Bulldogs By the Numbers

[merantau]

Starting in '03, Wayde Skipper played six seasons in the #34 for 45 games. A tall, mobile ruckman he suffered a very serious injury and it was a great credit to him that he got back on the field.

He was the victim of an outrageous umpiring decision which gifted Melbourne's Jeff White a goal and cost us a Top 8 finish.

Wayde went to Hawthorn for a season. Then played in a Premiership at Port Melbourne in 2011.
Since then he has been playing with Hoppers Crossing and Point Cook Football Clubs.

[merantau]

Here is the Academy Award performance by Jeff White.

https://youtu.be/ExtB9JlLPR8

Look at it frame by frame and consider the following. First the umpire calls "Push in the back!" Totally wrong! Next, Skipper does not take his eyes off the ball. Third, White changes direction and runs at Skipper from the side. Skipper puts his left arm out and White does a Swan Dive and the umpire falls for it hook, line and sinker. Come in spinner!

But realistically, in the lead up, Adam Cooney played that like a complete novice and gifted Melbourne a stoppge in a very dangerous area at a critical moment in the game. UNFORGIVABLE.

[bornadog]

Here is the Academy Award performance by Jeff White.

https://youtu.be/ExtB9JlLPR8

Look at it frame by frame and consider the following. First the umpire calls "Push in the back!" Totally wrong! Next, Skipper does not take his eyes off the ball. Third, White changes direction and runs at Skipper from the side. Skipper puts his left arm out and White does a Swan Dive and the umpire falls for it hook, line and sinker. Come in spinner!

But realistically, in the lead up, Adam Cooney played that like a complete novice and gifted Melbourne a stoppage in a very dangerous area at a critical moment in the game. UNFORGIVABLE.

I was at that game and so disappointed. Looking at the vision again, you can't blame the umpire for what he saw and Jeff White milked it, but as you say, Cooney should have done better. He should have kicked that ball a mile up the ground.

[Twodogs]

Whatever happened to Brad Murphy? 25 possessions and 2 goals in his first game and then disappeared off the radar a season later.

Ended up playing with Melton and becoming a spokesman for foster children. He had a pretty ordinary childhood both his birth parents were drug addicts, his dad was in Pentridge most of his life and he had no real relationship with him and his mum was always off her guts on drugs and ended up abandoning Brad and going to WA when he was very young. He tells a story about her picking him up one day from his foster carers, driving to a petrol station and ODing with him in the car.

He went from foster carer to foster carer until he was officially adopted at the age of 18. He has said that he felt like he didn't really belong anywhere when he was growing up.

[Twodogs]

From '91 to '95 Ben Sexton played 39 games and kicked 32 goals in the #34. A good sized KPF he played some good games and looked as if he would forge a long career. He booted 5 on debut. But it didn't eventuate. He went to Carlton for a year, and played 4 games, before he left the AFL and returned to his original club, Sandhurst in the Bendigo League, where he played in a Premiership in 2004.

We swapped him for James Cook. I worked with a Carlton supporter who was so annoyed that they had transferred Cook that he sent his cut up membership back.

Funny story about this guy. He said to me one day that he'd played league footy with Fitzroy in the early '70s. That night I looked hm up in the Encyclopaedia of League Footballers where he did indeed have a listing but as a Footscray player! The next day at work I said to him "I looked your record up last night. Are you sure it was Fitzroy you played with?" He said he was positive and that even though he only played 3 games that he was well aware which club it was with. I said "well according to the Encyclopaedia of League Footballers you played with Footscray" he looked at me and you could almost see the lightbulb light up his brain. He said "Who did Ted Whitten play for?" "It was Footscray Ken." Oh well then, yeah. I played with Footscray!"

[merantau]

Ended up playing with Melton and becoming a spokesman for foster children. He had a pretty ordinary childhood both his birth parents were drug addicts, his dad was in Pentridge most of his life and he had no real relationship with him and his mum was always off her guts on drugs and ended up abandoning Brad and going to WA when he was very young. He tells a story about her picking him up one day from his foster carers, driving to a petrol station and ODing with him in the car.

He went from foster carer to foster carer until he was officially adopted at the age of 18. He has said that he felt like he didn't really belong anywhere when he was growing up.

That is heart breaking but what a great person to come out 5he other side of that. Kudos to the foster parents who stepped up and to Brad for continuing on that legacy.

