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GVGjr
14-06-2014, 06:45 PM
Let me have a self-indulgent moment although in fairness it might be a lot more than just a moment.

I was born in the Footscray hospital in a time where the grandparents insisted that the grand children followed their team. No if’s but’s or coconuts. This wasn’t the modern time where latte sipping parents give their children the right of their own choice. I kid you not but supporting another team just wasn’t an option in my family and so many others. Kids or grand kids just had no choice.

I was about 5 when I first remember going to the football and it was at the Western Oval now called the Whitten Oval. My Nanna would have a friend of hers, actually a much younger neighbour, that lived in the same street drape a scarf over one of the few vacant seats and reserve it for her. The lady would then vacate her seat when Nan arrived because she was young and fit. That’s the way we did it in those days, someone would get there early when the ground opened and literally race to get a seat and then drape scarfs or blankets across another seat or two for their friends that were coming later.
You didn't deal with the ticketing agent you had family and friends drawn together our common love of the club help each other out.

There were few seats at the game so when you are just a little fella getting the chance to share one with your Nan was pretty special. The option of standing out in the cold for entire game was daunting. It was also a time where people genuinely thought of other people’s needs. Elderly women were given the priority of getting the few available seats, women in general were given a free passage to the front of the ground and the men all stood behind them and nearly all of the men wore a hat. Nan would pack some food and something like soup or a stew in the thermo's for the half time snack. Your grandfather would take you to the toilet when needed to go but generally you really could only go at half time because it was such a chore to push through the crowd. You could also lose your spot. By 3 quarter time the wind would spring up and the temperature would drop and you huddled into your Nan for some warmth. Call it love or the need to stop shivering but I still recall those special days.

By the end of the game it was back to Couch Street Sunshine to their tiny house for a meal to warm you up and for a killer dessert normally in the form of a fruity pud or stewed fruit with as much fresh cream as you could handle.
I always listened to my grandfather dissect the game and he could be quite savage on some of the players and regularly my Nan would chip in with a countering comment. Nan could challenge him but not the grand kids..they listened. She loved all her Bulldog boys and wouldn’t let my grandfather go too far condemning any of them. There was a limit and she was the adjudicator that my grandfather never challenged.

Around 7.30pm The Winners would come on the black and white tele and if you were lucky the best quarter of the Footscray game would be played. Come 8.30pm you were out like a light and carried to the car for the trip home.

Both of my granparents loved Ted Whitten. Ted worked at a local green grocer and my Nan wouldn’t dream of shopping for her veges anywhere else. Ted called her Mum in a very affectionate way. “Mum what can I get you today” and he would always pack her veges in her jeep. For the younger WOOF members ask your grandparents if they can recall their grandparents had a jeep for shopping.

My Grandfather idolised Ted Whitten and in his opinion every other player to have ever played the game couldn’t hold a candle to Ted. In any debate with other people my grandfather would never concede ground about Ted. He could find fault in every other players and had Ted in front of them. Daylight was 2nd. I wonder what he would have thought of Gary Ablett Junior, Carey or Matthews? I'm sure they they would pale in comparison though. I digress.

Years later I had the number 2 on my back and tried to tell my grandfather what a great player Bernie Quinlan was. “He’s nothing compared to Whitten” he would tell me and then bang on for 10 minutes about snippets of Whitten’s greatness. I heard those stories time and time again. You listened and you had little choice. To this day I still think Quinlan was the best footballer I had seen so Teddy must have been the greatest.

Years later and many things changed in my life, I had moved to the bush and getting to the footy and watching Footscray was just so much harder. I was playing junior footy as well so when we had the bye I would travel down by train with a mate or two to watch Footscray play. It was a rushed trip. You had to be on your bike after the game to get back to Flinders street to catch the 6pm train home.

