Have I been conned by the Dogs?

[Dry Rot]

Long term WOOFERS will know that I live in Sydney, come from an NRL background, got into footy, had the opportunity to support the Swans but after watching "Year of the Dogs" back in 1998 I chose to be a Doggie ever since.

Sometime post 1998, someone in my position really bonds with their team.

For me, it was 2000 (great victories against the odds against Carlton [the great Trent Bartlett] and the Dons, and then that fabulous draw in 2002 against the Dons again.

Sure we were crap in 2003 & 2004 (happens in footy), and have slowly risen since 2005.

But after tonight's shit effort and remembering reading about epic victories against fancied teams at WO over the decades, I began to question whether now I've been conned.

I went for the Dogs, not because they were the team where I lived or had the most supporters or the most success, but because they showed the most heart (and between you me, because I enjoyed the sometimes questionable play of Libba etc)

Early on, they showed real heart and guts and pulled off some incredible victories.

Fast forward to now, and I'm still a Dogs fan and always will be. But after tonight's effort, and more than a few like that in the last few years, I have to ask myself if I've been conned?

I went for the Dogs not seeking flags and glory but rather guts and a do or die attitude, and now so often I see pea hearted efforts by most of the team when it really counts.

[AndrewP6]

I went for the Dogs not seeking flags and glory

Mission accomplished... ;) (Sorry, I'm desperately trying to raise a smile, I'll do anything at the moment!)

[Remi Moses]

Imagined if DR went through the Royce Hart era:eek:

[Dry Rot]

Mission accomplished... ;) (Sorry, I'm desperately trying to raise a smile, I'll do anything at the moment!)

Well maybe in my lifetime, but I suppose in my early days I expected every player to have a crack, fly the flag for his mates and the jumper and hopefully physically damage the opposition, even if they got suspended.

This has really faded post-Wallace and now we're a joke where Maxwell can give Higgins a gobful (perhaps deservedly) and no-one came in and put Maxwell on his arse.

Ditto when North gave Hall grief earlier in the season.

[LostDoggy]

Rot - You've been conned but its too late now... When we win the 2018 flag imagine how sweet it will taste.!

[Dry Rot]

Imagined if DR went through the Royce Hart era:eek:

What happened then? Wasn't Hart a gun Tigers premiership forward? What's he got to do with us?

[Dry Rot]

Rot - You've been conned but its too late now... When we win the 2118 flag imagine how sweet it will taste.!

Corrected for accuracy.

I'll be well dead then. ;)

FWIW, it's not winning a flag that is pissing me off now - it's our insipid efforts when it counts in recent years.

[mighty_west]

What happened then? Wasn't Hart a gun Tigers premiership forward? What's he got to do with us?

Made Peter Rhode look like a great coach.

[KT31]

What happened then? Wasn't Hart a gun Tigers premiership forward? What's he got to do with us?

He was a woeful Bulldogs coach.

[Dry Rot]

Made Peter Rhode look like a great coach.

Shit, that's real bad.

Why did Hart get the gig in the first place?

[LostDoggy]

Corrected for accuracy.

I'll be well dead then. ;)

FWIW, it's not winning a flag that is pissing me off now - it's our insipid efforts when it counts in recent years.

I understand completely. But I think our effort at last years prelim was not insipid. :)

[Dry Rot]

I understand completely. But I think our effort at last years prelim was not insipid. :)

Agreed. But sadly it was the only standout since 2002.

And IIRC, we didn't put out balls on the line 2 weeks earlier.

[AndrewP6]

Well maybe in my lifetime, but I suppose in my early days I expected every player to have a crack, fly the flag for his mates and the jumper and hopefully physically damage the opposition, even if they got suspended.

This has really faded post-Wallace and now we're a joke where Maxwell can give Higgins a gobful (perhaps deservedly) and no-one came in and put Maxwell on his arse.

Ditto when North gave Hall grief earlier in the season.

Agree totally (sadly :()

Add "Watching Gia get brushed aside by Alan Toovey."

[Remi Moses]

What happened then? Wasn't Hart a gun Tigers premiership forward? What's he got to do with us?

He coached us from 80 -82
He was awful I'll never forget he claimed we'd win the flag in 80,won our first game in round 12!!
He continually boasted that we had a great crop of U/19 players (Each team had a side)we only got one decent player Steve McPherson

[Dry Rot]

He coached us from 80 -82
He was awful I'll never forget he claimed we'd win the flag in 80,won our first game in round 12!!
He continually boasted that we had a great crop of U/19 players (Each team had a side)we only got one decent player Steve McPherson

Why did he last 3 seasons coaching us?

[Greystache]

I understand completely. But I think our effort at last years prelim was not insipid. :)

Not insipid but we had several chances to win that game and senior players couldn't handle the pressure.

[LostDoggy]

Aker was one. But lets tell the truth to each other: Riewoldt killed us. End of story.

[Greystache]

Aker was one. But lets tell the truth to each other: Riewoldt killed us. End of story.

Gilbee and others kick relatively easy shots late in the game and we win, end of story. Unfortunately as is always the case with this group, they didn't step up when it counted.

[lemmon]

Im in full agreeance with you DR, the lack of fight and mongrel in the current group is probably the saddest thing. Our young players get pushed around, Barry gets taunted and goaded yet it takes Brian Lake to run from full back to fly the flag, the fish stinks from the head. Our leadership group lacks a Nick Maxwell or a Cambell Brown prepared to go into battle for team. It falls to guys like Boyd and Gia who talk the talk yet fail to match it with their actions. For next year I would love for a guy like Lake to take the captaincy, who is prepared to do what it takes for his teamates and is driven for the ultimate success.

[Desipura]

I was conned 32 years ago, will always contribute financially, do not know if my passion will remain as strong.

[Hotdog60]

Conned for 42 years and will still be a lemming and follow them over the cliff till I die.

http://www.darrenmonroe.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/leadership_lemmings.gif