Long term WOOFERS will know that I live in Sydney, come from an NRL background, got into footy, had the opportunity to support the Swans but after watching "Year of the Dogs" back in 1998 I chose to be a Doggie ever since.
Sometime post 1998, someone in my position really bonds with their team.
For me, it was 2000 (great victories against the odds against Carlton [the great Trent Bartlett] and the Dons, and then that fabulous draw in 2002 against the Dons again.
Sure we were crap in 2003 & 2004 (happens in footy), and have slowly risen since 2005.
But after tonight's shit effort and remembering reading about epic victories against fancied teams at WO over the decades, I began to question whether now I've been conned.
I went for the Dogs, not because they were the team where I lived or had the most supporters or the most success, but because they showed the most heart (and between you me, because I enjoyed the sometimes questionable play of Libba etc)
Early on, they showed real heart and guts and pulled off some incredible victories.
Fast forward to now, and I'm still a Dogs fan and always will be. But after tonight's effort, and more than a few like that in the last few years, I have to ask myself if I've been conned?
I went for the Dogs not seeking flags and glory but rather guts and a do or die attitude, and now so often I see pea hearted efforts by most of the team when it really counts.