I can recall going to one game at Princes Park where somehow I was allowed to stand on a level of the television scaffolding which perched me up about 4 feet off the ground. It was a precarious position that wouldn’t be allowed nowadays but the vision was amazing for its time but nothing like we experience now every week.
I couldn’t leave the spot because it wouldn’t have been there if I did. You tested the ability of your bladder in those days.
The game started off poorly. The Blues kicked 8 or 9 goals in the first quarter and it looked like we were in for a thrashing. I could only get to one or two games but there was no point in leaving early. By half time we had closed the gap a bit and about half way during the 3rd quarter the coach made some big moves. Quinlan was moved into the ruck with immediate impact. Sandilands was moved to the full forward position and started jumping on opponents heads. Quinlan or as he was known by Superboot would grab the ball out of the centre and drive it forward with a spiraling torp. Oh yeah they kick torps in those days or at least the players that could were allowed to. Going into the 4th quarter we had closed the gap further and there was a glimmer of hope. Like now nothing was easy in those days for Bulldogs supporters and of course the Blues steadied by kicking a couple and won by about 5 goals.

The visit to the toilet after the game seemed to take an eternity. It literally did. It was then onto the tram crushed in with both Blues and Bulldog supporters and heading back to Flinders street to catch the last train back home. I always got a Footy record and still do. I never much cared for the player they called "Jezza" and had recorded his stats for the game. In fairness he was probably in the last part of his career.
Yeah he could take a mark but I didn't rate him. He had about 6 kicks from my reckoning and given my vantage point I’ll back myself in saying the stats were pretty accurate.

Once I got home it was once again watching the Winners and the magical 3rd quarter was replayed. To my utter disgust Jezza was given the 3 votes by one of the commentators.
What a day, I left about 9am and got home about 7.15pm on the express. I couldn’t answer the call of nature for the better part of 8 quarters and then crushed onto a Tram and then traveled on an old rickety train home. Hiked it from the station and couldn’t wait to see if we had made the winners. To add a bit of insult to injury Jezza was given the accolades of being the best player on the day.



There are a few reasons for this self-indulgent snippet but essentially it’s to remind people that what we are experiencing now in terms of wins and losses, the fixturing of games, the negative press or even the spectacle of the game etc is just another challenging time in the journey of being a Footscray or Western Bulldogs supporter.

I had the pleasure to have a quick chat with someone I admire at the club today, he eloquently reminded me that we aren’t in a 100 metre sprint. I think I’m in for the marathon with him and I hope many others are. It's okay to be as frustrated as you want to but being a Bulldog supporter shouldn't be something you are questioning.

By the way the catalyst for this trip down memory lane is Mitch Honeychurch.
I had a good long look at him today and I think he is a champion. He isn’t a speedster and he isn’t tall but he just plays as hard as he can for us. I think with a bit of luck he could have a long career for us Bulldogs. We will hopefully teach him the right way to play and if he improves his skills he will just get better.

This might sound strange given Honeychurch kicked 5 goals for the game but that real 1% trait that I admired about him today is that when he comes off the ground for a spell he doesn't double over sucking in his breath even though he probably wants to. He stands and walks as tall as he can despite whatever discomfort he is in and he already appears to be a proud Bulldog.

In this day of giants playing the game I found a bit of love by seeing one of our new boys who's just 176cm tall standing as tall as he can. As supporters our love of the club might be tested at the moment but I think we can all learn something special from that. It might only be 1 percenter but it's a good start.

azabob
14-06-2014, 06:55 PM
Great read GVGjr.

Thanks for sharing.

lemmon
14-06-2014, 07:38 PM
Probably the best post I've read on an internet forum, kudos GVG. Most of you here would know better than I but patience really is a much needed virtue for us Dogs

Remi Moses
14-06-2014, 07:42 PM
Great post G. Ironic I'm watching a manufactured unloved franchise play a team who have been killed off, who are left with a proud symbol and 5 Melbourne home games.Just imagine the feeling if it's gone.

GVGjr
14-06-2014, 08:49 PM
Probably the best post I've read on an internet forum, kudos GVG. Most of you here would know better than I but patience really is a much needed virtue for us Dogs

It sure is and there is no denying it. There was a few points I wanted to make some of us aware of.
We actually have it pretty good, going to the footy isn't as hard as the older folk had to endure. The venues are great although they lack that us and them feel that I used to experience. Supporters get nice allocated seats rather than having to stand for the full game or in those days probably a game and a half. If you really want to you can see just about every game on beautiful TV screens and watch or listen to a number of shows dedicated to the game.
It's just too easy now for people to turn away from the game and I genuinely worry about our future if our members do.




