Axe Man
14-05-2020, 04:59 PM
WOOF gets a mention in this article! Hi Al Paton!
Forgotten favourites: Can you remember these obscure Western Bulldogs players? (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/western-bulldogs/forgotten-favourites-can-you-remember-these-obscure-western-bulldogs-players/news-story/a9a65e13e52300ebf1c3085d6c191fef)
https://i.postimg.cc/PrF526jw/image.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
From one of the most astounding debuts in footy history to a forgotten flag hero and little brother of an AFL champion who made his senior debut at age 29, how many of these Dogs do you remember?
Look back through Western Bulldogs teams over the past 25 years and you’ll see the same names over and over - Grant, West, Smith, Johnson, Morris, Murphy.
Those guys are all champions, but during the AFL shutdown it’s time for some other Bulldogs to get their turn in the spotlight.
And there are a bunch of lower-profile Dogs in the running, from a player who produced one of the most astounding debuts in AFL history to a forgotten flag hero and little brother of an AFL champion who made his senior debut at age 29.
See if you can remember these Bulldogs from the past.
ANDREW HOOPER
Pick 35, 2009 rookie draft
Games: 7 (2010-12)
The 172cm midfielder/forward was a joint winner of the Larke Medal (with David Swallow) for best player at the 2009 under-18 championships but overlooked in that year’s draft due to his size. The Dogs picked him up as a rookie and he quickly became a fan favourite in the VFL, and he was one of the feel-good stories of the year when he was named for his senior debut in a semi-final against Sydney - the first player to debut in a final in 25 years (and the last to do it before Tiger Marlion Pickett a decade later). Hooper had just five touches that night but one of them was a team-lifting goal, celebrated with special gusto. He was dropped for the prelim but given a two-year senior contract, however he could manage only another six games (and six goals) before being delisted at the end of 2012. Hooper clearly doesn’t hold a grudge - he wore his old No.41 jumper while watching the 2016 Grand Final and says he was close to tears watching old teammates Dale Morris and Matthew Boyd hold up the cup.
SEDAT SIR
Pick 54, 1993 national draft
Games: 24 (1994-98)
The Turkish-born defender became the first Muslim to play AFL when he made his senior debut in Round 1, 1995. A proud member of the no-frills backmen club, he achieved double-figure disposals only twice in his AFL career but he always kept his opponents honest in his 24 senior and about 100 reserves games - including the Bulldogs’ 1998 reserves premiership. Now works as a sport project manager for Moreland council.
AYCE CORDY
Pick 14, 2008 national draft
Games: 27 (2009-15)
The 202cm forward was a great white hope for Bulldogs fans for years after being selected in the first round of the 2008 draft as a father-son pick (his dad Brian played 124 games in the 80s). After three goals in an intraclub hitout in 2009 one watcher declared pick 14 a bargain. But injuries were a constant menace and Cordy managed just 27 games in seven seasons. The year before he was delisted the Dogs signed his younger brother Zaine, who went on to play in the 2016 flag.
DANNY DEL-RE
Pick 8, 1989 pre-season draft
Games: 62 (1990-94)
An old-school full-forward who shone brightly but briefly in the early 90s and is forgotten by much of the footy world - though it must be said not by die-hard Dogs including Herald Sun reporter Scott Gullan, who still calls his SuperCoach team Danny Del-Re Lives. Del-Re booted 70 goals in 1992 - enough to nearly win the Coleman these days but back then well short of Jason Dunstall (145) and Tony Lockett (132) - including eight in a qualifying final against Geelong. A strong chest mark on the lead and a long, straight set shot were his trademarks. His next best season tally was 36 the next year and in 1994 he played only three games before his AFL career came to an end. Still a big Bulldogs fan, he now runs a food distribution business.
BRODIE MOLES
Pick 16, 2007 rookie draft
Games: 17 (2008-12)
The Tasmanian greenkeeper was picked up by the Dogs under new mature-age rookie rules after failing to play a game in two years on Geelong’s list. He made his debut at age 24 in Round 2, 2010 and added another 12 games that year. A tough midfielder, he landed on the back page of the Herald Sun in the 2011 pre-season for these photos of him attacking a giant tire with a mallet. Shoulder and ankle injuries cruelled his next two seasons as he fell out of favour with coach Brendan McCartney. But he’ll always be a NAB Cup premiership player.
PATRICK WIGGINS
Pick 35, 1999 national draft
Games: 12 (2000-03)
Wiggins was always on the fringe of selection in his time at the kennel, playing three games in his debut season, one each the next two years and finishing with a career-high seven in his final season. The brother of Blue Simon Wiggins weighed in at 196cm and 99kg and could play at either end but it’s fair to say he wasn’t a big ball-winner - he had a combined six disposals in his first five games. Things improved a bit in 2003, beating the four-disposal barrier for the only time in his career in Round 9 against Melbourne when he also bagged three goals.
