Bulldogs By the Numbers

[merantau]

Stan Davidson, recruited from Sale, arrived in 1980 and wore #53 in his first season. Thereafter he wore #9 for 3 years. A pacy wingman he played 62 games before moving to Williamstown.

[merantau]

Les Bamblett, from Lemnos, won the Morrish Medal for Melbourne U/19s in 1982 then played a season for Melbourne where he played 11 games.
He came to us in '84 and wore #9.
His '85 season was sensational. A small forward, lightning quick with supernatural anticpation he kicked 51 goals that year - second behind Simon Beasley.
The next 3 seasons saw him plagued with injury and he only managed 9 games in that time. All up he played 37 games for us and kicked 59 goals. At Melbourne he played 11 games and kicked 12 goals. If you saw him play in '85 you would never forget him.

https://youtu.be/neR7srTtNgc

https://youtu.be/QJbl0AR-xaE

https://youtu.be/fPnOVLSvmKw

[merantau]

Ian Bryant was a good kick.

https://youtu.be/FGFoi4bCFM8

[bornadog]

Les Bamblett, from Lemnos, won the Morrish Medal for Melbourne U/19s in 1982 then played a season for Melbourne where he played 11 games.
He came to us in '84 and wore #9.
His '85 season was sensational. A small forward, lightning quick with supernatural anticpation he kicked 51 goals that year - second behind Simon Beasley.
The next 3 seasons saw him plagued with injury and he only managed 9 games in that time. All up he played 37 games for us and kicked 59 goals. At Melbourne he played 11 games and kicked 12 goals. If you saw him play in '85 you would never forget him.

https://youtu.be/neR7srTtNgc

https://youtu.be/QJbl0AR-xaE

https://youtu.be/fPnOVLSvmKw

My favourite number 9

[Bulldog4life]

Cameron McDonald, '59 - '63 played 42 games and was a member of our 1961 GF team playing 2nd ruck and forward pocket..He wore #8 for 2 years then switched to #9 for his last three. He was a noted amature wrestler. Passed away in 2014 aged 73.

Onka McDonald. Loved his aggression. Became a bit of a more of a ruck rover I thought. Bit of a protector for the young players along with Ted. Along with wee Georgie played local Bowls for a number of years after playing VFL.

[Bulldog4life]

Our next #9 of note was Laurie Sandilands who had a 12 year career with us beginning as a 17 year old in 1966. From WFFC he quickly found himself in the big time. In his fifth game down at Geelong he was switched on to a rampant Doug Wade after half time and held him to two goals - stamping himself as a player to be looked out for.

Early in his career he was a defender but he really blossomed as a full forward and he won our goal kicking 4 seasons in a row - '72 - '75. His best year was '74 when he kicked 50. He captained the club for three seasons, played 160 games and kicked 228 goals. A Bulldog thru and thru.

He ended up at Collingwood too.

[Bulldog4life]

Ian Bryant was a good kick.

https://youtu.be/FGFoi4bCFM8

Those drop kicks were sublime.

[bornadog]

Those drop kicks were sublime.

I use to love doing a good drop kick

[Twodogs]

My favourite number 9

My favourite player of all time. Lal was a star. He made good defenders look like fools, they'd all fall over when Les was on the plot. It was like he had trap doors on the ground that he would appear out of and intercept opposition kicks and handballs then run into open goals.

I use to love doing a good drop kick

I still do. When you hit it right it's like a magic trick. I love hitting a torp just right too and watching it barrel over everyone's head.

[merantau]

He ended up at Collingwood too.

Yes, I'm not sure how that came about.

[Bulldog4life]

I use to love doing a good drop kick

Yeah as a kid and teenager they were the best kicks to do. Seconded by the beloved torp.

[Bulldog4life]

He ended up at Collingwood too.

Yes, I'm not sure how that came about.

Only played 4 games with the filth. It was at time or a bit before when KT squeezed Laurie out of the forward line.

[merantau]

Beginning in Round 1, 1989 John Georgiardes was with us for 3 years but only played 15 games. His first was the stuff of dreams - a cool 8 goals 4 behinds against the Blues at Princes park.

But after that goals were hard to come by and he registered just 12 more in his remaining 14 games. Only 2 players have kicked more goals on debut in the game's history.

[merantau]

Paul Hudson arrived in 1997 and wore #9 for 5 seasons. He was an excellent player for us. Reliable and consistent - a real pro. 108 games produced 214 goals. Overall he played 245 games and kicked 479 goals spending his last season at Richmond. Is now coaching Sandringham.

[merantau]

Has there ever been a more precise kick of the ball than our next #9 of note, Lindsay Gilbee? He debuted in 2001 and wore #29 swapping to #9 in '02. He played 206 games and kicked 119 goals