Great post G. Ironic I'm watching a manufactured unloved franchise play a team who have been killed off, who are left with a proud symbol and 5 Melbourne home games.Just imagine the feeling if it's gone.

I would be devastated. If we want prime time games or even dream about being one of the teams on Good Friday we all need to push ourselves and make sure attendances of 18,000 aren't the norm. We can't whinge about being dealt a bad hand from the AFL when we do some of the dealing ourselves.

Twodogs
14-06-2014, 09:15 PM
I remember that game.


Do you remember a game at Western Oval when Jezza was captain coach. Just before half time Carlton were 6 goals up when Terry Wheeler took Jezzz out with a perfect shirtfront. They carted him off on a stretcher and we won by 5 goals. 1978 or '79 it would have been.

Larry6
14-06-2014, 10:12 PM
Great post GVG! Being a Bulldog supporter is for a lifetime not just for the good times. Both my boys were born at the Western General Hospital as it was known then, and had no option but to barrack for the Doggies. My husband half jokingly says they would have had to find somewhere else to live if they hadn't. I remember often standing at Western Oval and looking at the scoreboard and figuring out if it was possible to get enough goals to win in the time left. Most of the time it didn't happen, so I'm well used to being on losing streaks. To me the players are like family. I may not know them personally but I hate to hear them being bagged, no matter frustrated I am. I've probably said all this before but it's been a while since I visited, so please excuse if senility is creeping in. ��

westdog54
14-06-2014, 10:25 PM
Great post Gary. A heartening read.

Larry, great to have you over here.

bornadog
15-06-2014, 12:56 AM
Your story is very familiar GVGjr, and I enjoyed reading the story. I too am sick of the negative posts, especially this week.

One great thing that Macca insisted on was forming our own VFL team. Watching the game today, it made me think, these guys are starting to put it together and before long they will be forming the nucleus of our team in the future. How good was Honeychurch, and Stringer and Campbell today. There was one passage today in the last quarter where the Dogs took the ball straight down the middle and Jong running at full pace, handballed to Hunter who handballed to Honeychurch who then kicked a goal. I thought there is part of our future midfield.

I wouldn't be surprised in the second half of the season we win more than we lose.

jeemak
15-06-2014, 04:13 AM
Outstanding post GVGjr. The internet was made for it.

Can't say a lot more than I hid a tear or two when I read your story on the couch with my partner. She wouldn't ever understand.

Go_Dogs
15-06-2014, 07:29 AM
Great post GVGjr, thanks.

whythelongface
15-06-2014, 08:45 AM
Great post GVGjr. Great to read such a positive post.

I'm Not Bitter Anymore!
15-06-2014, 12:46 PM
Great post GVGjr. Great to read such a positive post.

Didn't we used have a Positive Thread?

Bulldog4life
15-06-2014, 01:29 PM
Great post G. I can relate to what you have said. I was there the day that Bernie went into the ruck and I also was lucky to see the great EJ dominate. As Larry said I too find it very hard also to bag anyone of our players who wear the red, white and blue no matter how the play. They are like family to me too.

Maddog37
15-06-2014, 02:33 PM
Thank you G. I really needed that.

LostDoggy
15-06-2014, 02:35 PM
It's strange reading stories like this, heartwarming, but I come from a different place. I'm the only one in my family that follows the dogs. I'm the only one of all my mates that follows the dogs. I actually don't know anyone else who follows the dogs so I've dragged random family, mates, girlfriends along for 36 years. I love the club, amongst many, many other reasons, because of trading swop cards and collecting all the dogs players in grade 2 killoura primary. Because of sitting at the Western Oval in the rain watching a very young Rohan Smith screaming through half forward and slotting a goal. Because I turned to my best mate and my dad and said to both of them - that guy is going to be an absolute star. I love it because I cried sitting with 3 Geelong supporters (including mum) when Billy Brownless kicked the winning goal after the siren directly over my head in the '94 final. I need the dogs like I need my right arm but I couldn't tell you where the need originated at its source. All I know is I'm an addict and I get heartburn when the boys are doing it tough and I could almost weep with joy when we are at our very, very best.

