Is this the best we've ever been run?

[Mofra]

Yes, I know this is pre-season and every club is full of hope and anticipation, BUT... have we ever been run the way we are now?

List wise we outperformed last year for our age profile.
Then we added class bookends: one who was 4th in the comp for contested marks, another who had multiple BOGs and was in the AA conversation halfway through last year.
We did that and managed to keep our first round pick.

We're divesting ourselves from pokies, have posted another profit and look set to increase our membership.

We currently have our longest major sponsorship partner in our club's history which for a club that was publically begging for sponsors on TV 15 years ago is often overlooked.

On top of all that, we have access to one of the most outstanding junior KPF talents we've seen as a 17 year old in a long time.

Our player retention is top shelf, and our partnership with Mercedes is helping that as well (Bevo and Bont are being 'loaned' a Mercedes 4x4 each as 'Brand Ambassadors')

We have probably the best coach I've seen in my lifetime in Bulldog colours.

And to top it all off, we will actually have a functioning spine on the list after (arguably) decades of always being 'one tall short'.

He's a hard taskmaster but hats off to PG for the continued transformation of the club on and off field.

[GVGjr]

Mofra, thanks for starting the thread, its a good time to reflect on how we have performed

It's hard to find anything to even suggest that this isn't the best we've been run by a long, long way.

Here are some of the area's we have seen a substantial improvement and in many cases 'substantial' just doesn't do it justice.

Years of considerable profits
Growing the club sponsors base
A climbing membership base
Our own VFL side
A pioneer in AFL W
An AFL premiership
The Ballarat development
The Whitten Oval redevelopment

These were all just dreams 5 years ago.

While I don't think we have performed as well as we should have since the flag on field the signs are now very positive for the next few years. We've recruited well and now pulled off some trades that have improved the playing list.

On and off field we should be aiming even higher.

There is optimism rather than caution in so many of the members now, that in itself is another massive tick for what Peter Gordon and the team have achieved. I'm not sure how you measure that but it's a substantial change. Some of us are old enough to remember where we came from and I think we would all agree the view from the balcony now looks impressive.

[bornadog]

Mofra you can add the long term vision for the ground.



We have been gifted land worth multi millions and will turn the Whitten Oval into a first class venue.

I remember back in 2010 I had a tour of the new facilities (then) with Rocket and the training set up was the best in the AFL. A few weeks ago I went to a Business function at the club, and had a tour again, and it looked old and ready for a renovation. Chris Grant told us as part of the new development will include the training facilities such as the gym, the wet areas, the recovery areas etc, with a huge indoor area for kicking the ball around. The current area is just not big enough.

The rest of the ground will be upgraded with seating and other facilities. Current budget is $45 million and includes the demolition of the Whitten stand and maybe even the current training centre.

$40-$45 million, and will include:

• Slight reconfiguration and upgrade of the VU Whitten Oval playing surface.
• An increase of the spectator capacity of the VU Whitten Oval.
• Enhancement to the spectator amenities at the venue and improvement of the experience of people visiting the precinct.
• Rebuilding of the Whitten Stand with new function facilities and dedicated community spaces for the programs run by the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.
• Upgrades to the administration and football department facilities and museum.
• Broadcast quality lighting upgrade.
• Creation of an open, environmentally-friendly and welcoming public space, including a renewed entry plaza, and running track.
• The development of a secondary venue, also in Footscray, with training facilities for our four teams to train on, taking pressure off the ground.

Who would have thought we could be doing such a development like this in the past.

Lots to look forward to in the future.

[Twodogs]

Mofra, thanks for starting the thread, its a good time to reflect on how we have performed

It's hard to find anything to even suggest that this isn't the best we've been run by a long, long way.

Here are some of the area's we have seen a substantial improvement and in many cases 'substantial' just doesn't do it justice.

Years of considerable profits
Growing the club sponsors base
A climbing membership base
Our own VFL side
A pioneer in AFL W
An AFL premiership
The Ballarat development
The Whitten Oval redevelopment

These were all just dreams 5 years ago.

While I don't think we have performed as well as we should have since the flag on field the signs are now very positive for the next few years. We've recruited well and now pulled off some trades that have improved the playing list.

On and off field we should be aiming even higher.

There is optimism rather than caution in so many of the members now, that in itself is another massive tick for what Peter Gordon and the team have achieved. I'm not sure how you measure that but it's a substantial change. Some of us are old enough to remember where we came from and I think we would all agree the view from the balcony now looks impressive.

I can remember the days when the first thing you'd do in the morning was to check the Herald-Sun just to make sure that we still existed. This is much better, it's a club that you are glad that you forced your kids to barrack for!

[Mofra]

Hopefully Murph drops by to save the lump of wood that has been used for decades to crush ice. One of the things he insisted on when WO was first re-developed.

[GVGjr]

I can remember the days when the first thing you'd do in the morning was to check the Herald-Sun just to make sure that we still existed. This is much better, it's a club that you are glad that you forced your kids to barrack for!

