My Experiences with the Bulldogs

[AZHawkie]

Hello All Footscray fans!!

Most of you I'm sure by now are aware that the Dogs brought some spring training to the states... Arizona to be specific. I play footy for the Arizona Hawks and have been a footy fan for quite some time.
I don't mean this thread to be a "look what happened to me!!" type thread. I decided to post this because I think it's important for fans to understand the players that play for their side.
The Arizona Hawks were invited to watch this top of the line Footy team practice and I was one of the privaledged to witness this. It was certainly something special to watch a professional team going through the works and putting 100% into their efforts to be the best side that they can be. Personally, the day couldn't get much better, until....

The boys invited us to run some drills with them.

You must understand something. We're just a bunch of silly American boys playing a sport that is not only foreign to us, but for the most part new as well. At first we said, "whoa... we don't want to slow you guys down at all... we're not good!" This was shrugged aside and the Dogs insisted.
So out I went, onto the side of the field, ran through handball drills directly with Rob Murphy. I couldn't believe it. Here was a guy that I admired (we share the same #2) and has been one of my favorites since watching my first game in 06. After that, Jarrod Harbrow joined a fellow Hawk and myself for some more handball drills. I had a one on one kick with Sam Reid. We ran through a few more drills and then let the boys go and do their thing.
Once their session was finished, we all gathered for a photo of the two clubs and a bit of a chinwag with the boys. Brad Johnson, a legend of the game and a gunner of a player, came up to me and we started talking. Just shooting the breeze. It was a very surreal experience.
Some of their guys didn't have a ride back to the hotel, so they asked us if we would be willing to drive some of the guys back to the hotel. "Of course!" we said so we held up fingers indicating how many we could take. Being a slob, I only had room for one in my car, so I did a quick tidy up and who walks into my car, but Aker. We had a great little chat on the way back to the hotel, mostly about how silly american money is because it's only one color! We got back to the hotel and so ended my day.

the point of this thread: Be loyal to your Bulldogs. Believe in them. You support a team who is humble, kind, and selfless. Though it won't change my loyalties to the Brown and Gold (they're my colors so lay off!! :D) it made such an impact on this silly little American that I wanted to share it with those who would love to hear it. Have faith, Dog fans. You're team is the real deal and I wish them the best in the years to come.

I have pics by the way but I can't figure out how to do it yet. Hopefully soon I'll get them up here. Hope I brightened someone's day.

Joe Swierupski- Small Forward/Wing for the Arizona Hawks

[GVGjr]

Welcome aboard AZHawkie. Great first up contribtion to the forum.

[AZHawkie]

http://http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/ubrnostrum/meandaker.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/ubrnostrum/hawksanddogs2.jpg

That's me on the left in the photo with Aker, and kneeling in the middle of the whole pack shot.

Enjoy, and if anyone has any questions, feel free to fire away and I'll answer as best I can.

A very Happy Holiday Season to everyone!!

-j

[AZHawkie]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/ubrnostrum/meandaker.jpg

let's try that again...

[The Coon Dog]

Thanks for the insight there AZ. I guess you'll now keep a bit closer eye on the Doggies this season.

[LostDoggy]

Thanks for taking the time to do that AZ. How did an American boy come to follow the Hawks?

[AZHawkie]

Well, our team here in Arizona is the Hawks, and share the colors with our Mother Team from Hawthorn. After playing the game, I built up my loyalty to the Mama. Out came a Hawks fan. It was a fun year!!

[Twodogs]

Welcome aboard AZHawie. Mate you got to live the dream that most of us mugs can only fantasise about-handball drills with Jarod Harbrow, photos with Aka, training with the boys!



You've got some very envious bulldog supporters in this part of the World.:D

[BulldogBelle]

Hello and welcome AZHawkie,

An excellent read and thank you for putting the pictures up. Sounds like you had a great experience with the players, you never know if you ever venture to Melbourne, perhaps you can catch up with a few of them. :)

[BulldogBelle]

Thanks for that AZ.

Looks like you enjoyed your time with the boys!

[strebla]

Well done AZ Glad you got to experience every young pups dreams.Heres hoping your comp gets stronger and one day one of your fellow Americans joins the geatest game at the highest level.

[LostDoggy]

Very cool AZ.

What is it about sportspeople being so much more approachable outside their home country? I hung out with the Aussie cricket team in Bangladesh one year at an Australia Day function at the embassy (there begun my loathing of Andrew Symonds, but that's another story for another time) and they were on the whole far more relaxed than they would ever be in Australia.

Same with the Manchester United players when they were out here for a friendly one year, and a whole bunch of European based cyclists, soccer players and atheletes whom I have trained with and had over at my place (long story -- my ex-housemate was an Olympic triathlete and sports researcher) who would never have given you the time of day if you met them in France or Spain or Germany.

Must have been a great thrill AZ. All the best with the rest of your season.

[LostDoggy]

It sounds like you really enjoed the expirience. I would kill if it meant I got to do this.