GVGjr
15-06-2014, 02:45 PM
Love it Superdog and I really relate to it. Thanks for sharing.
I used to go to the footy with a mate when that winger with the mega mullet called Rohan Smith was running around with the reserves. Had the same conversation. He rated another player (Robert Bloom from memory) but I was sure Smith would do well. He just had that extra time and never looked rushed plus his kicking skills set him apart from others.

I only crap on about the old days because back then the footy consumed your whole day. It might be tough to watch us get beaten now but honestly I've witnessed a lot worse.

bulldogtragic
15-06-2014, 02:55 PM
Good stuff. It's one big journey this bulldog journey, ups and downs and heart breaks. But as a member it makes the ride more personal, when our next cycle upwards comes I'm sure we will all savour the wins more. When that premiership finally comes, I don't think too many people will understand what it means for the club ans it's people.

Murphy'sLore
15-06-2014, 04:49 PM
Thank you GVGjr. That was wonderful.

GVGjr
15-06-2014, 08:18 PM
Who's loving the club right now?

Maddog37
15-06-2014, 08:26 PM
Everything is better when we win. Couple this with the VFL game and it don't get much better than this!

The bulldog tragician
15-06-2014, 08:27 PM
A very beautiful read, thank you. I related to every word.

The good times wouldn't be so good without the hard, low times that test your mettle. Today's victory was extra sweet because of last weeks doubts and low points. Gee our club has endured a lot, but our day when it comes will be incredibly joyful. It feels a bit closer right at this moment....

Ghost Dog
15-06-2014, 11:24 PM
A reason to love GVG too :)

As the game played out, I followed it on my phone on the bus from Qingdao. The battery was about to crap out as it entered red time. I was biting my nails and cursing each Collingood goal, ( much to the amusement of the locals around me ) then a little incredulous and overjoyed when our replies kept edging them out. Edge of the seat stuff. I am very happy for Brendan most of all, as it's been a very tough time for him.

I finally get home to the dustbowl where I'm living, where the internet works sometimes and there are 688 posts on Woof: server meltdown. But the best of all was written above and thanks for that. I feel a bit humbled to think some fans have been following this club for so long, with such faith.

josie
15-06-2014, 11:51 PM
A very beautiful read, thank you. I related to every word.

The good times wouldn't be so good without the hard, low times that test your mettle. Today's victory was extra sweet because of last weeks doubts and low points. Gee our club has endured a lot, but our day when it comes will be incredibly joyful. It feels a bit closer right at this moment....

^^^Hear, hear. Seeing the young ones playing so well today and reading about how well the young ones played in the VFL provides hope for the future too. There will no doubt be more tough patches, however there is a rainbow just starting to appear on the horizon.

Jam Donuts
16-06-2014, 05:03 AM
Thanks for the great read G, I too was born at the Footscray Hospital, and I do not remember one moment when I thought of following anyone else but the doggie's, if you are born in Footscray it was almost as if the medical staff had somehow injected red, white and blue blood in your veins. so proud to be a Footscray supporter, thanks for reviving some precious memories with your post.

Twodogs
18-06-2014, 02:52 PM
I've been meaning to ask you Gary. What did your Grandfather think was Teddy's best game? My Granddad and the uncles were very expansive on the topic.

Scorlibo
18-06-2014, 04:12 PM
Some of your Bulldog memories are remarkably similar to mine, G. That includes my granddad insisting on Ted Whitten being the best ever (and Rod Laver being the best ever in tennis). He wouldn't hear a word to the contrary. The Bulldogs will always remind me of my family, and I love them both. Thanks for sharing.

Bulldog Joe
18-06-2014, 04:58 PM
Thanks G
Absolutely terrific.
Also a lifelong supporter and my best early memory is listening to the pre-final win over Melbourne in 61.