I can remember challenging other WOOF members on why they wouldn't do what they could to make sure their children supported the Bulldogs. The general thoughts were they didn't want their kids to endure what they had.
I say this with all due respect but thats bollocks. It's easy to stay loyal during the good times like we have had in the last 5 years but you want people to learn to ride through the lean years and embrace the better ones with vigour. I hope they got their young'uns to stick with the Dogs.

I'm so glad my grand parents were stubbornly Footscray and wouldn't accept anything less from the grand children. I strongly doubt I would have been allowed in their house during the footy season if I didn't support the Dogs. My Nan might have weakened but I would have had to endure lecture after lecture from my Grandfather like I had committed a crime and should have known better

What Peter Gordon and his team have done is nothing short of magnificent. They've turned people like me into more than just supporters just because I knew no other way. There is a strong sense of pride in being a Western Bulldogs supporter now which is a massive achievement.
We used to have the pity of opposition supporters (that really shitted me) and now we have the admiration from many of them about the way we turned things around and they way we go about our football.

[Twodogs]

I can remember challenging other WOOF members on why they wouldn't do what they could to make sure their children supported the Bulldogs. The general thoughts were they didn't want their kids to endure what they had.
I say this with all due respect but thats bollocks. It's easy to stay loyal during the good times like we have had in the last 5 years but you want people to learn to ride through the lean years and embrace the better ones with vigour.

I'm so glad my grand parents were stubbornly Footscray and wouldn't accept anything less from the grand children. I strongly doubt I would have been allowed in their house during the footy season if I didn't support the Dogs. My Nan might have weakened but I would have had to endure lecture after lecture from my Grandfather like I had committed a crime and should have known better

What Peter Gordon and his team have done is nothing short of magnificent. They've turned people like me into more than just supporters just because I knew no other way. There is a strong sense of pride in being a Western Bulldogs supporter now which is a massive achievement.
We used to have the pity of opposition supporters (that really shitted me) and now we have the admiration from many of them about the way we turned things around and they way we go about our football.

I want them to hate us. I am about as interested in having their admiration as i am in having their pity and that is I don't want any of it, like I said I want them to hate us as much as we hate North or Essendon. I'm sick of being everyone's second club-I hate being second in anything!


BTW what would your granddad have said if you had said that Bernie Quinlan was better than EJ? Don't let the door hit your arse as you exit from it is my guess! The same answer I would have got if I had announced to my family that I was now a Collingwood supporter. "are you interested in not starving to death? Because in this house we only feed Footscray supporters son."

[strebla]

Each and every one of my nieces and nephews are Bulldogs as are my two stepsons. Two of my nieces partners have changed their allegiance and I am working on my third my daughter in law is also now a bulldog. There is no excuse not to love this club and fight just as hard as they do

[comrade]

The next five years is going to be an epic ride, IMO.

[Eastdog]

Great thread Mofra. Yes it is so great where we are as a club today. My support for the Bulldogs started in the early 2000s and I have been member from 2013 onwards and intend to continue to be for many years to come getting more closer to 10 consecutive years now. I wish I was around to witness the old WO days a bit but very happy right now. Recent history has been much better compared the dark old days of the late 70s and early 80s which a few woofers would remember vividly. We have come a long way.

[Twodogs]

Great thread Mofra. Yes it is so great where we are as a club today. My support for the Bulldogs started in the early 2000s and I have been member from 2013 onwards and intend to continue to be for many years to come getting more closer to 10 consecutive years now. I wish I was around to witness the old WO days a bit but very happy right now. Recent history has been much better compared the dark old days of the late 70s and early 80s which a few woofers would remember vividly. We have come a long way.

No you don't because then you would be an old bastard like me.

[Twodogs]

I was at Central West shopping centre in Braybrook (the one with the plane mounted on a plynith out the front) and an old Macedonian bloke walked past me wearing a bulldog cap. As I walked past I said "Go Doggies!" (as you do) and he planted a hand on my shoulder to stop me and said in a heavily accented voice "I come to this country in 1974, and I waited and I waited and I waited and then all of a sudden it was You *!*!*!*!ing beauty"

[comrade]

I was at Central West shopping centre in Braybrook (the one with the plane mounted on a plynith out the front) and an old Macedonian bloke walked past me wearing a bulldog cap. As I walked past I said "Go Doggies!" (as you do) and he planted a hand on my shoulder to stop me and said in a heavily accented voice "I come to this country in 1974, and I waited and I waited and I waited and then all of a sudden it was You *!*!*!*!ing beauty"

That's awesome. Here's to a few more 'You ****ing beauties' over the next decade.

[Twodogs]

That's awesome. Here's to a few more 'You ****ing beauties' over the next decade.

It's the best synonym I have heard for a while. I really like it.

[Eastdog]

Great Stuff Twodogs!