Hall of fame

[bornadog]

Hello everyone. I arrived home from New York on Friday after attending a conference and lots of hard work.

I was so happy to attend the Hall of Fame last evening.

It was so good to catch up with many of the people from "Woof"!!!

I cannot wait to get my hands on Charlie Sutton's jumper and have it displayed in the Museum at the WO for everyone to enjoy and cherish. Fortunately I was the successful bidder. I also have four Team of the Century jumpers that I will be donating to the Museum.

It was probably one of the best nights I have ever attended. My tissues were working overtime. Just to see the older players etc was something I will hold very dear to my heart for the rest of my life.

I have never heard the Bulldog team song sung with such passion ever before. I do hope this does rub off on the players.

It was a night to remember and I am so pleased I was able to attend with my family and friends.

I am sure all Bulldog supporters appreciate your donations, can't wait to visit the museum.

[LostDoggy]

Fantastic photos TDB.

Were all players in attendance and did you get a chance to show off the scarf to Huddo!?

[KOTC]

What a fantastic night! I didn't think anyone could top Bob Murphy's speech. You just knew that Bob was going to be fantastic. He has such a way with words and last night his passion for the jumper came through so strongly, but seeing a wheelchair bound Charlie Sutton make his passionate speech was one of the most memorable things I have ever seen.

Charlie provided a great combination of humour and flat out inspiration. The perfect example of that, and my highlight of his speech was when he was mid rant and said something like, "I tell you bloody what, if I could stand up right now I'd be smashing the desk" and he started whacking the lectern that Stephen Phillips was interviewing him from. He was fired up the whole time he was making his speech, but to physically see a bloke who barely has any movement bouncing up and down in his wheelchair and whacking the lectern was something else. As he would say, "hit 'em hard and hit 'em bloody often."

[soupman]

Brian Lake in the back of this photo is great.

[Sockeye Salmon]

On the actual inductees, how stiff was Wally Donald?

[BulldogBelle]

Fantastic photos TDB.

Were all players in attendance and did you get a chance to show off the scarf to Huddo!?

Yes, we showed him the scarf and got him to sign it!!!!

[LostDoggy]

I agree with everyone else's posts. It is the best club function I have ever been to. I thought it was a bit expensive, but it was worth every penny. The Charlie Sutton moment was one of if not the best thing I have ever seen/experienced. It was up there with the Teddy Whitten lap of honour.The occasion was fantastic, but everything else about the night was first class, the presentation, meal, service. I will confess I had tears, it would be hard to imagine anyone of the 1300 not shedding a tear or two.
The night gave me goosebumps. Congratulations to all at the club who organised the event.
Well done to the people that paid a lot of money for the Hall of Fame players jumpers. It was announced that the ones Sue Alberti & David Smorgan brought were being put in the club's new musuem. What great people Sue & David are for out club.

[Doc26]

An absolute brilliant evening, could not fault any part of it and will leave a lot of great memories from Mark Seymour's opening tracks, Murph's opening speech in an old Bulldog jumper with #7 on the back, Charlie's inspirational speech that had everyone in the room totally blown away to Mike Brady's closing tunes and many other moments. Was also great to see on display our 54 Premiership Cup flanked by Charlie's and Brian Dixon's jumpers also Norm Ware's, Adam Cooney's and John Schultz's Brownlow's and a Club Best and Fairest chronological display.

Huge thanks to David, Cam, Rachel and all those others behind the scenes for pulling it all together. Also congratulations to the Hall of Fame selection committee who imo were spot on with their 13 Hall of Fame and 2 Legend inductees with Scott Wynd possibly the only one I would've loved to have seen squeezed into the initial list. With that said I could'nt have excluded any from the 13 HOFers. Looks like there will be two Scott's to add to the list next time around.

Ooh and was bloody rapt to see big Gary Dempsey competing hard with Sue in the bidding for Neil Sachse's Bulldog attire. Sue, thanks so very much for your fantastic and ongoing support of the Bulldogs, you're a gem.

[Chester]

Sounds like a wonderful night. Was Scott West there?

[AndrewP6]

A great night for our club. Would've been great to be there... some great pics up here. If Charlie's speech didn't put a rocket up some of our blokes, then nothing will. They need to respond.

[BulldogBelle]

On the actual inductees, how stiff was Wally Donald?

l sure this event is becoming a regular feature so l am sure he will get a call up.

[Prince Imperial]

As everybody has said, this was a fantastic night which brought up a great mix of poignancy and pride for our great club and supporters. Bob Murphy's speech was amazing. He told of a neighbour of his when he was growing up in Warragul who was a mad Footscray supporter and how he (Murphy) became part of their family. Unfortunately, the neighbour died 12 months before he was drafted, but his wife was the first person in his house when Bob was drafted and so was proud and pleased of this for her late husband.

The club really needs to put his speech up on our website.

Obviously, they could not induct everybody or otherwise they could not hold another night for many years. Wally Donald was rightly mentioned above but I would have thought the following would be good things for the next event:

Scott West (maybe straight to Legend status)
Rohan Smith
Scott Wynd
Brian Royal
Steven Wallis
John Jilliard
George Bisset
Herb Henderson
Jim Gallagher
Wally Donald
Joe Ryan

[LostDoggy]

Are the Hall of Fame nights now going to be a yearly occurrence?

[Doc26]

On the actual inductees, how stiff was Wally Donald?

SS, of the 13 HOFers below who would you like to have seen Wally replace ?


1925 to '49: Allan Hopkins, Norman Ware, Arthur Olliver, Harry Hickey and Alby Morrison.

1950 to '69: Jack Collins, John Schultz.

1970 to '89: Gary Dempsey, Kelvin Templeton, Simon Beasley, Doug Hawkins.

1990 to 2008: Tony Liberatore, Chris Grant

[Doc26]

Are the Hall of Fame nights now going to be a yearly occurrence?

I believe the thinking is for every second year but don't quote me on it.