Ask the president

[Peter Gordon]

Evening All,

I'm impressed with everyone's acumen and ability!! Here are a few answers.

The start ot the year has been busy. We remain, as Simon said at the AGM, cautiously optimistic about Edgewater this year.

We have and will continue to reduce the debt sensibly over the next few years and we will explore new ways to keep that happening.

Here's a question for all of you.

What can we do in round one, our 'gathering of the clan' game, to create some new traditions and get all old and new bulldogs to gather together and celebrate our great club?

The Americans call this idea a 'homecoming game' and I think it has great potential.

Over to you.

[Eastdog]

One more question Peter how is the Peninsula Club down in Dromana going for the club?

[AndrewP6]

What can we do in round one, our 'gathering of the clan' game, to create some new traditions and get all old and new bulldogs to gather together and celebrate our great club?

The Americans call this idea a 'homecoming game' and I think it has great potential.

Over to you.

Great question. In my opinion...

- Try to get some past Dogs to the game, interview them etc... Have someone other than James Sherry doing it too - after all, he wears other teams gear when it's their home game!

- have some video footage pre game for fans already at the ground. Perhaps of the current group at training, in schools etc.
- something for people at the ground, possibly some signs to wave, or just hold up. Maybe Given its a home game these can go to Social Club members too. While I'm at it, when they're interviewing people in the SC, can we put some more lighting up there? It's hard to listen if you can't see them!

[boydogs]

- Try to get some past Dogs to the game, interview them etc...

I like it. Maybe add jumper presentations to the new draftees, interviewing them before the game starts. Could be a good new tradition to kick off the season.

Etihad crowds are killing us. Playing low drawing opposition in Geelong or Ballarat would be better than going interstate IMO.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more...-1226551529125

[SonofScray]

Evening All,

I'm impressed with everyone's acumen and ability!! Here are a few answers.

The start ot the year has been busy. We remain, as Simon said at the AGM, cautiously optimistic about Edgewater this year.

We have and will continue to reduce the debt sensibly over the next few years and we will explore new ways to keep that happening.

Here's a question for all of you.

What can we do in round one, our 'gathering of the clan' game, to create some new traditions and get all old and new bulldogs to gather together and celebrate our great club?

The Americans call this idea a 'homecoming game' and I think it has great potential.

Over to you.

Thanks Peter.

Personally, I think breaking away from the homogenous Etihad, pop music, dorky MC pre game package is a good start. We should strip it back and return to our roots a bit. Hyde St Band back in the spotlight for an example, a nice nod to the past and a unique aspect of a Bulldog's home game. Hand the experience back over to the fans. Really explicitly celebrate what makes us different. What makes the West different. It is those differences that bind us, that create that feeling of being in the tribe.


Fan interviews, invite supporters to share the lived experience of being one of us in a series of interviews filmed at the Whitten Oval and screened at the games. Let the Club's narrative in an overly homogenised AFL produced landscape gain some authenticity through exposing the real, lived experience.

Build on opportunities for members to feel like they are active participants in the lie of the Club beyond being purely a consumer of the brand. Whatever it is, it needs to leave me without a doubt that the ground is my patch for the day and that it is different to every other club's experience.

And here is the real money shot:

Half time Trugo.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

It's a pity that Lantern doesn't post here anymore. I think this would be the perfect forum (pardon the pun) for him to get further discuss his 'promote our blue collar roots', ' turn our lack of success to our advantage', 'become the team noone wants to play', 'create an us vs them' idea's as he did in a stream of conscious series of posts in the thread below.

http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthr...t=10785&page=2

I think the underlying theme's of Lantern's series of posts aligns with and could be helpful for the club to use as a discussion point to start thinking of way's to leverage Peter's 'gathering of the clan' idea.

