5 replies to this topic

[Caveman]

Former Footscray player Paul Dimattina has been in the news of late with talk of a possible challenge to the President, or at the very least, a possible tilt at joining the board of directors.

Well it is great to see someone with alot of nous and a few bob displaying interest in providing some form of alternative to the status quo in the boardroom.

This club desperately needs someone different coming out of the sunset - the current situation(off the field as well as on the paddock) has to be properly scrutinised and dealt with, rather than just giving it the usual sweep under the carpet treatment.

We might be in for interesting times rather than just the same old same old.

[Lisbon]

It's interesting to see people talking about a challenge to the current President at last. Not counting Gold Coast, Footscray is one of only 5 clubs that haven't won a flag and one of only 3 clubs that haven't reached a Grand Final (the others are Fremantle and Richmond) since 1995, so, Preliminary Finals and all, we haven't been particularly successful on the field, even during a period in the League's history when success has been pretty much evenly spread.
Also, "Bulldoze the Debt" means that things aren't very good on the financial side either.
So, Smorgon's merits notwithstanding, it's time he left, although I wasn't happy to hear the name "Nick Columb" in the same phrase as Dimattina.

[Caveman]

It's interesting to see people talking about a challenge to the current President at last. Not counting Gold Coast, Footscray is one of only 5 clubs that haven't won a flag and one of only 3 clubs that haven't reached a Grand Final (the others are Fremantle and Richmond) since 1995, so, Preliminary Finals and all, we haven't been particularly successful on the field, even during a period in the League's history when success has been pretty much evenly spread.
Also, "Bulldoze the Debt" means that things aren't very good on the financial side either.
So, Smorgon's merits notwithstanding, it's time he left, although I wasn't happy to hear the name "Nick Columb" in the same phrase as Dimattina.

How is it that someone from near on 12,000 MILES away, can see this?

However we have football journalists here in Melbourne who wouldn't know that in the 15 years of Western Bulldogs and the same President- our highest point of all the 15 seasons, is the same highest point reached by both Fremantle and Richmond.The other 13 have surpassed what we three have reached.

As for Bulldoze the Debt- that is never mentioned- the football media doesn't pry into it. They are too busy worrying about some 17 year old from the outer suburbs who IS NOT a school girl and all the shenanigans that involve her.

[Caveman]

Now this from Wednesday's AGE newspaper

http://www.theage.co...0830-1jk7n.html

That would be laughable if he wasn't serious.

Someone who has been there for 15 consecutive seasons wants to stand on his record.

His record through all of those 15 years consists of -

ON THE FIELD

No Premiership(s)
No Grand Finals
One Wooden Spoon

OFF THE FIELD/FINANCIAL

The club in such a state of financial arrears that it requires a 'debt demolition' scheme to be implemented.
This 'Bulldoze The Debt' initiative involving supporters being required to throw in their hard earned on top of their memberships/ raffle tickets etc for what is legitimised as the 'Historical Debt'

So how historic is it? Well apparently longer than 15 years. Jim Stynes introduced the same thing at Melbourne not long after he took control in a peaceful transition from their previous board. We copy their initiative, though our President has been in control for 14 and a half years at the time compared to the few months of Jim Stynes. Then not long after it was announced early in the season it comes out in the media that a former middle ranking club employee of the Western Bulldogs has 'allegedly' embezzled from the club over $500,000. That is the conservative figure of what has disappeared from the club.

So the upshot of that is those contributing to the 'Bulldoze the Debt' are also informally contributing to the 'Bulldoze the Embezzlement'!!


However our President is going to 'stand on his record'.

Only a club with such low self esteem, almost self loathing could tolerate such a record being returned if it went to a vote?

'We are looking forward- reverting the name back to Footscray is looking backwards.

Well in my time of this horrible dastardly act of 'looking backwards' I have seen two club record scores (1977 and 1978) of which 1978 was the competitions record score for a while. Then there was club record its greatest ever winning margin(1985), 10 goals kicked by an individual in a game occur 6 times. Then before my time- 'looking backwards' there was a Grand Final in 1961 and a Premiership in 1954. Prior to that there were 9 VFA Premierships.

All of this was as Footscray.

Now looking forward from October 1996 to September 2011 and none of the above has happened- in all those 15 years as Western Bulldogs.



I know I would rather 'look backwards'- it is a better view there.

[Amelia Jane]

I wish that we had a new president and quickly reverted to the name Footscray, our great original jumper and our original song Sons of the Scray. What a great day that would be. I will keep hoping and dreaming that this will happen.

[Caveman]

A challenge or even the threat of a possible challenge is the best thing that could happen to a club in our situation. Even if the challenge happens in 2012 instead of this year, just whenever the reform group is ready with their package.

Any club who has had the same President in control for 15 years having not played in a Grand Final in that time, facing no opposition in that era- shows a club support that just accepts the mediocrity situation. Or they feel powerless and just endure the status quo because that is all they know.

However this new development involving Paul Dimattina- shows the football world (but more importantly our own fans) that not everyone accepts the current situation and that we do have people of influence,dedication and drive who want to do something about it.

I feel better in the last few weeks knowing that apathy and acceptance of failure is not going to go on forever.