[LostDoggy]

...there begun my loathing of Andrew Symonds, but that's another story for another time..

No time like the present. The team comes across as boorish, conceited and arrogant. Your views from personal experience would be most interesting.

[Ozza]

Nice one AZHawk. Glad to hear you are enjoying the greatest game on the planet! Keep it up.

Very jealous by the way - I'd love to train with the Doggies - just once!

[LostDoggy]

No time like the present. The team comes across as boorish, conceited and arrogant. Your views from personal experience would be most interesting.

Oh, he was just hitting on everything in plain sight including a couple of my friends who had made it abundantly clear they weren't interested, and this despite it being an official embassy event. This carried on throughout the day, worsening embarassingly as the blood alcohol level rose and became borderline stalking when he found out which hotel we were at at made a drunken call up to one of the girls' rooms.

From what I saw that day his reputation as a ladies man is more KFC myth than reality -- his philosophy seems to be if you shoot injudiciously at everything you'll eventually get lucky.. most decent people see him for the arrogant neanderthal that he is.

It was quite pathetic actually.

[LostDoggy]

Tell you what though, A. Gilchrist, M. Hussey and B. Lee stood out from the rest as absolutely first-class human beings. I'm a bit biased though!

[AZHawkie]

Very cool AZ.

What is it about sportspeople being so much more approachable outside their home country? I hung out with the Aussie cricket team in Bangladesh one year at an Australia Day function at the embassy (there begun my loathing of Andrew Symonds, but that's another story for another time) and they were on the whole far more relaxed than they would ever be in Australia.

Same with the Manchester United players when they were out here for a friendly one year, and a whole bunch of European based cyclists, soccer players and atheletes whom I have trained with and had over at my place (long story -- my ex-housemate was an Olympic triathlete and sports researcher) who would never have given you the time of day if you met them in France or Spain or Germany.

Must have been a great thrill AZ. All the best with the rest of your season.

Lantern. Actually, this is something that Aker and I spoke about. These guys are so used to having everyone know them wherever they go. He likened his experiences to Michael Jordan walking around a shopping mall (a tad lofty but, hey he is a great one). When they're in a place like America, no one knows them so they can let their hair down a bit.

[LostDoggy]

Oh, he was just hitting on everything in plain sight including a couple of my friends who had made it abundantly clear they weren't interested, and this despite it being an official embassy event. This carried on throughout the day, worsening embarassingly as the blood alcohol level rose and became borderline stalking when he found out which hotel we were at at made a drunken call up to one of the girls' rooms.

.. .

Thanks for that, Lantern, most illuminating but not surprising. The demise of the national team is caused by a range of factors, significantly the retirement of Warne and McGrath but stepping back, it is made up of blokes who are too old, too comfortable and too well paid. Compare them with the South Africans who are paid about a third of what our blokes get, are younger and hungrier. Time to bite the bullet, get rid of the ageing millionaires, cop a few years off the top, which looks inevitable not matter what, anyway, and get some young, hungry blood into the team.

[LostDoggy]

AZ I am really interested to know what prompted you to take up AFL when it is not a popular sport in the USA? I am originally from New Zealand where Rugby is almost a spiritual experience to the average Kiwi, and especially to my family who have Brian Lochore and Fergy McCormack in their midst (two famous rugby players) but absolutley love AFL with a passion. What first attracted you?

[AZHawkie]

AZ I am really interested to know what prompted you to take up AFL when it is not a popular sport in the USA? I am originally from New Zealand where Rugby is almost a spiritual experience to the average Kiwi, and especially to my family who have Brian Lochore and Fergy McCormack in their midst (two famous rugby players) but absolutley love AFL with a passion. What first attracted you?

I am a pretty rabid New York Jets fan (although american football has grown a bit boring since playing footy) and when we brought on Ben Graham, I looked into this whole Aussie Rules thing and I must say that at the time it intrigued me, but being american, not enough to pursue.

We have a team here in Arizona and my wife's personal trainer has been playing with them for a few years. I did a couple of weight lifting and fitness sessions with him as well and we got to talking after he saw me run. He recruited me, I touched the footy for the first time and I haven't looked back. It was as if I had finally found MY sport. I just wish I'd found it 15 years ago!! As lucky as I was to have the experience that I had, it's just one day. All of you boys and girls in Oz are far more lucky because you've spent your whole lives around this sport. I'm jealous!!

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Fantastic write up, just one thing.

who was hot and who was not at the dogs. Was anything discussed that could give us a scoop.

Who out of the dogs side was ok at the american stuff?

Was Aker sniffing around for a Punting Gig? ;)

[MikeSheahan]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading your story AZ. Good luck to the Arizona Hawks in 2009. Do you have many Aussie expats in your squad?

[hujsh]

Thanks for that mate. Always good to hear bout this stuff.

[katemeehan]

Thanks for telling, great read!
Im in America at the moment for school, and finding it so hard to get anyone interested in AFL, or even to want to hear about it.
AZ, are many people interested in AFL in Arizona? Or is it just a select group of people?