I still recall the first time we played the Hawks after Baxter moved there. Baxter went to Atkins and shut him out of the game. Just about every other team copied that and Axe was never quite the same
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21-40 players below.
#21 Tom Liberatore - Kolyniuk played a lot of footy in this jumper before going to #2. However I have always admired Libba's attack on the ball and hoping he can get back his very best.
#22 Ben Harrison - Wally Donald played 205 games in this jumper before I was born. Ted Whitten Jnr also wore it for 144 games which I also never saw. In my time watching the Dogs its down to Addison and Harrison really. Didn't mind Ben Harrison and in particular have fond memories of him doing a job on Nick Reiwoldt one day at the MCG when we upset them.
#23 Simon Atkins - Apologies to Roughie. But what was there not to love about Axe? Long hair, long sleeves, handball king. Poor mans Diesel Williams.
#24 Steve Wallis - Never saw Dempsey play. Special mention to "never forget" Premiership Hero Biggs. But Wallis was a star when I first fell in love with the Bulldogs. Who will ever forget when he sent Brett Heady into another planet which led to the infamous brawl where Southern put Sumich in that sleeper hold. Tough as nails Wallis.
#25 Ryan Hargrave - Part of that great 1999 super draft group for us. 200+ games. Key player in the Eade era. Knew how to throw a punch.
#26 Danny Del-Re - No one has played more than 72 games in this jumper. Fond memories of Danny kicking 8 goals in a losing final against Geelong in 1992. (Gee whiz Geelong own us in finals).
#27 Stephen McPherson - No contest, sorry Will. Super was like a cartoon character when I was a kid ... tough as they come.
#28 Paul Dimattina - Another key part of the Wallace era with his mates Romero and Libba. Also loved big bad Barry's 39 games in the red, white and blue.
#29 Tory Dickson - Neil Cordy was such a graceful footballer to watch but can't go past Dicko. Will never, ever forget him marking the ball and knowing that we had broken our Grand Final drought.
#30 Matthew Robbins - In my time Joel Hamling won a Premiership in this number, but for sheer enjoyment can't go past Robbo. He had an awesome combination with Brad Johnson in 2006 when he kicked 46 goals and Johnson kicked 74 goals. He could get up high for a little man https://media.gettyimages.com/photos...ure-id53305871
#31 Bailey Dale - Didn't see the great KT play. Slim pickings after that in this jumper. Hopefully Bailey can go on and really make this number his own.
#32 Peter Foster - No contest. Will never ever forgive Paul Dear. Such a reliable defender and mark for us in the mid 80s / early 90s.
#33 Brian Royal - So many players from that great 1985 team. Loved watching choco play. A genuine rover who knew where the goals were when resting up forward. 199 games and 299 goals. Also was a mainstay of the Victorian team at his best too.
#34 Mark West - Slim pickings in my era for this jumper. West only played 16 games but was great to watch when he was up and running and hard to miss with the dreadlocks. Will never be forgotten for missing that shot on the run against Adelaide in that 1997 Prelim final.
#35 Caleb Daniel - Apologies to Darren Baxter. Too young to see Wheeler. The helmeted one is a Premiership Hero and I loved his work in that amazing 2016 Prelim Final.
#36 Brian Lake - Apologies to Jose Romero. But Lake was an excitement machine. You never knew what you would get some days, but in big games and big finals rarely disappointed. His ability to back himself and take the mark rather than spoil was a game changer for the art of defending.
#37 Roarke Smith - Slim pickings in my era. But Roarke is persistent if anything else.
#38 Dale Morris - Massive apologies to the mulleted one Angelo Petraglia. Sorry Angelo if it was anyone else, but can't go past Dale. Dale Morris is just about my favourite Bulldog of all time. What is there not to like? Tough as nails. Consistent. Never let you down. Premiership Hero. Great all round bloke.
#39 Tony Liberatore - Apologies to JJ. But loved this little man. How he did what he did for so long at 164cm is beyond me. Reinvented himself under Plough as a tagger and never looked back. He would do whatever it took to win. Legend.
#40 Jarrod Harbrow - How good was he to watch running the ball out of defence? Gutted that we lost him to the Suns and lost the opportunity to see him strut his stuff for the next decade. 70 games for the Dogs. 175 games for the Suns.
Dempsey was the best player I ever saw in the number 24 and also one of the all time best ruckman.
Terry Wheeler used to say
How long do you need Axe? (to shoot out a handball)
And Axe would say A quarter of a second coach And Wheeler would implore the players Let's get Axe his quarter of a secondQuote:
#23 Simon Atkins - Apologies to Roughie. But what was there not to love about Axe? Long hair, long sleeves, handball king. Poor mans Diesel Williams.
This always makes me laugh.
https://youtu.be/n1Z1xaPhCpY
Australiana at its finest.
Before I could put a podcast on and stop my mind racing, to help me sleep I found naming players jumper numbers from one and up was much better than counting sheep.