2016 Prelim revisited

[Flamethrower]

One day I will be able to remember the sound and feel of the final siren sounding without crying. One day....

Good luck with that!

Amazing game, amazing day. A day I never thought would come.

I had been to all 7 losing prelims since '85 like a lot of us on here - going through all the associated emotions with one common outcome - utter devastation.

The game itself was a roller coaster of emotion - early ups when we entered the arena to a heroes welcome and the Orange People to a chorus of bronx cheers, followed by Clay getting us off to a bright start, Easton's hanger and Libba's baiting.

Downs when the tsunami kicked into gear, and Rough going down. Pride when Tommy took on the Mummy and kept us in the game. Hope when an amazing play led to a Caleb snapped goal that kept us close, followed by dread when they kicked away again early in the final term.

The final 20 minutes were amazing with the boys refusing to let the opportunity slip - JJ's courage to gut run when everyone was out on their feet, breaking the game open and leading Bont to a goal of beauty.

Then the surge that led to Jacko's oppotunity, and the goal that suddenly had us in front with the finish line in sight. Could we hold on? Could we erase the ghosts of season's past, or would our history of disappointment come back to haunt us?

Those final minutes were as tense as anything I had ever experienced. Finally we had possession with less than a minute left. Come on guys - ice the clock - get us home.

Dunks goes long down the line - good boy - the ball spills out the back - we get it - getting excited - quick hands, the ball ends up with Jakey, 30 seconds left, Jakey spots Dicko all by himself and delivers a magnificent pass. Dicko marks, 27 seconds left, he has 30 seconds to take his kick - THAT'S IT - IT'S OVER - WE ARE IN THE GRAND FINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Running around like a lunatic, screaming who know's what, phone going crazy with messages, tear pouring down my face - pround as heck with our boys.

Sorry Swans, you have NO chance next week - we are a team of destiny - the flag will be ours!!!!

A big thank you to those who have posted the videos of the crowd scenes on you tube, which allow me to vividly remember what turned out to be an amazing day.

[Twodogs]

I'm pretty sure the reference is Stringers's pass to Dicko.

Bugger me I highlighted the wrong bit. Of well like Lou Reed said Sunday morning and I'm falling.

The world still stopped when JJ passed that ball to the Bont.

[aker39]

A big thank you to those who have posted the videos of the crowd scenes on you tube, which allow me to vividly remember what turned out to be an amazing day.

I watched quite a few of the videos last night and my favourite is the pubs of Footscray.

[Bulldog Revolution]

McLean had a fantastic last quarter in the prelim and just like in the grand final Matt Boyd has some decisive touches - he had a clear head in the chaos of both games - side stepping and banging the ball forward

[EasternWest]

Really? My take is he made his bed so he can lie in it. It's not as if he took one big contract and came home after he'd honoured it. He signed another contract to stay. He's proven that money is his God and that he is as big an empty shell as any other person, sorry I meant to say entity, associated with that club.

Callan Ward has no soul.

Disagree but no point arguing it.

[westdog54]

I'm pretty sure the reference is Stringers's pass to Dicko.

No, TD was on the money. JJ's pass to Marcus in a paddock of space to put us in front. Its one of my favourite goals of all time. Only Picken's 2nd in the Granny surpasses it.

[Twodogs]

Disagree but no point arguing it.

You're not from the west are you? I don't mean to be rude but it's a westy thing. By that I don't mean you aren't entitled to an opinion I mean that Ward turned his back on his people for money and money ain't our God. There are far more important things.

I don't really expect anyone not from the western suburbs to understand, it's pretty insane but it is what it is.

A few days ago GVRjr asked ledge why he was taking the Jake Stringer thing so personally. It's because if you come from Footscray or Yarraville or Sunshine or Braybrook then this club is in your DNA. Our parents loved the club, our grandparents loved the club, we love the club and we make sure our kids love the club. It's what connects us to our extended family, it's our community's proudest possession. We don't barrack for it we live for it, it's part if us. It's the first thing we are taught to love.

That's what Callan Ward abandoned in his rush for cash.

