Legends and Young Guns Dinner - July 3rd

[bornadog]

We are calling all Bulldogs fans located in the South and East of Melbourne!

The Legends & Young Guns are locked in!

Lindsay Gilbee, Marcus Bontempelli, Mitch Honeychurch, Matt Fuller, Sam Darley, Shannon Grant, Simon Dalrymple and Rick Kennedy will be in attendance.

The night promises to be a highlight on the calendar of any die-hard supporter.
Kevin Hillier will be hosting the function and it will also offer every guest the opportunity to take home some unique prizes in the raffle.

The Western Bulldogs merchandise stall will also be in attendance and will have the latest official Western Bulldogs apparel and gifts on offer.

Tickets are $70 which includes a delicious three-course meal. To reserve your spot, contact Gwen today on 9802 6779.
Kids are welcome, the cost is $30 per head for a kids meal/drinks, it also includes a Western Bulldogs Showbag.
Bookings close on Monday, 30th June and details of the event are as follows:

When: Thursday, 3rd July
Time: 7pm for 7.30pm start
Where: Mulgrave Country Club, Wheelers Hill
Address: Cnr Wellington & Jells Roads, Wheelers Hill
I look forward to seeing you there.

Go Dogs!
Linda Murray
Western Bulldogs Supporter Group Coordinator

[bornadog]

Bump

Anyone going?

[GVGjr]

Bump

Anyone going?

You going BAD?

[bornadog]

You going BAD?

I am actually overseas right now for 6 weeks. I will miss many games but will keep in touch along the way.

[always right]

I'll be there with my daughter.

[Cyberdoggie]

$70 a little pricey isn't it?

[Eastdog]

Didn't go to this but for any woofers that did was it a good night. We're there lots in attendance? What was discussed?

[LostDoggy]

Went to the dinner last night and was very impressed by it all. Players there were Bontempelli (not surprisingly the fan favourite), Honeychurch, Fuller and Darley. From the club that attended were Garlick, Shannon Grant, Dayrymple and Graham Lowe. And the two legends were Rick Kennedy and Lindsay Gilbee.

They set it up as a question and answer type of thing with Kevin Hillier asking the questions. First up were Dayrymple and Grant:

- Dayrymple said his draft philosophy is best available player over what we need and referenced hawthorn picking Mitch Thorpe over Joel Selwood as to why
- said trading is were we focus on need and draft is for getting talent
- said he was only working part time at the club up until 2009
- was asked about what he does during this time of the year and he said he had just finished at the under 18s championship and is now focussing on the under 16s. Also said they were preparing for player interviews in which he said they do about 70 home interviews leading up to the draft
- also talked about our father son prospects. Said there are two groups, twelve to fifteen year olds and the the ones above fifteen. In the younger group are names like Kellet, Oliver liberatore (who apparently has a very nice kick and is basically a mini Tom), Riley West, Jacob Smith. They are currently doing a kicking clinic at the club.

Next panel were the young guns:
- were asked what team they followed as kids. Bontempelli went for Richmond, Fuller followed Port Adelaide and both Honeychurch and Darley were essendon. Darley said his favourite player was James Hird which got a few groans from the crowd.
- they were asked what the hardest part of football was. They all pretty much said is was getting consistency and realising development is a long term thing. They also said adjusting to the AFL lifestyle was difficult
- told us what they like do do outside of football. Honeychurch surfs, Fuller plays golf, Darley follows the NBA and Bontempelli ( as well as Fuller and Honeychurch) are doing an AFL approved course on play well being, how to handle their money and other subjects along those lines.
-they were asked their nicknames at the club. Honeychurch is the Honey Badger ( started by Big Will), Darley is Darls, Fuller is Pepsi after that kid in home alone who drinks too much Pepsi and wets the bed who's name is Fuller. And according to Honeychurch all the kids at the Dahlhaus clubhouse clinic on Monday were calling Bontempelli, Bontempsmelly.

