Left the club, but still a Bulldogs person??

[Eastdog]

Zaine is ours. The Saints are just keeping him warm for us.

I'd like to think Magic McLean too, but I'd be curious to hear his take on the matter.

He played more games for us than his other mob but it's not our Hall of Fame he's in.

Zaine forever a Bulldog premiership player and kicked out first goal of the 2016 GF.

[merantau]

I’m not aware that Ray Walker left the Bulldogs for any other VFL club.

Of course you are right. He had a very successful career as player and coach in Tasmania for two clubs, then went on to a successful business and media career, before taking on roles at the VFL and contributing greatly at the Bulldogs in a number of roles. So, always a Bulldog.

[Scraggers]

Everyone but Adam Cooney thinks Adam Cooney will always be a Bulldog.

I had the pleasure of meeting Adam Cooney an hour before our Elimination Final against the Eagles in 2016. I got a signed Bulldog jumper from him and he had a kick with my son. He kept asking questions like how do you think we'll go tonight? Do you think Bevo has us revved up? etc He was very much a Bulldog then even though he hadn't quite retired from footy (Essendon) at the time.

I think he still considers himself a Bulldog

[The Adelaide Connection]

Three pages and 30+ posts deep and I don't think anyone has mentioned Bob Murphy.

[Bigdog]

From what I?ve heard Brian lake sees himself as a bulldog.

[GVGjr]

From what I?ve heard Brian lake sees himself as a bulldog.

I can recall seeing Brian a couple of times watching training at Skinner reserve. The staff all seemed to go to him and have a chat.

He's had a few rough years but I do recall his exploits on the footy field fondly. He was quite a player and I wish him all the best.

[Grantysghost]

I can recall seeing Brian a couple of times watching training at Skinner reserve. The staff all seemed to go to him and have a chat.

He's had a few rough years but I do recall his exploits on the footy field fondly. He was quite a player and I wish him all the best.

He's been pretty settled last few years.

Coach of Caroline Springs after Brodie Holland.

Seen him a few times, he's looking fit but grey!

[ledge]

Brian goes to our VFL games if Caroline Springs aren’t playing.
Had a chat to him he is friendly and will give you game plans etc that he thinks we are playing.

[merantau]

Brian Lake was a gun. I count him among the best Bulldog defenders I've seen. I rate him along with Herb Henderson, Dave Darcy, Rick Kennedy, Chris Grant, Easton Wood, Dale Morris, Peter Foster and Matthew Croft

[kruder]

Brain was at the Dogs V Hawks game at the WO in the preseason, definitely one of my favourites. The Hawks looked well off the pace that day to our second string side, they came along way.

[Mofra]

He's been pretty settled last few years.

Coach of Caroline Springs after Brodie Holland.

Seen him a few times, he's looking fit but grey!

Brodie Holland is back coaching Maribyrnong Park isn't he? May have crossed paths with Jordan Croft.
Touk Millar is from that club too, it's quite the football factory. Good bunch of fellas the one night I went there

[Mofra]

And I still cheer for Billy Gowers and I always will

[Axe Man]

And I still cheer for Billy Gowers and I always will

I just read he has quit Port Melbourne:

Taking a punt: Former Dogs forward eyes switch to NFL
Hawthorn president Andy Gowers encouraged his son Billy to try his leg at punting. Now the former Western Bulldogs forward is all-in on a switch of sports.

I can't access the article (Code Sports).

I don't really remember him being a booming kick?

[GVGjr]

Former Western Bulldogs forward Billy Gowers takes a punt on US football career



Former Western Bulldogs forward Billy Gowers booted 50 goals to win the Jim “Frosty’’ Miller Medal as the VFL’s leading goalkicker this year.

Now he’s taking a punt on another sport: American football.

The 28-year-old son of Hawthorn president Andrew Gowers has quit VFL club Port Melbourne and is training with ProKick Australia three times a week as he sets out to join the NFL punting ranks.

ProKick – founded by former Brisbane and Hawthorn player Nathan Chapman – has put many Australians into full-time college scholarships in the US, including Arryn Siposs.

Gowers is a barber in Port Melbourne and played for Port in the VFL after a stint with Moe in country football last year.

He had a tryout at ProKick as soon as last season finished.

Gowers said his father had sent him on to the punting path.

“I’d always wondered if I’d be any good at it,’’ he said.

“But the first time I touched an NFL ball was the week leading into the last game of the (VFL) season.

“My old man actually called me and posed the question whether I’d consider it, and to start with I thought, ‘No way, I love playing footy, life’s pretty good in Melbourne’.

“But it’s something different … and I thought it was worth trying.

“It’s a bit different from our training. Everyone’s wearing helmets and pads and you’re kicking these pointy balls, just pretty much trying to kick them as high and long as possible. It’s pretty interesting and takes a little bit to wrap your head around.

“In my opinion it’s pretty much the opposite technique for the AFL. It’s quite a high ball drop and you lean back and off two or three steps you try to kick it quite high, whereas with our football you try to penetrate and guide the ball low with your hands and you’ve got less room for error when you release. It’s quite robotic.’’

Gowers added with a laugh: “It’s been an adjustment not having to do too much running – nice!’’

He admitted he’d never been interested in the NFL, laughing at friends who entered fantasy competitions.

But he said his potential switch had given him “almost a new lease on life’’.

“I’m super-excited for it,’’ Gowers said. “It feels like I’m 15 again and trying to get drafted to the AFL. I definitely feel a lot more prepared than what I did going into the AFL even for a sport I’ve never played.

“I’m 28 now and I feel like, mentally, I’m a lot more prepared to take on a change of sports and potentially a move overseas. It’s certainly given me a lot of purpose and drive in the last couple of months.

“The older you get, the more you realise you can’t really plan anything and if you do it doesn’t always go to plan anyway. You’ve got to roll with the punches.’’

He said he went into Port Melbourne’s final game of the season “kind of knowing in my head that it was probably going to be my last game for them’’.

ProKick coach Mackenzie Morgan said Gowers was making encouraging progress and would be a good punter.

He said he had talent and temperament to go with it.

“He’s been more than impressive,’’ Morgan said.

“He can kick it and he’s got power and a good head on his shoulders when it comes to performing. Now the hard part begins, where you’ve got to refine the technique and put your best foot forward to try to go college.’’

Gowers was at two AFL clubs, being drafted to Carlton as a rookie in 2015 and then joining the Bulldogs three years later. He was the Dogs’ leading goalkicker in 2018 and played 33 AFL games.

The Australian contingent in the NFL is strong, Michael Dickson for Seattle, San Francisco’s Mitch Wishnowski, Pittsburgh’s Cameron Johnston, New Orleans’ Matthew Hayball (who beat fellow Australian Lou Hedley for that role) and Chicago’s Tory Taylor all with clubs.

Former St Kilda forward Siposs punted in the Super Bowl in 2023 for the Philadelphia Eagles but was released and is back in Australia.

Eddie McGuire’s son Joe is playing college football with Ohio State as the starting punter, and Essendon legend Dustin Fletcher’s son Max is also making waves.

Punting for the University of Cincinnati, he had a punt returned against a West Virginia opponent last week. Fletcher laid a bruising tackle to stop him. Fans went wild for the Australian in a sport where punters are often not physical players who get involved in tackles or blocks after they boot the ball down field.