bornadog
11-11-2016, 09:35 AM
Link (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/western-bulldogs/western-bulldogs-president-peter-gordon-is-still-on-a-high-from-his-clubs-historic-premiership-win/news-story/1349d04b3038b160da6888e36f4bf42c)
IT is 40 days since the Bulldogs rocked the football world and still the achievement continues to overwhelm the club’s faithful supporters.
On Monday night Dogs president Peter Gordon held a private screening of the Grand Final and threw open his doors to the club’s staff.
From the boot-studder to the doorman to “anyone who was anyone’’, as Gordon puts it, they soon found the Grand Final wasn’t enough.
“We only watched the seven quarters,” said Gordon on Wednesday.
“It’s not as if we were obsessed with it. There was universal agreement it was important to watch the last quarter of the preliminary final, the second and third quarters of the Hawthorn semi-final and the last four quarters of the Grand Final.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/7313eb6962712a4fbaac11f642079958?width=650
Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon wipes away tears the day after his club’s historic premiership win. Picture: Michael Klein
“There were some unresolved issues. We needed to do a frame-by-frame analysis of the Jason Johannisen (overruled) goal.
“I can tell you there are a number of technical questions upon which a legal appeal would have been successful — the accuracy of the white line, where the padding was vertically distributed in a linear manner and whole range of questions like that.”
If Gordon sounds high on life as he jokes about JJ’s scintillating performance and contested goal, it is because he has scarcely come down from the clouds.
All over the country Dogs fans continue to bask in the victory, with the Chicago Cubs’ own hoodoo-breaking win last week resonating with those same supporters.
As they saw what that victory meant the Chicago loyalists after a century of botched chances, the emotion of that stunning September charge came flooding back.
AFL clubs are supposed to trot out all the dutiful cliches and false modesty about quickly moving on from success to concentrate on the next task at hand.
But why shouldn’t the Dogs fans sit back and smell the roses after so many years?
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/6fb10cb3579976b7915ed2a771a22bf9?width=650
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon celebrates on the ground with Tom Boyd, Liam Picken and Joel Hamling. Picture: David Caird
Gordon can actually recite the commentary from Seven’s Dennis Cometti and Bruce McAvaney on that glorious day after all those repeat viewings.
“There is no one answer to that question,’’ he says when asked how many times he has actually watched the 22-point victory over Sydney.
“I was asked last night and the whole Grand Final from start to finish, no more than 20 times, but in terms of the last quarter it’s nearing the 50 mark.”
Bulldogs staffers have noticed a pilgrimage of fans who trek to Whitten Oval to just sit in the stands and reminisce.
From elderly fans who thought they would never see this day to families who have bonded by sharing the occasion together, a weight has been lifted off so many shoulders.
“It just goes on and on,’’ says Gordon.
“This morning I was literally arriving at the club and a guy came up to me and I knew what he wanted to say, which was how much it meant to him and his family.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/1e2c9c586ec91d71b6709fb69fa12646?width=650
Star Marcus Bontempelli celebrates with the premiership cup. Picture: Michel Klein
“He only got the first few words out and he just broke down. And I can truthfully say there has not been a week go by when it hasn’t happened.
“It has been a privilege to listen to their stories. Truthfully it’s a little emotionally draining but it certainly does highlight the depth of emotion and the commitment that people have got to the club and what it’s all meant.
“So professionally you get a sense of how wonderful it is to have participated in the event. I just feel really happy for everyone.”
Soon enough the players will return and the show will go on.
Luke Beveridge will again whip his players into shape as the bid to win a medal for Robert Murphy he won’t hand back surely becomes a familiar narrative.
But for now the Bulldogs supporters have 62 years of celebrating to do — and they aren’t planning on quitting any time soon.
IT is 40 days since the Bulldogs rocked the football world and still the achievement continues to overwhelm the club’s faithful supporters.
On Monday night Dogs president Peter Gordon held a private screening of the Grand Final and threw open his doors to the club’s staff.
From the boot-studder to the doorman to “anyone who was anyone’’, as Gordon puts it, they soon found the Grand Final wasn’t enough.
“We only watched the seven quarters,” said Gordon on Wednesday.
“It’s not as if we were obsessed with it. There was universal agreement it was important to watch the last quarter of the preliminary final, the second and third quarters of the Hawthorn semi-final and the last four quarters of the Grand Final.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/7313eb6962712a4fbaac11f642079958?width=650
Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon wipes away tears the day after his club’s historic premiership win. Picture: Michael Klein
“There were some unresolved issues. We needed to do a frame-by-frame analysis of the Jason Johannisen (overruled) goal.
“I can tell you there are a number of technical questions upon which a legal appeal would have been successful — the accuracy of the white line, where the padding was vertically distributed in a linear manner and whole range of questions like that.”
If Gordon sounds high on life as he jokes about JJ’s scintillating performance and contested goal, it is because he has scarcely come down from the clouds.
All over the country Dogs fans continue to bask in the victory, with the Chicago Cubs’ own hoodoo-breaking win last week resonating with those same supporters.
As they saw what that victory meant the Chicago loyalists after a century of botched chances, the emotion of that stunning September charge came flooding back.
AFL clubs are supposed to trot out all the dutiful cliches and false modesty about quickly moving on from success to concentrate on the next task at hand.
But why shouldn’t the Dogs fans sit back and smell the roses after so many years?
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/6fb10cb3579976b7915ed2a771a22bf9?width=650
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon celebrates on the ground with Tom Boyd, Liam Picken and Joel Hamling. Picture: David Caird
Gordon can actually recite the commentary from Seven’s Dennis Cometti and Bruce McAvaney on that glorious day after all those repeat viewings.
“There is no one answer to that question,’’ he says when asked how many times he has actually watched the 22-point victory over Sydney.
“I was asked last night and the whole Grand Final from start to finish, no more than 20 times, but in terms of the last quarter it’s nearing the 50 mark.”
Bulldogs staffers have noticed a pilgrimage of fans who trek to Whitten Oval to just sit in the stands and reminisce.
From elderly fans who thought they would never see this day to families who have bonded by sharing the occasion together, a weight has been lifted off so many shoulders.
“It just goes on and on,’’ says Gordon.
“This morning I was literally arriving at the club and a guy came up to me and I knew what he wanted to say, which was how much it meant to him and his family.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/1e2c9c586ec91d71b6709fb69fa12646?width=650
Star Marcus Bontempelli celebrates with the premiership cup. Picture: Michel Klein
“He only got the first few words out and he just broke down. And I can truthfully say there has not been a week go by when it hasn’t happened.
“It has been a privilege to listen to their stories. Truthfully it’s a little emotionally draining but it certainly does highlight the depth of emotion and the commitment that people have got to the club and what it’s all meant.
“So professionally you get a sense of how wonderful it is to have participated in the event. I just feel really happy for everyone.”
Soon enough the players will return and the show will go on.
Luke Beveridge will again whip his players into shape as the bid to win a medal for Robert Murphy he won’t hand back surely becomes a familiar narrative.
But for now the Bulldogs supporters have 62 years of celebrating to do — and they aren’t planning on quitting any time soon.