Being from Tasmania I didn't get to see the Dogs live until 1991 at the Western Oval when I brought my entire family over. Unfortunately it was a pasting from Geelong but still a great experience. Have managed to have 2 of my 4 children as Bulldog supporters but doing quite well with 4 grandchildren, where the 2 youngest react favourably to the theme song and the 2 older ones are absolutely on board.

As life has evolved I have been able to see much more of the Dogs and despite some pressures over the last 2 years, I now see 10 to 15 games each year.

2006 final win over Collingwood probably the highlight, but the win this week was close to the best footy experience in ages.

I always tell people it just takes more character to barrack for the Dogs than teams like Collingwood.

GVGjr
30-06-2014, 10:07 PM
I've been meaning to ask you Gary. What did your Grandfather think was Teddy's best game? My Granddad and the uncles were very expansive on the topic.

I think the question you need to ask is if my Grandfather ever thought Whitten played a bad game. He might have conceded that he put in a bad game or two but he wouldn't have conceded many. His view was that Whitten played on another level. Where most players had limitations Whitten didn't. He believed he had the sharpest of football brains, the quickest hands and that unique ability to change a game plus his ability to make average footballers walk taller.

GVGjr
30-06-2014, 10:18 PM
A reason to love GVG too :)

As the game played out, I followed it on my phone on the bus from Qingdao. The battery was about to crap out as it entered red time. I was biting my nails and cursing each Collingood goal, ( much to the amusement of the locals around me ) then a little incredulous and overjoyed when our replies kept edging them out. Edge of the seat stuff. I am very happy for Brendan most of all, as it's been a very tough time for him.

I finally get home to the dustbowl where I'm living, where the internet works sometimes and there are 688 posts on Woof: server meltdown. But the best of all was written above and thanks for that. I feel a bit humbled to think some fans have been following this club for so long, with such faith.


Thanks G
Absolutely terrific.
Also a lifelong supporter and my best early memory is listening to the pre-final win over Melbourne in 61.

Being from Tasmania I didn't get to see the Dogs live until 1991 at the Western Oval when I brought my entire family over. Unfortunately it was a pasting from Geelong but still a great experience. Have managed to have 2 of my 4 children as Bulldog supporters but doing quite well with 4 grandchildren, where the 2 youngest react favourably to the theme song and the 2 older ones are absolutely on board.

As life has evolved I have been able to see much more of the Dogs and despite some pressures over the last 2 years, I now see 10 to 15 games each year.

2006 final win over Collingwood probably the highlight, but the win this week was close to the best footy experience in ages.

I always tell people it just takes more character to barrack for the Dogs than teams like Collingwood.

One of the things I really enjoyed when we first started the forum was the fact that we had so many overseas, interstate and country supporters that found WOOF invaluable for keeping in touch with the footy club.

I can recall when I was living interstate for a while and not even being able to access a radio station to hear the scores. I would log onto AFL.com and just keep hitting the refresh key to see if the score had changed. I would drive to the sole news agent who would have the Vic papers (a day late) and get as many people as I could to send me cut outs of news articles that I would read time and time again.

We have come a long way but I'll never forget those lonely days away from Victoria and hanging on to what ever snippets of information about the Bulldogs I could get. If WOOF brings some of our overseas, interstate or country members a bit closer to the club then great.

Twodogs
01-07-2014, 12:32 AM
My uncle who is in his '80s raves about a game Whitten played at Punt Rd against Richmond. Reckons EJ was unstoppable that day at CHB. He must have been quite a player.

Nuggety Back Pocket
01-07-2014, 05:01 PM
My uncle who is in his '80s raves about a game Whitten played at Punt Rd against Richmond. Reckons EJ was unstoppable that day at CHB. He must have been quite a player.
Whitten was outstanding at CHB early in his career and brilliant at CHF when representing Victoria in Interstate games. He did tend to sacrifice his own game when becoming a ruck rover for the bulk of his career. A very gifted and skilled player.

bornadog
01-07-2014, 05:05 PM
Whitten was outstanding at CHB early in his career and brilliant at CHF when representing Victoria in Interstate games. He did tend to sacrifice his own game when becoming a ruck rover for the bulk of his career. A very gifted and skilled player.

Was he the best you ever saw NBP