287 Days: Lin Jong and the Bulldog spirit

Watch here NOTE:Video is 32 minutes.

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The Western Bulldogs has always been about more than just the players who pull on the jumper each week. From the senior coach, to Jan who cuts out the letters for the banner each week, to the AFLW team and the families of everyone connected to the Club, there’s an enduring bond. Once a Bulldog person, always a Bulldogs person.


Former skipper Bob Murphy is fond of describing this current crop Western Bulldogs, players and staff alike, as a motley crew, an assorted cast of characters from all over map. They’re all different, some more so than others, but together they make up a unique group worth far than the sum of their parts.


But one common thread is a care for each other than transcends kicks, handballs and scoreboards, and this is never more apparent than when one of that group goes down with a serious injury. And as it does with players every other weekend, Lin Jong suffered a serious knee injury back in June, 2017, and by the end of the game, the group embrace had been set in motion.


Within a couple of days the BulldogsTV cameras began rolling on Lin’s battle to return, and what they captured was the story of an entire Club coming together to nurse one of their own back to health. As expected, there’s the usual shots in the rooms post-match of players embracing, and wishing their teammate well, but what fans don’t usually see is how the players’ partners would also reach out to Krista Fisher, Lin’s girlfriend, to make sure she was doing ok.


It’s Player Welfare Manager Brent Prismall checking in to see if Lin needed a break from the grind of a nine-month rehab, and fans offering words of encouragement in the Club café, and on social media, every single day. It’s the Cheer Squad creating the ‘We’ve missed you, Jongy’ banners in anticipation of his return, and the genuine excitement in Luke Beveridge’s voice when he tells Lin he’s back in the side.


It’s the little things that make a place great, and it’s those moments, and relationships that 287 Days is about.


In particular, Nick Stone, the Club’s Rehab and Conditioning Coach is central to the story. His role in not only Lin’s physical recovery, but also the emotional support and friendship he provides in tough times can’t be overstated. Every player spoken to for this piece couldn’t speak highly enough of Stone and his role in the process.


287 Days takes you from the surgeons table, through the long grind of rehab, to Victoria University’s high-tech training facilities, to the triumphant return to Etihad Stadium, and all the highs and lows in between.


It’s about Lin Jong, but it’s also about the Western Bulldogs and it’s people and the spirit that binds them all.

Great film. Love it.

Terrific access to the workings of the club.

Good to see Lin back in the team and slowly building his form. Calls to have him dropped after a couple of games back from a serious injury were a touch premature ans moving forward he can be a valuable member of the team given his physical attributes and strength around the ball.

Loved the interaction between Bevo and Jongy about where he was pre injury and where he is now. Some cynics may suggest it was all for the cameras but I think we all know enough about Bevo to understand that it was pretty sincere. Great initiative by the club and looking forward to seeing Lin have a huge impact in games for the rest of the year and beyond.

Thanks BAD.

I'll have to give this a look sometime during next week.

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Originally Posted by craigsahibee

Loved the interaction between Bevo and Jongy about where he was pre injury and where he is now. Some cynics may suggest it was all for the cameras but I think we all know enough about Bevo to understand that it was pretty sincere. Great initiative by the club and looking forward to seeing Lin have a huge impact in games for the rest of the year and beyond.

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I really hope Jong can make it, he certainly has all the attributes, just needs the confidence.

He seems like such a decent person. Very emotional viewing. We forget or overlook the pain & sheer grind they go through. Lin could have easily been a premiership player - remember the broken collarbone when he was playing well in the WCE final, and his tears on the bench. He’s had terrible luck. Footy really can be heartbreaking.

*!*!*!*! I really want to see him succeed. I hope that before anyone takes a shot at him in the future they remember that he turned down offers from other clubs to stay a dog and remember everything he's been though for us.

He kicked a good goal last weekend.

Jong just needs to back himself and play on instinct, and all the training stuff will come through. I remember hearing Dermi commented in Lin's first rookie year that Lin has natural instinct to read the ball from the packs, its something that you cant teach to a first year player.
I watched the VFL final at Ethiad, in 2016 when he won the VFL Final BOG, and he looked miles ahead of other AFL players. He out marked a number of Melbourne listed players ( low standard) but he just looked above the grade. Up until he broke his hand he was a good mark, so not sure what happened to that.
He has elite traits in his running, speed and yes marking when he gets it.

Just hope those 1% he can turn into positive stats. If he gets it all together we have another big body midfielder.

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Originally Posted by macca

Jong just needs to back himself and play on instinct, and all the training stuff will come through. I remember hearing Dermi commented in Lin's first rookie year that Lin has natural instinct to read the ball from the packs, its something that you cant teach to a first year player.
I watched the VFL final at Ethiad, in 2016 when he won the VFL Final BOG, and he looked miles ahead of other AFL players. He out marked a number of Melbourne listed players ( low standard) but he just looked above the grade. Up until he broke his hand he was a good mark, so not sure what happened to that.
He has elite traits in his running, speed and yes marking when he gets it.

Just hope those 1% he can turn into positive stats. If he gets it all together we have another big body midfielder.

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Yesterday, he played his best game for this year. I think he is a confidence player, and once he gets that confidence back, and stays injury free, he may just make it.

So what do we make of the fact he's still not signed? The others not signed are Lynch, which I guess will happen a bit later. And then Honeychurch reportedly likely to go to GCS and Campbell I can't see retained. But Jong as the really interesting one of the signed, assuming the media reporting on Dahl, Roughy, Wally & Libba is correct.

