WESTERN BULLDOGS IS A NAME THAT TRIVIALISES US ALL - PLAYERS, OFFICIALS AND WE THE SUPPORTERS

Western Bulldogs running as our name trivialises both the club and we as supporters. How does it do this if you haven't noticed this already?

One example of this trivialisation is through comparison with the other teams. The other 15 teams of 2008 are written as their real names- nearly all the time.

The Bulldogs are now the only club where the nickname is put into the real name at the expense of the non-nickname part of the name. The AFL ladder displays this every time. The trivialisation has become more obvious in the last 12 months that the ladder (and every other list that has the 16 teams in it) has North Melbourne written rather than Kangaroos. Back with the Western Bulldogs, on many occasions the Western part of the name is left out, so it is only the Bulldogs or variations of the canine that is being used. Here below is one example

The above table has 4 versions of the 2008 ladder. It is done from the end of Round 22 – NOT after the Grand Final.

Now the third placed team of 2008 has its name presented in four different ways. All are off shoots from the canine- only one has a connection to western and that is just the letter W as an abbreviation. This capital letter W would not be universally recognised as representing Western by those unfamiliar to what the club is supposed to reflect.

If the word Bulldogs is mentioned in the same situation alongside Blues, Bombers, Cats, Demons, Hawks, Kangaroos, Magpies, Saints, Tigers etc- then that is acceptable because it is consistent. However when you have matches or situations involving Footscray and they are described as Carlton v Bulldogs, Essendon v The Doggies, W. Bulldogs v Hawthorn etc it is wrong and ultimately ludicrous. This childish way to describe Footscray by its nickname in comparison with the other clubs who are called by their proper name belongs in the toy box or the kindergarten sandpit.

Western – Superfluous and Expendable

What is important about this ladder is that the Western part of Western Bulldogs is not mentioned. The four examples are all variations of the animal. So by dropping the Western- what is the point of having Western in the name? The big deal with the name is Bulldogs- Western is basically superfluous.

The club make comments along the lines about

"We want you to be a Bulldog for life"

Why is it not -

"We want you to be a Westerner for life?"

Western is the crucial part- that is why we changed our name- to widen our supporter base to encompass the entire 'west' Yet Western is the silent word- the emphasis is on Bulldog and Bulldogs.

So here below are numerous examples of one team or person with a nickname amongst all the others teams and people

Five listings of the 16 clubs from different years

The above tables present all the teams in alphabetical order in 5 football seasons. You can see the changes that reflect how some names and clubs have changed.

There is also an altering of the colour scheme presentation for some clubs. Carlton and Collingwood are different in 2007 and 2008 from the three previous years of 1996, 1998 and 1999. This is because in 1999 they still used their original home grounds. However as we know Princes Park and Victoria Park were finished in 2007 as grounds holding league football. So from 1999 have their colour scheme here changed.

However Carlton and Collingwood have just changed their shading and fonts. Fitzroy are only here in 1996 and Footscray is only mentioned in 1996. Fitzroy merges/ taken over (whatever you believe it to be) into Brisbane so the Brisbane appearance changes. Footscray becomes Western Bulldogs so the font and shading is altered here.

The most distinctive one though is North Melbourne. They are North Melbourne in 1996 and 1998, they move up the chart in 1999, swapping places with Melbourne due to them being Kangaroos. In 2008 they reverted back to North Melbourne, so they swapped rungs with Melbourne again.

Footscray moves from 7th position in 1996 to last in 1997 as Western Bulldogs. So where as North Melbourne improved in the alphabetical stakes by ditching North Melbourne for 'Kangaroos' , we at Footscray sunk to the bottom. So we are the last on the page these days.

Teams with Meaningless Names- Both of Them

In the first year- 1996 only one team had a meaningless name. West Coast is the answer because West Coast means nothing. They are called west coast, but a west coast of what? There are west coasts all over the globe.

In 1998 the West Coast had company in the 'Meaningless Name Fraternity' because a year and a half earlier, the newly arrived Footscray men in control, decided to give us a meaningless name. Western Bulldogs means even less than what West Coast does. With West Coast there is mention of a coast- Western Bulldogs is a direction and an animal. If West Coast means nothing then Western Bulldogs represents even less than that!

For the 1999 season, North Melbourne dropped their name to just run with their nickname – Kangaroos. No direction here just one word – Kangaroos. Two Victorian and also thus two Melbourne clubs, with pointless names that stood for nothing. When Kangaroos v Western Bulldogs (or how it is was usually orally described –'The Kangaroos v The Bulldogs') played each other it looked utterly ludicrous because on the same round Essendon would be clashing with Hawthorn, Collingwood, St Kilda, Geelong, Richmond, Carlton, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Fremantle or Port Adelaide. Sometimes the last mentioned would be written as Port Power, but still there was minimal problem with them being Port Adelaide- no one 'corrected' someone who said the words Port Adelaide.

