"Footscray people are incredible people; so humble. I'm just so happy - ecstatic"
One of the few games of the 70s/80s/90s era that I missed. I don't know where I was but I must have been in a ad state if I missed the footy especially a game at Whitten oval.
There were two grandstands and a seating area that wasn't very big in front of one of them. It really was mostly standing room at Whitten oval. And the Can Bar.
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.
There was the John Gent stand p, the EJ Whitten stand on one side of the ground and on the other side was the rather grandiosely named EJ Smith stand given that it wasn't a grandstand and you couldn't sit in it. Well you could of you wanted to but you wouldn't have seen much of the game.
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.
It's a shame we never gave it the chance to get fully made, there was quality coming onto our list at a rate of knots but we couldn't get rid of it fast enough. All those future Brownlow medalists, all those past Brownlow medalists, all those future champions and B&Fs and grand finalists and premiership players big Vee wearers who all went to other clubs. What a crying shame.
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.
In 1992 we did the Blues at the G, then went to Princess Park and they did us by 83 pts and there was a massive blue as well.
For Christmas that year I got the Diamond Dogs video, and my Bro got the Gathering Storm video. Because he was older I had to watch the latter way too many times!
Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.
http://journals.worldnomads.com/merantau
"It's not about the destination - it's about the trip."
I don't there was that many. I think a lot of crowd numbers were just guessed.
Poring rain, cold and a dreadful game I remember being looking to leave the game at 3 quarter time but I just had to stay to see if we could keep them goaless. For Arceri to be given a soft free kick given the conditions and then kick the heavy ball for a good goal all things considered it confirmed to me at the time that many wishes were not being answered.
The best part of it was the jam doughnut on the way to the car
Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"
Does anyone remember the game against Carlton at Princess Park where Scott Wynd got injured early and Barry Standfield had to ruck for the balance of the game? Standfield was BOG and put in a very determined effort getting us home for a win.
Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"
I reckon our line up for the 1976 final round game against Carlton would have looked something like this
B: Wheeler, Sandilands, Hampshire
HB: Salmon, Welsh, Power
C: Jennings, Stoneham, Abbey
HF: Newland, Quinlan, Dunstan
F: Morrison, Templeton, Low
R: Dempsey, Featherby, Huppatz
19th: Kelly
20th: Blair
I'm quite hazy on a few of the positions. I distinctly remember Bluey Hampshire playing BP on the resting ruckman and continually and illegally impeding Mike Fitzpatrick when he was making a lead. Quinlan went berserk in the first half. Might have kicked 5 to half time from CHF. Templeton vs Southby, the young Kelvin kicked 3. He got 82 I think for the year. Featherby and Dunstan kicked 3 each.
We got out to a 33 point lead from memory deep into the 3rd. We had to draw to make the finals. Carlton were on top of the ladder. We got the draw in a crazy finish with the Blues peppering the goals late in the final 1/4 including 1 or 2 posters.
Missing that day were; Ted Whitten Jnr, Dennis Collins, Richard Murrie, Jeff Gieshen and Ross Gallagher, John Reid, Alby Smedts
I loved that side and hated our admin for clearing most of them. That team had the potential to get us back to the top. Quinlan & Templeton in the key forward positions and still young & Dempsey in the ruck FFS
Listening to Brahm's 3rd Racket
What about Bob's first game at Princes Park? We were rank underdogs with a host of injuries, and it was the upset of the season..until we played the undefeated Bombres the following week...mmm...how did that end up again??
Maybe you have to be a certain age to appreciate just how good it used to be to defeat Carlton. With their blue blood supporters and arrogance, always buying themselves premierships and a host of presidents who could have ended up in jail...I'm getting fired up just thinking about it!
www.bulldogtragician.com A blog about being a lifelong fan of the Dogs and our quixotic attempt to replicate 1954. AND WE DID
Author of "The Mighty West: the Bulldogs journey from daydream believers to premiership heroes"
Twitter @bulldogstragic
Theres the team with some bonus match stats from AFL tables.
You're correct it was a mighty team. It's like the three teams that came in finally caught a few breaks in the early to mid 70s with an influx of quality players coming to each club. North won a couple of flags and made 5 consecutive Grand Finals.Footscray Match Statistics [Season][Game by Game]
# Player KI MK HB DI GL BH HO TK RB IF CL CG FF FA BR CP UP CM MI 1% BO GA %P
30 Abbey, Ross 10 4 3 13 2 1
16 Blair, Dennis 1 1 1
24 Dempsey, Gary 12 6 5 17 8 4 1
32 Dunstan, Ian 19 9 8 27 3 2 2
5 Featherby, Peter 22 5 6 28 3 2 3 1
1 Hampshire, Ian 8 7 4 12 8 3 3
7 Huppatz, Ray 22 7 1 23 1 3
25 Jennings, Geoff 12 2 12 24 3
11 Kelly, Mick 1 1
28 Low, Ian 13 4 3 16 1 1 4
8 Morrison, Ian 7 3 7 1 4 2 1
6 Newland, Ken 5 2 4 9 1 1
21 Power, Stephen 9 1 1 10 2
2 Quinlan, Bernie 10 5 2 12 3 2 1 2 2
18 Salmon, Ian 8 4 2 10 1 2 3
9 Sandilands, Laurie 15 5 15 2
3 Stoneham, Alan 19 3 12 31 1 1
31 Templeton, Kelvin 5 2 5 3 1 1 1
4 Welsh, Peter 10 6 6 16 2 1
35 Wheeler, Terry 6 3 3 9 2 4
Rushed 2
Hawthorn parlayed there bit of luck from a a few premierships into an empire into a Monolithic machine.
We pissed our chance against the wall. We made 2 Elimanation Finals. Wowee.
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.