[merantau]

I was at that game and so disappointed. Looking at the vision again, you can't blame the umpire for what he saw and Jeff White milked it, but as you say, Cooney should have done better. He should have kicked that ball a mile up the ground.

Yeah, I was there too. It looked bad a very bad decision at the time and with the benefit of the replay it looks deplorable.

Another example of a a star player being given therub of the green by the umpires.

[merantau]

Debuting in 2016 Bailey Wiĺliams has become a fixture at half back. His reading of the game, his pace, his cool head, his dare, his all round defensive and attacking skills single him out as one of the games up-and-coming stars. He has now played 64 games in the #34.

[merantau]

By the time this thread is finished I think 300 plus players will have got a mention.

At the conclusion, I am going to select my Top 100 Bulldogs between 1954 and the present day.

[bornadog]

Debuting in 2016 Bailey Wiĺliams has become a fixture at half back. His reading of the game, his pace, his cool head, his dare, his all round defensive and attacking skills single him out as one of the games up-and-coming stars. He has now played 64 games in the #34.

Truck is heading for the best #34

[merantau]

Debuting in 1974 in the #35, Terry Wheeler amassed 157 games in a 10 year career. He was an excellent player for us and he played his heart out for the Club. "Wheels" never left anything in the change rooms. He played the game hard and supporters loved his crash through style out of defensive half.

The following notes from Wikipedia do not really do justice to the enormous contribution he made to the Club during, and in the few years after the Club thwarted the AFL's grand plan to erase us from football history. He was an inspiring and innovative coach who was passionate in his desire to win and bring success to the Club he loved.

Notes from Wikipedia
"Wheeler played as a defender during his 157-game career for Footscray from 1974 to 1983.

The following season he joined VFA club Williamstown as captain-coach. In five seasons with Williamstown, Wheeler played 94 games, and he led the club to a premiership in 1986 and to Grand Finals in 1985 and 1988. His presence, coupled with that of enthusiastic president Tony Hannebery, was considered critical to attracting big-name players like Barry Round and Tony Pastore to Williamstown, and to the revival of the club during the 1980s after an indifferent decade during the 1970s.

He was appointed to the position of assistant coach to Mick Malthouse at Footscray in 1989. Malthouse left shortly after the season, and shortly before merger between Footscray and Fitzroy to form the Fitzroy Bulldogs was announced. Footscray supporters began to fight the merger in court, and on 8 October, Wheeler was appointed senior coach of Footscray for 1990, even though it was not certain there would be a team for him to coach] He was active in the campaign against the merger, which was ultimately defeated on 23 October when the supporters raised enough money and sponsorship to make the club viable.

With twelve wins in 1990 he took Footscray close to a finals spot in his first year at the helm. In 1992 they finished second after the home-and-away season, only missing out on the minor premiership by percentage. They however failed to make the premiership decider after losing in the preliminary final to Geelong, but Wheeler was named as coach of the All-Australian Team. He was sacked after just two rounds of the 1994 season following an 88-point loss to Geelong.

[bornadog]

Debuting in 1974 in the #35, Terry Wheeler amassed 157 games in a 10 year career. He was an excellent player for us and he played his heart out for the Club. "Wheels" never left anything in the change rooms. He played the game hard and supporters loved his crash through style out of defensive half.

How many weeks in a row did he confront the tribunal.............. as a witness

[merantau]

How many weeks in a row did he confront the tribunal.............. as a witness

He attracted a lot of unwanted attention.

[merantau]

From '84 to '92 Darren Baxter, son of Ray, played 129 games in the #35. He was an excellent utility who fulfilled a number of roles over the years. Initially and run-with player he developed into a fine ruck rover and prolific kick winner. We traded him to Hawthorn where he played another 27 games in two seasons.

[merantau]

Beginning in 1992 in the #46 Steve Kretiuk took over #35 the following season. He had a 12 years 170 career with us and was a much loved player. He gave no quarter and asked for none in return. What you saw was what you got. A hard tackling, take no prisioners, defender who made you earn every kick.
He would have been a 200 game player if not for recurring hamstring injuries. Definitely a Bulldog favourite. He often conceded size to his opponents but "it's not the size of the dog in the ... "

This is a great tribute to Steve from the Club website. Western Suburbs thru and thru.


Whatever happend to: Steven Kretiuk?… https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/n...steven-kretiuk