[SonofScray]

It's a pity that Lantern doesn't post here anymore. I think this would be the perfect forum (pardon the pun) for him to get further discuss his 'promote our blue collar roots', ' turn our lack of success to our advantage', 'become the team noone wants to play', 'create an us vs them' idea's as he did in a stream of conscious series of posts in the thread below.

http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthr...t=10785&page=2

I think the underlying theme's of Lantern's series of posts aligns with and could be helpful for the club to use as a discussion point to start thinking of way's to leverage Peter's 'gathering of the clan' idea.

Absolutely. Those posts were a highlight of my year reading WOOF. Well considered and crafted with genuine nous.

[jeemak]

I was thinking the same thing, actually.

[Eastdog]

I really enjoy reading jeemak, Lantern, SonofScray posts to WOOF. I'm getting into good conversation about the issues especially with jeemak.

[LostDoggy]

Getting out and onto the ground brings it a lot closer and makes it feel more personal. Is there a possibility that a selection of the crowd, say 20 or 30 people get up close when the players do their warm ups, have the groups split up into 10 and have past players take them around the ground pre match? I used to love just kicking the footy on the oval post match.

[SonofScray]

Invite ALL the members onto the ground to sing the song should we win the "homecoming" game.

[LostDoggy]

Invite ALL the members onto the ground to sing the song should we win the "homecoming" game.

Wow that would be amazing , I'm coming over for the game from Adelaide. Not sure if that's possible but that would be incredible

[ledge]

Before the game have photos Video clips of the Whitten oval as its changed over the years, with well Known photos blended in of players through the years up to current favourites while "up there Cazaly" and that Paul Kelly song that escapes me at the moment.
Examples, Kelvin Templeton kicking one or two of his 15, Simon Beasley taking that mark to beat the pies, johhnnos goal in the square where he falls on the ground arms up, Clay SMiths battle with Scarlett? To kick one of his first goals in his first game.
Combining the future with the past.
Someone selling peanuts for a shilling a bag (just joking)

[bornadog]

Here's a question for all of you.

What can we do in round one, our 'gathering of the clan' game, to create some new traditions and get all old and new bulldogs to gather together and celebrate our great club?

The Americans call this idea a 'homecoming game' and I think it has great potential.

Over to you.

This is really a tough one as our fans don't want to go to games unless we are winning. Even last year, the tribute game to Charlie Sutton drew a pathetic crowd of 16,000.

I guess we need to build up the club so the fans get excited about the future, without saying we are going to be top 4 in 2013. We seem to be doing a good job with lots of stories coming out in the press, but we need these closer to round one.

Ideas:

For the first game:

* Every kid under say 12 years old, in a bulldog jumper gets in free.

* Every kid in a bulldog jumper gets a Bulldogs large flag to wave - imagine the stadium full of bulldog flags waving. What an atmosphere.

* Kids love the players. At the Footscray end, all players not picked to play must show up and meet the fans as they come in and sign autographs. I know this is tedious for them, but we need to promote the club and kids love to meet the players. Get them out of their suit and tie. They can wear their trackies and their jumper so they are recognized (lots of new players now)

* Anyone that signs up for a membership at the first game gets X ( I don't know, something that will entice them)

* Cheer Squad - work with a the cheer squad so that they have new exciting chants, not just Bulldogs clap clap, Bulldogs clap clap, etc etc. and no doggy doggy doggy woof woof woof. The Collingwood chant is amazing, but lets not copy them.
Maybe the cheer quad can learn from big EPL soccer games and songs. Lets sing some songs that stir up the players and game.

* Before the game - introduce the ten new recruits to the crowd.

* Past Champions parade

I know some of these are costly but lets get a sponsor for the flags. Produce them in China and ship them over now with a sponsor logo.

Just a few ideas Peter, I will try and think of more.

[SonofScray]

Wow that would be amazing , I'm coming over for the game from Adelaide. Not sure if that's possible but that would be incredible

Yeah, it really struck me as a great thing. Singing the song after a win on the ground with the players as a reward for turning out for the 'homecoming game.' You'd go for that opportunity and what amazing scenes as the faithful and the players celebrate together, the whole of the Club represented on the field.