I loved getting there early for the ressies and watch the kids (West, Johnson and Smith etc) rise into the next level as an entree to the main. To follow on from TD's post, you got to find the best standing spot by getting in early and if you wanted to move around, or move spot for the best angle for shots on goal etc you could.

[1eyedog]

Suburban grounds encapsulated a sense of belonging to the tribe that is obviously lacking in today's structure. I felt so much more connected to other Bulldogs supporters when we played at home. On the way home on the train in the late 70s and 80s it was pandemonium after a win, now a fellow Bulldog supporter is hard up talking to you after one.

[bulldogtragic]

Suburban grounds encapsulated a sense of belonging to the tribe that is obviously lacking in today's structure. I felt so much more connected to other Bulldogs supporters when we played at home. On the way home on the train in the late 70s and 80s it was pandemonium after a win, now a fellow Bulldog supporter is hard up talking to you after one.

Great call on the word 'tribal'. In hindsight the gap between WO and the dome at the Optus Oval was not great. I remember a few games, would be 99 maybe, where it felt we were playing at Carlton's ground (which we were) and I don't recall any sense of excitement, belonging or relevance. I think that let-down of identity transpired to the dome. Any games at Geelong would likely feel like that, so I wouldn't be in a hurry to go to those games.

[bornadog]

Great call on the word 'tribal'. In hindsight the gap between WO and the dome at the Optus Oval was not great. I remember a few games, would be 99 maybe, where it felt we were playing at Carlton's ground (which we were) and I don't recall any sense of excitement, belonging or relevance. I think that let-down of identity transpired to the dome. Any games at Geelong would likely feel like that, so I wouldn't be in a hurry to go to those games.

BT, maybe I am on my own, or getting too old, but I love matches at ES, especially when there are over 40,000 there. The crowd of 51,382 v Collingwood was sensational even though we lost by a point after Davis kicked a goal from the 3rd row. We had some incredible crowds in 2008 - to 2010

I love the comfort, the facilities and the atmosphere when we are winning.

Suburban grounds were great, but times have changed. Back when it was suburb v suburb, it was different. The suburbs have changed as well and supporters are from all over Melbourne/.Australia.

Here are some numbers at Doglands:



51382
Western Bulldogs v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/collingwood.html)
R15,2009 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2009/040720090710.html)


49000
Western Bulldogs v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/collingwood.html)
R1,2010 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2010/040720100328.html)


48728
Western Bulldogs v Essendon (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/essendon.html)
R14,2001 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2001/050720010706.html)


47120
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/stkilda.html)
R21,2006 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2006/071520060825.html)


46990
Western Bulldogs v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/collingwood.html)
R8,2007 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2007/040720070520.html)


46818
Western Bulldogs v Geelong (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/geelong.html)
R21,2009 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2009/070920090821.html)


46261
Western Bulldogs v Richmond (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/richmond.html)
R3,2009 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2009/071420090413.html)


45922
Western Bulldogs v Geelong (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/geelong.html)
R4,2006 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2006/070920060422.html)


45527
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/hawthorn.html)
R22,2000 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2000/071020000804.html)


45141
Western Bulldogs v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/collingwood.html)
R5,2000 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2000/040720000407.html)


45119
Western Bulldogs v Essendon (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/essendon.html)
R7,2004 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2004/050720040507.html)


44864
Western Bulldogs v Essendon (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/essendon.html)
R14,2002 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2002/050720020706.html)


44268
Western Bulldogs v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/carlton.html)
R5,2009 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2009/030720090426.html)


43595
Western Bulldogs v Richmond (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/richmond.html)
R17,2001 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2001/071420010727.html)


43532
Western Bulldogs v Richmond (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/richmond.html)
R1,2006 (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2006/071420060331.html)

[bulldogtragic]

Despite appearances I'm not anti-progress, name changing or moving, although I did love the Suburban grounds. Particularly the hotdogs and doughnuts at WO, and the 'food' for sale is Etihad is crap, unless you dine in the Medallion Club restaurants which are ok, if not a little pricey for what you get.

Any big crowd is electric, no denying. I love a massive crowd, even if the dogs aren't playing in front of me (ie Hawthorn v Carlton final round 2008). When it's us it's even better. Perhaps I'm jaded from going regularly to 17,000 crowds at Etihad. But a big crowd at the WO versus MCG or Etihad doesn't seem to resonate as well for me personally, I don't get a sense of tribal like atmosphere. Specifically, I compare Doug's record breaking game to Johnson's or moreover Grant's at the MCG.

I'm not saying we shouldn't have moved with progress and the times, it's just for me that little undefinable thing about the WO (etc) hasn't yet transplanted across. Just limiting the convo to the WO, I still look at it and I feel like when teams came it was like "it's ours, we own it, how dare you even walk on our mud and grass". In the vein of Danny Southern saying hello to Mick Gardiner, it was "our place". It's this thing I haven't yet developed in Etihad, it still might happen?

Please don't mention Leon... Just another spud that saved every good game for us.