JASON TUTT
Pick 31, 2009 national draft
Games: 40 (2010-16)
Tutt produced one of the AFL’s great debut performances - 26 disposals and four goals (and 147 SuperCoach points) against Port Adelaide in Round 22, 2011. Even better - his first three kicks were goals. The former Australian junior softball captain even polled a Brownlow vote. “I have a long way to go but my first game was a good start,” he told the Herald Sun. “My old softball mates were great, sending me messages to say how happy they were for me.” Unfortunately, Tutt couldn’t reproduce that form over the next four seasons and he was eventually delisted, then given a lifeline by Carlton in the pre-season draft. He played 14 games for the Blues before heading to the bush.
BRENNAN STACK
Pick 45, 2006 national draft
Games: 21 (2010-11)
Stack played some exciting games, including a four-goal return in his second game against Fremantle, but achieved much greater status among a group of diehard Doggies fans. A thread titled “Brennan Stack A Go Go” on a Bulldogs web forum took on a life of its own as it set out to increase the levels of Stack content on the internet along with setting out some personal goals for the young forward - goal one was “get back in the senior side” and goal five was “become official King of the World”. He didn’t quite get there but did play a small role in a more recent footy success story, opening his home for distant cousin Sydney Stack as he made his bid for an AFL career.
WAYDE SKIPPER
Pick 70, 2000 national draft
Games: 60 (2001-10)
A versatile big man who wasn’t quite tall enough to dominate in the ruck or centre half-back, Skipper gave his all in 60 games over a decade, including one season at Hawthorn where he played 15 games coming off the rookie list. He played mostly down back for the Dogs but could make an impact in front of goal, kicking five in a game against Geelong in 2005 (he kicked a total of six goals for the season). After leaving the AFL he became a local footy star, playing in a flag for Port Melbourne then starring in the Western Region Football League.
BRETT GOODES
Pick 4, 2012 rookie draft
Games: 22 (2013-15)
A SuperCoach favourite, the older brother of Swans champion Adam Goodes was plucked from his job as club welfare manager to make his debut at age 29 in Round 1, 2013. Wearing No.44, he started his AFL career with a bang - 24 disposals, seven marks and 113 SuperCoach points. The attacking half-back flanker played 13 matches in his debut season but managed just nine more in the next two.
STEVEN KOOPS
Zone selection, 1995 national draft
Games: 89 (1996-2005)
The Dockers were widely questioned for trading versatile flyer Koops in 2003 after eight seasons (to be fair, Freo’s trade history wasn’t great). He took No.51 at the Dogs in a tribute to indigenous great Michael McLean, but never really got to show his talents as injuries restricted him to 11 games in 2004 and none in 2005 before retiring. Freo used the pick 19 they acquired in the deal to recruit a teenager from the Murray Bushrangers named David Mundy.
SCOTT WELSH
Pick 17, 1995 national draft
Games: 205 (1996-2009)
A premiership player with North Melbourne in 1999, Welsh made his name as a goalkicker at Adelaide, booting 270 goals - including two bags of eight - in 129 games. He left the Crows at the end of 2007 after contract talks broke down and was picked up by the Dogs in the pre-season draft. He was a more than handy recruit, kicking 43 goals in 2008 and 20 the next season, but his finals luck didn’t improve - he played in five losing preliminary finals, including 2008 and 2009 as a Dog, before retiring.
ZEPHANIAH SKINNER
Pick 88, 2010 national draft
Games: 8 (2011-12)
Unfortunately Zeph didn’t set the AFL alight but we wanted an excuse to run this amazing photo from the Dogs’ training camp in New Zealand. That’s some vertical leap.
CAN YOU BE A FORGOTTEN FLAG HERO?
FLETCHER ROBERTS
Pick 11, 2011 pre-season draft
Games: 51 (2012-19)
Roberts hasn’t given up hope of adding more AFL games after being delisted by the Dogs at the end of last season (he has signed with Essendon’s VFL side). But even if he finishes his career on 51 matches, the key defender will always be able to say he played a key role in a fairytale premiership. The 2016 season was clearly the best of his eight at the kennel, playing 16 home-and-away games before being dropped for the elimination final then earning a recall for the preliminary final to replace the injured Matt Suckling. He kept Jeremy Cameron goalless in a heart-stopping win and held his spot for the Grand Final, combining with Joel Hamling to keep Swans talls Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett to one goal. He played 10 games the next year and just four in 2018-19 before being cut. Another career highlight was a 60m goal after the siren to win a VFL game in 2014.
Unlucky to miss out: Shane Birss, Lukas Markovic, Mitch Honeychurch, Mark Alvey.