Last panel was Rick Kennedy and Lindsay Gilbee:
-Rick told some stories about the good old days and some of the fights he got into
- also said that he's trying to implement a grandfather-grandson rule as his daughter is married and pregnant to Trent Cotchin
- I found Lindsay Gilbee the most interesting on the night, said a few things that I wasnt aware of
- he said that he was going to quit in 2003 if it hadn't been for Rohan Smith. He said he was sick of not getting a game under Rhode when other players who he thought didn't deserve them were.
- he said Eade did an amazing job under limited resources and he still keeps in touch with him regularly
- said when Eade got to the club he asked the players to divide themselves into seniors and reserves. 90% went to the reserves side including Gilbee and Daniel Cross. It was then that Eade realised he had a lot of work to do in making these guys believe they were good enough
- said the best players he ever played with were Johno and Cross, Kennedy said his was Hawkins

We also had Darley (who most defiantly fits Macca's good person criteria) on our table for the whole night so we asked him a few of our own questions:
- said that when he first got to GWS none of the public knew what Aussie rules was. Over the three years that he was there he said it has improved but it still has a long way to go.
- GWS players were told at the start to stand their crowd and to not let themselves get pushed around by the bigger and older clubs.
- thinks Callan Ward is a great bloke and terrific captain, he also said that callan was told by the club to go as he would never get such an opportunity again
-thinks Jeremy Cameron is lazy and relies on his talent alone
-said that Freo have the most feral supporters
- is good friends with Cordy who thinks Zaine is going to be quite the player.
- does most of his work with Rohan Smith and teams up with Murphy during training. Also said that Murphy often reviews his stats and footage with him

Was a very good night and I would highly recommend everyone to go next year if they can

[LostDoggy]

Great stuff Pickle.

Peter Rhode - Geez.

[Cyberdoggie]

Thanks Pickle,

Some really good insights there.


Definitely agree with you on Gilbee, I listened to him once on JYB (Jesalenko You Beauty segment on SEN with Mark Doran I think it was) a while back where they go into an in depth chat for about an hour and I don't think I've ever heard a more calculated and honest footballer speak. Lindsay usually has a good pause before replying and has a think about what he says, and doesn't spew out all the cliche' generic rubbish. He's direct and honest and I still can't figure out today why he wasn't more of a leader during his time at the dogs. Maybe he kept to himself a bit, I'm not sure.

[Bulldog4life]

Went to the dinner last night and was very impressed by it all. Players there were Bontempelli (not surprisingly the fan favourite), Honeychurch, Fuller and Darley. From the club that attended were Garlick, Shannon Grant, Dayrymple and Graham Lowe. And the two legends were Rick Kennedy and Lindsay Gilbee.

Thanks for the great read Pickle.

[Eastdog]

Thanks Pickle. Sounds like a great event for Bulldogs fans out in the east like myself.

[boydogs]

Thanks Pickle

[whythelongface]

Awesome read Pickle. Thank you.

[Go_Dogs]

Great report, many thanks.

[LostDoggy]

Great read Pickle - sounds like an enjoyable evening. Kennedy was one of my favorite players through the 80s.

[azabob]

$70 a little pricey isn't it?

3 course meal, venue higher, MC, etc. Sounds about right to me.

[ledge]

Well Cameron won't be in our sights if he is lazy .. I wonder if macca asks players who arrive from other clubs about players they have played with and the thoughts if whether they are worth chasing ?

[bornadog]

Sounds like a great night, thanks Pickles

[LostDoggy]

Great read, Pickles. Thanks for the time and effort to get this together. Interesting that Dal still thinks it is best available at the draft which means they could settle on anyone. How they arrive at who is best available is the intriguing bit.....

[always right]

Couple of other observations.....

Dalrymple was only part time until 2009......the year we selected Howard. Coincidence?

When Dalrymple was going through the potential father sons he mentioned young Romero. The lady on my table exclaimed...."ooooh, Cesar Romero's son". True.

For those too young, Cesar Romero was an actor who played the joker in the old Batman TV series.
476

[Twodogs]

Maybe it was a nickname they had for Jose?

[always right]

Maybe it was a nickname they had for Jose?

Perhaps.....but unfortunately it wasn't the only pearler she uttered on the night.

[josie]

Thanks Pickle, very informative and sounds like a great night

[Twodogs]

Perhaps.....but unfortunately it wasn't the only pearler she uttered on the night.


Don't leave us hanging then bro.

[Cyberdoggie]

Perhaps.....but unfortunately it wasn't the only pearler she uttered on the night.

Not judging the lady in particular but these sort of events always attract supporters that don't quite grasp the modern game if you know what i mean. The annual social club function is a good example, guaranteed every year when the coach asks questions some nuff nuff will ask "Why don't we just kick the bloody thing!....."

I guess you have to cater for everyone though don't you.

[always right]

Don't leave us hanging then bro.

Encouraging one of her daughters to go up to Bonti and try and hook up with him was one of the highlights as was enquiring with Sam Darley about his love life.