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Doug Hawkins reveals fallout from strained relationship with Bulldogs president Peter Gordon
Footscray favourite son Doug Hawkins says he has a strained relationship with Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon and little official contact with the club.
Hawkins revealed that he had not spoken to Gordon since the 2016 premiership, still mystified about why his relationship with the club he did so much to market has cooled so suddenly.
Hawkins put an official proposal to the club in 2015 to help out as an ambassador in a similar manner to Essendon club great Kevin Sheedy.
But as he revealed to the Herald Sun’s Sacked podcast, he didn’t get a reply from Gordon.
Gordon told the Herald Sun on Wednesday that Hawkins was a beloved champion of the club, and he was keen to do what he could to make him feel welcome back at Whitten Oval when the 2020 COVID pandemic faded.
Hawkins and Gordon have never been great friends after the president was in charge when Hawkins was sacked at the end of 1994, but he says it pains him that he has so little presence at the club.
“I don’t have a lot to do with Peter and he doesn’t have a lot to do with me. We don‘t have a lot to do with each other. He might be able to answer why we don’t talk. At the end of the day it was 2015. I put together a proposal to the club. Me and Peter had a little small disagreement over some past players function that I was invited to. It was only a little disagreement, it wasn’t much.
“That was right on the back of when (Brendan) McCartney was sacked and (Ryan) Griffin left and (Shaun) Higgins left and things were just happening, the club was in a bit of disarray. Essendon had just put Kevin Sheedy in as an ambassador and I got a handwritten letter put together from (former Bulldog) Matty Mansfield.
“I didn’t get a response from Peter or the club and that’s just the way it was then. We don’t talk a lot and that’s just the way it is. We don’t talk a lot…. we don’t talk at all.”
Hawkins is still invited to the club’s best-and-fairest night given the runner-up trophy is named after him.
Gordon said the Dogs had put several offers to Hawkins to become an ambassador several years back but for various reasons they were not taken up.
“Dougie is always welcome at the club. Everyone loves Doug. I remember giving him a hug the day after the 2016 Grand Final and commenting on who might have been drunker and it was probably me,” he said.
“When I first came back into the job in 2013 I offered him a couple of ambassadorial roles and it didn’t suit him for one reason or another but he’s one of the legends of the club, an official legend, along with John Schultz and Ted Whitten and Charlie Sutton and I hope he will always feel welcome. Footy can be a pretty emotional business and clubs are always making tough decisions, but it is all about your soul but we love Dougie and I hope he can always feel like he can come back any time.”
Hawkins has worked in his current role in traffic management for eight years so his beef is about a connection to the club rather than any financial issue.
But he said it breaks his heart that he does not have more contact with a club he was the face of as a player as the loveable boy from Braybrook.
“Yeah, it does a little bit. In my 17 years (playing) I marketed that footy club. I was the face of that footy club for membership drives that many times. I did that because I love the footy club, I loved the people, I loved my mates, I was the face of that membership drive for many years of those 17 years.
“I don’t really know what the problem is with me. Maybe I am too popular, maybe I am too loved by the Footscray people, I am not sure.
“I was one of their favourite sons and I still am. I am a passionate Footscray person and I love the club. I love the players, I love the supporters, I love what the Footscray football club and Western Bulldogs football club stand for. I love them to death, I would love to be a part of it, I watch every game. I love them to death.”
Footscray favourite son Doug Hawkins says he has a strained relationship with Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon and little official contact with the club.
Hawkins revealed that he had not spoken to Gordon since the 2016 premiership, still mystified about why his relationship with the club he did so much to market has cooled so suddenly.
Hawkins put an official proposal to the club in 2015 to help out as an ambassador in a similar manner to Essendon club great Kevin Sheedy.
But as he revealed to the Herald Sun’s Sacked podcast, he didn’t get a reply from Gordon.
Gordon told the Herald Sun on Wednesday that Hawkins was a beloved champion of the club, and he was keen to do what he could to make him feel welcome back at Whitten Oval when the 2020 COVID pandemic faded.
Hawkins and Gordon have never been great friends after the president was in charge when Hawkins was sacked at the end of 1994, but he says it pains him that he has so little presence at the club.
“I don’t have a lot to do with Peter and he doesn’t have a lot to do with me. We don‘t have a lot to do with each other. He might be able to answer why we don’t talk. At the end of the day it was 2015. I put together a proposal to the club. Me and Peter had a little small disagreement over some past players function that I was invited to. It was only a little disagreement, it wasn’t much.
“That was right on the back of when (Brendan) McCartney was sacked and (Ryan) Griffin left and (Shaun) Higgins left and things were just happening, the club was in a bit of disarray. Essendon had just put Kevin Sheedy in as an ambassador and I got a handwritten letter put together from (former Bulldog) Matty Mansfield.
“I didn’t get a response from Peter or the club and that’s just the way it was then. We don’t talk a lot and that’s just the way it is. We don’t talk a lot…. we don’t talk at all.”
Hawkins is still invited to the club’s best-and-fairest night given the runner-up trophy is named after him.
Gordon said the Dogs had put several offers to Hawkins to become an ambassador several years back but for various reasons they were not taken up.
“Dougie is always welcome at the club. Everyone loves Doug. I remember giving him a hug the day after the 2016 Grand Final and commenting on who might have been drunker and it was probably me,” he said.
“When I first came back into the job in 2013 I offered him a couple of ambassadorial roles and it didn’t suit him for one reason or another but he’s one of the legends of the club, an official legend, along with John Schultz and Ted Whitten and Charlie Sutton and I hope he will always feel welcome. Footy can be a pretty emotional business and clubs are always making tough decisions, but it is all about your soul but we love Dougie and I hope he can always feel like he can come back any time.”
Hawkins has worked in his current role in traffic management for eight years so his beef is about a connection to the club rather than any financial issue.
But he said it breaks his heart that he does not have more contact with a club he was the face of as a player as the loveable boy from Braybrook.
“Yeah, it does a little bit. In my 17 years (playing) I marketed that footy club. I was the face of that footy club for membership drives that many times. I did that because I love the footy club, I loved the people, I loved my mates, I was the face of that membership drive for many years of those 17 years.
“I don’t really know what the problem is with me. Maybe I am too popular, maybe I am too loved by the Footscray people, I am not sure.
“I was one of their favourite sons and I still am. I am a passionate Footscray person and I love the club. I love the players, I love the supporters, I love what the Footscray football club and Western Bulldogs football club stand for. I love them to death, I would love to be a part of it, I watch every game. I love them to death.”
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