Forgotten favourites: Can you remember these obscure Western Bulldogs players? (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/western-bulldogs/forgotten-favourites-can-you-remember-these-obscure-western-bulldogs-players/news-story/a9a65e13e52300ebf1c3085d6c191fef)
https://i.postimg.cc/PrF526jw/image.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
From one of the most astounding debuts in footy history to a forgotten flag hero and little brother of an AFL champion who made his senior debut at age 29, how many of these Dogs do you remember?
Look back through Western Bulldogs teams over the past 25 years and you’ll see the same names over and over - Grant, West, Smith, Johnson, Morris, Murphy.
Those guys are all champions, but during the AFL shutdown it’s time for some other Bulldogs to get their turn in the spotlight.
And there are a bunch of lower-profile Dogs in the running, from a player who produced one of the most astounding debuts in AFL history to a forgotten flag hero and little brother of an AFL champion who made his senior debut at age 29.
See if you can remember these Bulldogs from the past.
ANDREW HOOPER
Pick 35, 2009 rookie draft
Games: 7 (2010-12)
The 172cm midfielder/forward was a joint winner of the Larke Medal (with David Swallow) for best player at the 2009 under-18 championships but overlooked in that year’s draft due to his size. The Dogs picked him up as a rookie and he quickly became a fan favourite in the VFL, and he was one of the feel-good stories of the year when he was named for his senior debut in a semi-final against Sydney - the first player to debut in a final in 25 years (and the last to do it before Tiger Marlion Pickett a decade later). Hooper had just five touches that night but one of them was a team-lifting goal, celebrated with special gusto. He was dropped for the prelim but given a two-year senior contract, however he could manage only another six games (and six goals) before being delisted at the end of 2012. Hooper clearly doesn’t hold a grudge - he wore his old No.41 jumper while watching the 2016 Grand Final and says he was close to tears watching old teammates Dale Morris and Matthew Boyd hold up the cup.
SEDAT SIR
Pick 54, 1993 national draft
Games: 24 (1994-98)
The Turkish-born defender became the first Muslim to play AFL when he made his senior debut in Round 1, 1995. A proud member of the no-frills backmen club, he achieved double-figure disposals only twice in his AFL career but he always kept his opponents honest in his 24 senior and about 100 reserves games - including the Bulldogs’ 1998 reserves premiership. Now works as a sport project manager for Moreland council.
AYCE CORDY
Pick 14, 2008 national draft
Games: 27 (2009-15)
The 202cm forward was a great white hope for Bulldogs fans for years after being selected in the first round of the 2008 draft as a father-son pick (his dad Brian played 124 games in the 80s). After three goals in an intraclub hitout in 2009 one watcher declared pick 14 a bargain. But injuries were a constant menace and Cordy managed just 27 games in seven seasons. The year before he was delisted the Dogs signed his younger brother Zaine, who went on to play in the 2016 flag.
DANNY DEL-RE
Pick 8, 1989 pre-season draft
Games: 62 (1990-94)
An old-school full-forward who shone brightly but briefly in the early 90s and is forgotten by much of the footy world - though it must be said not by die-hard Dogs including Herald Sun reporter Scott Gullan, who still calls his SuperCoach team Danny Del-Re Lives. Del-Re booted 70 goals in 1992 - enough to nearly win the Coleman these days but back then well short of Jason Dunstall (145) and Tony Lockett (132) - including eight in a qualifying final against Geelong. A strong chest mark on the lead and a long, straight set shot were his trademarks. His next best season tally was 36 the next year and in 1994 he played only three games before his AFL career came to an end. Still a big Bulldogs fan, he now runs a food distribution business.
BRODIE MOLES
Pick 16, 2007 rookie draft
Games: 17 (2008-12)
The Tasmanian greenkeeper was picked up by the Dogs under new mature-age rookie rules after failing to play a game in two years on Geelong’s list. He made his debut at age 24 in Round 2, 2010 and added another 12 games that year. A tough midfielder, he landed on the back page of the Herald Sun in the 2011 pre-season for these photos of him attacking a giant tire with a mallet. Shoulder and ankle injuries cruelled his next two seasons as he fell out of favour with coach Brendan McCartney. But he’ll always be a NAB Cup premiership player.
PATRICK WIGGINS
Pick 35, 1999 national draft
Games: 12 (2000-03)
Wiggins was always on the fringe of selection in his time at the kennel, playing three games in his debut season, one each the next two years and finishing with a career-high seven in his final season. The brother of Blue Simon Wiggins weighed in at 196cm and 99kg and could play at either end but it’s fair to say he wasn’t a big ball-winner - he had a combined six disposals in his first five games. Things improved a bit in 2003, beating the four-disposal barrier for the only time in his career in Round 9 against Melbourne when he also bagged three goals.