Is Jong weighing up a move? Is he on the move? Is the club holding his contract dealing up and using it as bait for an offer? Will we offer him a contract?

I thought this would've been done already with Smith, Biggs, Dahl & Honeychurch leaving/alledegly leaving.

We are not flush with midfield depth. I saw some good signs from Jong in the few late season games he played in the seniors. Hope he is re-signed, especially if Dahl got ng to Geelong and even more do if Wallis moves elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by bulldogtragic

So what do we make of the fact he's still not signed? The others not signed are Lynch, which I guess will happen a bit later. And then Honeychurch reportedly likely to go to GCS and Campbell I can't see retained. But Jong as the really interesting one of the signed, assuming the media reporting on Dahl, Roughy, Wally & Libba is correct.

Is Jong weighing up a move? Is he on the move? Is the club holding his contract dealing up and using it as bait for an offer? Will we offer him a contract?

I thought this would've been done already with Smith, Biggs, Dahl & Honeychurch leaving/alledegly leaving.

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Hard to say BT, Jong just struggles to hold down a permanent spot so if he is to leave us for another club I suspect he would want to have a better chance to play senior footy.

I hope he stays but we might need another week or two to really know.

I have it on good authority Jongy has a 2 year deal in front of him and it is pretty much a done deal that he is staying with us.

Has had a torrid time with injury so I suspect he feels two things:

1 - the club has done right by him in helping and backing him through what has been a very interrupted few years and
2 - the love of Bevo. Jongy must really feel that Bevo rates him highly and if he could just get himself right would be given many games by Bevo.

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Originally Posted by wimberga

I have it on good authority Jongy has a 2 year deal in front of him and it is pretty much a done deal that he is staying with us.

Has had a torrid time with injury so I suspect he feels two things:

1 - the club has done right by him in helping and backing him through what has been a very interrupted few years and
2 - the love of Bevo. Jongy must really feel that Bevo rates him highly and if he could just get himself right would be given many games by Bevo.

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If that’s the case, I hope he signs on.

I love your signature Dog God. Number 16 was, and always will be David Thorpe to me. And yes, I am that old.

Having said that, Toby did take it to the premiership, that has to count for something.

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Originally Posted by Jeanette54

I love your signature Dog God. Number 16 was, and always will be David Thorpe to me. And yes, I am that old.

Having said that, Toby did take it to the premiership, that has to count for something.

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Haha oh yes David Thorpe lol...yeah McLean is certainly doing the number justice...it just sucked that Griff was my fave player at the time, and going to the plastics was the worst case scenario.

So at the last contract with Jong all The journos had him going to the pies, two years later he signs another two year contract with us, just shows how the journos are just a story telling headlining load of twats who really have no idea and try putting two and two together and get five.
Sloane , McGovern being others they got wrong, what makes me irk is how they are not going out for the idiots they are and just move on to another bullshit story they make up in their heads.

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Originally Posted by ledge

So at the last contract with Jong all The journos had him going to the pies, two years later he signs another two year contract with us, just shows how the journos are just a story telling headlining load of twats who really have no idea and try putting two and two together and get five.
Sloane , McGovern being others they got wrong, what makes me irk is how they are not going out for the idiots they are and just move on to another bullshit story they make up in their heads.

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Umm isn't McGovern actually leaving and they weren't off the mark on Jong going to Collingwood considering he got busted touring their facilities.

It was the other McGovern they were adamant was leaving but re-signed.
And yeah he visited but stayed with us and now signed another two years .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ledge

So at the last contract with Jong all The journos had him going to the pies, two years later he signs another two year contract with us, just shows how the journos are just a story telling headlining load of twats who really have no idea and try putting two and two together and get five.
Sloane , McGovern being others they got wrong, what makes me irk is how they are not going out for the idiots they are and just move on to another bullshit story they make up in their heads.

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Pointing at a story that they get wrong and saying 'shows what they know' is about as intellectually valid as pointing to ones they get right and saying 'look at the oracle'. Sometimes some journos speculate and get it wrong. Sometimes journos have good sources and things change after the fact.

That was some pretty good authority you had it on there wimberga

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Originally Posted by Topdog

That was some pretty good authority you had it on there wimberga

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Thanks TD.

I have been in the wilderness for a little while with my posts but am hoping to get back more involved here. I have some good sources where these things are concerned so will try to pass through what I can, when I can.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ledge

So at the last contract with Jong all The journos had him going to the pies, two years later he signs another two year contract with us, just shows how the journos are just a story telling headlining load of twats who really have no idea and try putting two and two together and get five.
Sloane , McGovern being others they got wrong, what makes me irk is how they are not going out for the idiots they are and just move on to another bullshit story they make up in their heads.

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Sloane has acknowledged that it was a very difficult decision for him between remaining in Adelaide and returning home to Victoria with his pregnant wife (tragically their baby passed away).

West Coast McGovern was clearly weighing up some big offers before re-signing.

The vast majority of the reporting on these two didn't claim they were definitely leaving, just that they were weighing up their future, which is clearly what occurred.

Sometimes jounos are way off the mark but your examples here are even further off the mark.

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Originally Posted by wimberga

I have it on good authority Jongy has a 2 year deal in front of him and it is pretty much a done deal that he is staying with us.
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Now please apply some authority on the Bont’s contract. Thank you.😀