Originally Posted by
Vred
I, Vred, stand here today, humbled by the task before us, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our Western Bulldogs ancestors.
We are in the midst of a crisis. The Dogs are at war against a far-reaching storm of disturbance and deluded fans thinking we pay umpires. Our ruck-stocks are badly weakened: a consequence of bad luck and irresponsibility on the part of list management, but also on the collective failure to make hard choices and to prepare for a new, MAD game.
Today, I say to you, that the challenges are real, and they are many. They will not be easily met, or in a short span of time, but know this, Dogs fans: they will be met. In reaffirming the greatness of our club, we understand that greatness is never given, our journey has never been one of shortcuts. It has not been for the faint-heated, or who seek the easy way out. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the rookies, the creators of mad plays. For us, they toiled on the field, endured the grind of training. Time and again, these men struggled, and sacrificed, so that we might ... WIN.
We remain the most powerful underdogs in the AFL, our players no less inventive, and skills no less needed than they were last week, or the weekend before, or the week after. Starting Saturday, we must pull on our jumpers, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of winning.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest our defensive system cannot tolerate too many outs. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what the Dogs have already done, what free men can achieve when skill and heart is joined to common purpose.
And so, to all the people who are reading this speech, from the grandest cities, to the small villages where JJ was born, know that the Dogs are a friend to every man, who seeks the future of winning and success.
What is required of us now is a new era of barracking. This is the price, and the promise, of Western Bulldogs membership. The Dogs, in the face of common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words: YES, WE CAN.
Let it be said by our children's children, that when we were tested by opposition forward lines, when we were forced to quarantine, to travel, to not eat, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter, and we carried forth that great gift of victory to be delivered.
Thank you. God bless, and God bless The Western Bulldogs