JASON TUTT
Pick 31, 2009 national draft
Games: 40 (2010-16)
Tutt produced one of the AFL’s great debut performances - 26 disposals and four goals (and 147 SuperCoach points) against Port Adelaide in Round 22, 2011. Even better - his first three kicks were goals. The former Australian junior softball captain even polled a Brownlow vote. “I have a long way to go but my first game was a good start,” he told the Herald Sun. “My old softball mates were great, sending me messages to say how happy they were for me.” Unfortunately, Tutt couldn’t reproduce that form over the next four seasons and he was eventually delisted, then given a lifeline by Carlton in the pre-season draft. He played 14 games for the Blues before heading to the bush.
BRENNAN STACK
Pick 45, 2006 national draft
Games: 21 (2010-11)
Stack played some exciting games, including a four-goal return in his second game against Fremantle, but achieved much greater status among a group of diehard Doggies fans. A thread titled “Brennan Stack A Go Go” on a Bulldogs web forum took on a life of its own as it set out to increase the levels of Stack content on the internet along with setting out some personal goals for the young forward - goal one was “get back in the senior side” and goal five was “become official King of the World”. He didn’t quite get there but did play a small role in a more recent footy success story, opening his home for distant cousin Sydney Stack as he made his bid for an AFL career.
WAYDE SKIPPER
Pick 70, 2000 national draft
Games: 60 (2001-10)
A versatile big man who wasn’t quite tall enough to dominate in the ruck or centre half-back, Skipper gave his all in 60 games over a decade, including one season at Hawthorn where he played 15 games coming off the rookie list. He played mostly down back for the Dogs but could make an impact in front of goal, kicking five in a game against Geelong in 2005 (he kicked a total of six goals for the season). After leaving the AFL he became a local footy star, playing in a flag for Port Melbourne then starring in the Western Region Football League.
BRETT GOODES
Pick 4, 2012 rookie draft
Games: 22 (2013-15)
A SuperCoach favourite, the older brother of Swans champion Adam Goodes was plucked from his job as club welfare manager to make his debut at age 29 in Round 1, 2013. Wearing No.44, he started his AFL career with a bang - 24 disposals, seven marks and 113 SuperCoach points. The attacking half-back flanker played 13 matches in his debut season but managed just nine more in the next two.
STEVEN KOOPS
Zone selection, 1995 national draft
Games: 89 (1996-2005)
The Dockers were widely questioned for trading versatile flyer Koops in 2003 after eight seasons (to be fair, Freo’s trade history wasn’t great). He took No.51 at the Dogs in a tribute to indigenous great Michael McLean, but never really got to show his talents as injuries restricted him to 11 games in 2004 and none in 2005 before retiring. Freo used the pick 19 they acquired in the deal to recruit a teenager from the Murray Bushrangers named David Mundy.
SCOTT WELSH
Pick 17, 1995 national draft
Games: 205 (1996-2009)
A premiership player with North Melbourne in 1999, Welsh made his name as a goalkicker at Adelaide, booting 270 goals - including two bags of eight - in 129 games. He left the Crows at the end of 2007 after contract talks broke down and was picked up by the Dogs in the pre-season draft. He was a more than handy recruit, kicking 43 goals in 2008 and 20 the next season, but his finals luck didn’t improve - he played in five losing preliminary finals, including 2008 and 2009 as a Dog, before retiring.
ZEPHANIAH SKINNER
Pick 88, 2010 national draft
Games: 8 (2011-12)
Unfortunately Zeph didn’t set the AFL alight but we wanted an excuse to run this amazing photo from the Dogs’ training camp in New Zealand. That’s some vertical leap.
CAN YOU BE A FORGOTTEN FLAG HERO?
FLETCHER ROBERTS
Pick 11, 2011 pre-season draft
Games: 51 (2012-19)
Roberts hasn’t given up hope of adding more AFL games after being delisted by the Dogs at the end of last season (he has signed with Essendon’s VFL side). But even if he finishes his career on 51 matches, the key defender will always be able to say he played a key role in a fairytale premiership. The 2016 season was clearly the best of his eight at the kennel, playing 16 home-and-away games before being dropped for the elimination final then earning a recall for the preliminary final to replace the injured Matt Suckling. He kept Jeremy Cameron goalless in a heart-stopping win and held his spot for the Grand Final, combining with Joel Hamling to keep Swans talls Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett to one goal. He played 10 games the next year and just four in 2018-19 before being cut. Another career highlight was a 60m goal after the siren to win a VFL game in 2014.
Unlucky to miss out: Shane Birss, Lukas Markovic, Mitch Honeychurch, Mark Alvey.