Where were you on the big day and how was it?

[Twodogs]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

Being at the family day it was like time stood still.
For the first hour i don't think i said a word.To see a sea of red,white and blue and the massive gathering of supporters where we have all suffered the pain of finals past,to be able to rejoice in a manner in which i thought i would never be able to experience is something that will stay with me forever.
It might sound lame or soft but i kept thinking of all the close family bulldogs friends and relatives that had i had lost and the eyes started to well up as i wished that they could have been with us to experience the Premiership Glory.

It's not soft mate. It's natural that you think of the ancestors at a time when you see something as amazing as that and want them there with you and experience it too. After all it was probably them who stood over your cot and told you who you'd be barracking for so without all the oldies and auntys you wouldn't be here.

Only Bulldog supporters have experienced joy as deep as the Mariana's Trench. I was at the game. The experience is welded to my memory. I re-live it frequently and it sustains me when I need a boost. In quiet times I close my eyes and the show begins: freestyle, I allow random images to occupy my mind's eye - Easton Wood's crucial intercept to bring the ball to ground allowing Lachie Hunter to sweep it up and hit Dicko on the chest. Dicko nonchalently caresses the ball and then unerringly boots the goal from just on 50. Next it might be Zaine's crunching tackle on Hannebury or Liam Picken and Lachie Hunter combining to conjure goal out of thin air.
But my favourite image is Dale Morris willing himself to the contest and providing the opportunity for Tom Boyd to kick a goal that will never be forgotten.
How good is it to barrack for the Dogs? It's seriously f#$%×*g good, that's what it is. For me it was 55 years between Grand Finals and 60 years since I saw my first game at the Western Oval. You only serve about 15 for murder these days.
I'm not religious but when happy clappy types talk about being "born again" I know that they have experienced something that is about 1% as emotionally intense as what I experienced when the siren blew and our cup runneth over. Go Dogs!

It's privilige to be a Bulldog supporter. It always has been, deep down it didn't matter if we won a flag or not, I was always stay a bulldog supporter. But geez wining a flag has confirmed it. What a great time to be a bulldog supporter. Now that we've won an AFeL premiership and have some serious bling to show off we are going to be huge.

My favorite moments are Tom Boyds goal and "it's over, it's all over. The dam wall has burst.

[Webby]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

Thanks Webby, really enjoyed watching that and the reaction from the patrons.

http://int.search.myway.com/search/video.jhtml?n=782b6cbf&p2=%5EBA5%5Exdm483%5ES17547%5Eau&pg=video&pn=1&ptb=5D20293B-D082-4575-AC94-B689FA425DB2&qs=&searchfor=footscray+pubs+prelim+final&si=CIGs-rPUsNACFVgmvQod-YMG3w&ss=sub&st=tab&tpr=sbt&trs=wtt

If you look carefully you can see Barry Round sitting at Harts in his Sydney colours from the 5:30 to 5:50 mark. It would be disingenuous to say that I'm sorry we ended up spoiling his week..!

Good to see him out and about in Footscray, though.

[Bornadog]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

http://int.search.myway.com/search/v...pr=sbt&trs=wtt

If you look carefully you can see Barry Round sitting at Harts in his Sydney colours from the 5:30 to 5:50 mark. It would be disingenuous to say that I'm sorry we ended up spoiling his week..!

Good to see him out and about in Footscray, though.

Thanks, good pickup

A real shame, Barry had to end up at the Swans all those years ago. Unfortunately we had the great Garry Dempsey, and he was never going to take over from him as the number one ruck.

I remember one day after he had left us, we won a game at Western Oval and as kids we use to get into the rooms after the game. This time here was Barry visiting the boys and congratulating them. You rarely see a former player, still playing for another team, do that. I think his heart was still at Footscray.

[1eyedog]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

I was almost exactly on the centre circle with my son, good mate and his partner.



Thanks for those photos BAD. Like I said, the best thing I've ever seen. Better than seeing aurora borealis or a whale that's not at Sea Worls.


Probably.

That's a big get though... It doesn't beat my first experience of seeing Saturn and its rings though the eyepiece of a telescope. But that in turn doesn't beat what I witnessed at that pub down the road from Spotless after our Prelim win

[Twodogs]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

That's a big get though... It doesn't beat my first experience of seeing Saturn and its rings though the eyepiece of a telescope. But that in turn doesn't beat what I witnessed at that pub down the road from Spotless after our Prelim win

That Nick Cave song on the new album-Rings of Saturn-is a beauty.

Or maybe I'm just too tongue-tied to drink it up and swallow back the pain

[Webby]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

Thanks, good pickup

A real shame, Barry had to end up at the Swans all those years ago. Unfortunately we had the great Garry Dempsey, and he was never going to take over from him as the number one ruck.