[merantau]

There is a lot in what you say Twodogs. I felt totally betrayed when one of our own left for money. I'm pretty sure Bill Gunn was his grandfather. Came from Yarraville, Seddon or Spotswood. Only reason he played for South was because he was zoned to them. Bill Gunn's brother, Terry, was the Stadiums referee Terry Reilly, if I'm not mistaken.
No,sorry Callan you are persona non grata as far as I'm concerned too.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I don't think it's completely a from the west thing

I wasn't born in raised in the west - my dad was - but there's no way I can accept that I love the club any less

I suspect in part it's generational - supporters of my vintage (40s) have still lost a lot of gun players over the years but it's a lot less than those older, and than it could have been

I find our holding of grudges against former players frustrating:

I cease to care about them when they leave - they are irrelevant to me, almost dead, and I don't care what they do or dont do

I'm saddened it got to the stage it did with Griff and I can accept Callan Ward felt he had to take the money - so in part I blame our club in part for those decisions. I can however accept supporters booing them in a prelim

I blame Malthouse for Hardie - I blame NBrown for being NBrown and just wished we hadn't wasted the picks we got

We moved Cooney and Lake on so I can't blame them either

[craigsahibee]

Just one of the great days ever.

From leaving Whitten Oval on the Bont Express, to Bevo shouting Breakfast in Wodonga to the camaraderie felt in the bar before the game outside Spotless with hundreds of other Bulldog faithful and the sense of calm that overcame me throughout the last quarter. I'm not sure whether it was a sense of pride knowing how great an effort was from the lads to get this far or whether I knew we "had this". For some strange reason, I was never worried during the last quarter. The whole competition had thrown everything they had at us all year and we didn't buckle, never waivered, it was our time. Even as we walked into Spotless and one of the orange clad volunteers asked if I wanted to buy a Premiership Pin to raise cash for the homeless, I casually replied "Nah, I'll get mine next week".

At the time, It was the greatest footy day I had ever had, and to be honest, was only just surpassed the following weekend. September 2016 is the greatest footy story ever told and I feel privileged to be a part of it. For the past heroes of our footy club and the magnificent legion of fans we have, we all got to share in a great time in our lives.

[always right]

Just one of the great days ever.

From leaving Whitten Oval on the Bont Express, to Bevo shouting Breakfast in Wodonga to the camaraderie felt in the bar before the game outside Spotless with hundreds of other Bulldog faithful and the sense of calm that overcame me throughout the last quarter. I'm not sure whether it was a sense of pride knowing how great an effort was from the lads to get this far or whether I knew we "had this". For some strange reason, I was never worried during the last quarter. The whole competition had thrown everything they had at us all year and we didn't buckle, never waivered, it was our time. Even as we walked into Spotless and one of the orange clad volunteers asked if I wanted to buy a Premiership Pin to raise cash for the homeless, I casually replied "Nah, I'll get mine next week".

At the time, It was the greatest footy day I had ever had, and to be honest, was only just surpassed the following weekend. September 2016 is the greatest footy story ever told and I feel privileged to be a part of it. For the past heroes of our footy club and the magnificent legion of fans we have, we all got to share in a great time in our lives.

Funny how all of my family agree the prelim was better than the GF. Being there was obviously a major factor but it was more about the quality of the game, the passion of the supporters, the emotion once Dickson took that mark, and the relief of finally getting the gorilla off the back. What a time.

PS: We did quite enjoy the grand final.

[bulldogtragic]

Not sure if it's just me, but until then I'd not travelled much to go to interstate games. But getting the stadium ticket, booking hotel, driving up for 9 hours...

It never crossed my mind that we would lose. I've never felt like this. Not arrogance, probably not confidence, but us losing never occurred to me for a second. I was going up there to see a prelim win and that's how it would be. And we won. It was a foreign feeling. Not sure if others had it too?

[always right]

Not sure if it's just me, but until then I'd not travelled much to go to interstate games. But getting the stadium ticket, booking hotel, driving up for 9 hours...

It never crossed my mind that we would lose. I've never felt like this. Not arrogance, probably not confidence, but us losing never occurred to me for a second. I was going up there to see a prelim win and that's how it would be. And we won. It was a foreign feeling. Not sure if others had it too?

I had that feeling in the grand final.

[Twodogs]

I had that feeling in the grand final.

Me too. When I got to the ground and found my seat my mate was already in his. The first thing he said was "we are going to lose aren't we?" But I had been confident all week (I was strangely confident we'd go all the way after we beat West Coast) and said we'd win by 4 goals.

[Twodogs]

Not sure if it's just me, but until then I'd not travelled much to go to interstate games. But getting the stadium ticket, booking hotel, driving up for 9 hours...

It never crossed my mind that we would lose. I've never felt like this. Not arrogance, probably not confidence, but us losing never occurred to me for a second. I was going up there to see a prelim win and that's how it would be. And we won. It was a foreign feeling. Not sure if others had it too?

I knew from the moment that I was going to have to watch it on TV that we would win. I just knew it.

Doesn't matter. Now I know what it takes for us to win prelims. I just have to keep away from the ground and watch on TVi.