I remember one day after he had left us, we won a game at Western Oval and as kids we use to get into the rooms after the game. This time here was Barry visiting the boys and congratulating them. You rarely see a former player, still playing for another team, do that. I think his heart was still at Footscray.

Barry was my uncle's apprentice. Liked by everyone. Consider this about him:

1. He played more VFL games than the great EJ.
2. After retiring from the VFL, he then went on to play 110 VFA games
3. He did it all the while whilst being a full time plumber!

Incredible durability! I wouldn't bet against him living to 110!

[Twodogs]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

Barry was my uncle's apprentice. Liked by everyone. Consider this about him:

1. He played more VFL games than the great EJ.
2. After retiring from the VFL, he then went on to play 110 VFA games
3. He did it all the while whilst being a full time plumber!

Incredible durability! I wouldn't bet against him living to 110!

That's unbelievable! More than 100 senior games at three clubs-us, South and Willy.

[Bornadog]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

That's unbelievable! More than 100 senior games at three clubs-us, South and Willy.

Club	Games (Goals)
Footscray	135 (136)
Sydney	193 (157)
Williamstown	110 (103)

[Twodogs]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

Not just barely 100 games at each club either. It's not like he just hung around eking his way out to a 100 games at any of the clubs. He was just getting warmed up with his 135 games with us because he then follows up with 193 AFL games with Sydney before an extended Lap of Honour with Willy of 110 senior games.

[Webby]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

Not just barely 100 games at each club either. It's not like he just hung around eking his way out to a 100 games at any of the clubs. He was just getting warmed up with his 135 games with us because he then follows up with 193 AFL games with Sydney before an extended Lap of Honour with Willy of 110 senior games.

I believe Bernie Quinlan played well in excess of 150 (closer to 200, I think) with both the Dogs and Fitzroy. Obviously we've discussed Round, but Gary Dempsey also played 300+ league games and more than 100 with both is and Norf.

Geez we blew a potential dynasty in the 1970's. We had all that quality, durable cattle on our list and couldn't hold onto them...

(Anyway, I've fallen into the trap of turning the ultimate feel good thread into a negative! I'll stop, now!

[Twodogs]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

I believe Bernie Quinlan played well in excess of 150 (closer to 200, I think) with both the Dogs and Fitzroy. Obviously we've discussed Round, but Gary Dempsey also played 300+ league games and more than 100 with both is and Norf.

Geez we blew a potential dynasty in the 1970's. We had all that quality, durable cattle on our list and couldn't hold onto them...

(Anyway, I've fallen into the trap of turning the ultimate feel good thread into a negative! I'll stop, now!

Yeah. Shut up Webby. You're bringing us down man. Being a stress head!

But you're dead right. We were given untold playing riches and pissed them all up against the wall with infighting and outright stupidity. I got used to ex Footscray players winning the Brownlow or our blokes winning medals with us and then leaving but when two ex Footscray players tied for the bloody thing one year I just about gave up.

That used to be the additional "up yours" us Footscray supporters used to get every year in grand final week in the early eighties. Not only was our, frankly, comedic football team not ever going to play in a grand final but they'd give the Brownlow to one of our ex players just to rub it in. Then when they thought we'd had enough they gave it to two of ours in one year.

[Ozza]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

I believe Bernie Quinlan played well in excess of 150 (closer to 200, I think) with both the Dogs and Fitzroy. Obviously we've discussed Round, but Gary Dempsey also played 300+ league games and more than 100 with both is and Norf.

Geez we blew a potential dynasty in the 1970's. We had all that quality, durable cattle on our list and couldn't hold onto them...

(Anyway, I've fallen into the trap of turning the ultimate feel good thread into a negative! I'll stop, now!

Bernie played 177 for us, 189 for the Roys.

[Twodogs]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

And then by the end of the eighties they said "hand back the keys and you're not getting your bond back".

Is there any wonder there was 275,000 people out at the Whitten Oval celebrating on Sunday 2nd October?

It took a while, but we "Stuck it right up 'em. That's what we did. We stuck it right up 'em"

I'll bet Ross Oakley wasn't at the Whiten Oval on the day. Turd.

I wonder what old Ross the boss thought as he watched the presentation?

One thing I'll give him though. Back in the day when we had selectors' table on Thursday nights one night Peter Gordon turned up and announce he had a special guest and in walks Ross Oakley. He stood up in front of everybody and answered questions and took abuse for about an hour or so. I almost admired the old bastard, I've got some front, but I wouldn't have stood in front of 250 rabid Footscray supporters (with access to cutlery) as the bloke who signed the club's death certificate and explain things from my POV. And more importantly he listened to and respected to our POV. It was cathartic for all of us.


Although it would have been more cathartic if PG had let us tar and feather him afterwards like I'd wanted to.

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

Re: Where were you on the big day and how was it?

I'd rather tar and feather Ian Collins