West Coast was different because unlike the Bulldogs and the Kangaroos- their meaningless name was all they had known. The West Coast Eagles first appeared in 1987, just as Adelaide arrived on the scene in 1991 and Fremantle commenced in the AFL in 1995. West Coast did not have 100 years of history behind them as a club with a previous name like Footscray and North Melbourne. Nobody has 4 or 5 generations of family tradition following the West Coast Eagles as is the case with the name changed Footscray and North Melbourne.

However for the 2008 season, the 'Kangaroos' as the name of that club on the scoreboard is over. They have come to their senses and reverted back to North Melbourne. So this leaves just two clubs with meaningless names.

The West Coast is a silly name- I wish they would alter it to something else. I understand that changing to Perth isn't really an option, with there being a traditional WAFL club named Perth. Swan would be no good either, too similar to Swan Districts and the Swans in Sydney. Lillee- Marsh is too supercilious as would be Hughes-Yardley or Gilchrist- Hussey et etc. Yet they are not my team so it isn't the place of FNWB to lecture West Coast supporters about what FNWB reckons that they should do. West Coast fans could easily point to their 3 Premierships in the just over 20 years that they have been alive and kicking and come back with the "We don't care what we are called as long as we win" argument. If they think that way- not caring about the nonentity of a name they possess, well so be it as that is their prerogative- they have been a very successful club in their 20 odd years. I can accept that and once more their club has got nothing to do with anyone else.

Therefore my team is the only silly named Victorian club as the 2008 table above shows. Just look at the difference between the 2007 and 2008 tables and the change of Kangaroos reverting back to North Melbourne. They were Kangaroos from 1999 through to 2007. Then they went back to North Melbourne. Then you hear people say that the Bulldogs have been Western Bulldogs for some time now, so it is too far gone for them to change back to Footscray! I just cannot believe how anyone can possibly think that, North Melbourne changing back, hasn’t hurt them too much has it? Why they only picked up 12,000 odd additional members after reverting back! Yet it would be too long for us Footscray supporters!

Anyway here are some examples of situations where everyone bar one has their genuine name and that one person has their nickname to record them. This reflects the Footscray situation now as the 2009 season approaches, commencing with cricket.

SOME AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAMS

Here are twelve Australian Test Teams from different eras- One player out of the eleven is mentioned by his nickname, the other ten men are presented by their real names. The players are presented sequentially in the charts in the batting order from the FIRST innings. The captain is in BLUE BOLD, the wicket keeper is RED BOLD. You may notice how in the Sydney Test of February 1971 the wicket keeper comes into bat at first drop (number 3), that was when that man went to the wicket to bat in Australia's FIRST innings.

This information comes from the CRICINFO website, which has scorecards from all Test Matches. Please pay this website a visit

http://www.cricinfo.com/

Many of these Australian cricket teams have Footscray connections. Dr Roy Park was a Footscray Premiership hero kicking the winning goal in the 1920 Grand Final. Some of the Victorian cricketers in these Australian teams played at district cricket level for the Footscray Cricket Club. Ken Eastwood, Ray Bright and Alan Hurst (although Bright and Hurst both moved on to other clubs) are three of them. Tony Dodemaide and Merv Hughes saw Footscray hearts bursting with pride in the Perth Test match of December 1988.

Brownlow Medal Winners from 1954 – 1980

Here are the winning Charles Brownlow Medallists from the Footscray Premiership of 1954 through to 1980 when one of ours Kelvin Templeton triumphed.

# In 1989 the then named VFL decided to award retrospective Brownlow Medals to players who tied with the winner, but lost on the count back system, that had operated up until the 1981 season when that rule was changed.

There are four footballers who played for the Bulldogs inside the above list from this 1954- 1980 timeframe to have won the Charles Brownlow Medal. Peter Box, John Schultz, Gary Dempsey and Kelvin Templeton. They are the four Footscray players, but shouldn't there be five?

However no, that is not the case because the 'obvious isn't it' 1969 winner 'Bulldog' did NOT play for the Bulldogs. The 1969 winner was Fitzroy's Kevin Murray- he was nicknamed Bulldog, although he played for the Lions. His father Dan Murray was a Fitzroy Premiership – but NOT a LIONS flag winner as Fitzroy were not nicknamed the LIONS in 1944. They were the GORILLAS in 1944.

The VFL Competition leading Goalkicker from 1954 – 1980
(it was the VFL from 1897 -1989 becoming the AFL in 1990)

The last year in which the Bulldogs played in a Grand Final was 1961 and the leading Goalkicker that season was a bloke named Turkey Tom from Carlton? Actually no as Turkey Tom is not someone's real name. The winner's real name is Tom Carroll and 'Turkey Tom' is one of those rare people who happened to be born on the 29th February.

Grand Final winning teams from the other 11 Victorian clubs

Here below are Grand Final winning team from the other 11 Victorian clubs- going back in time from Hawthorn in 1978 to South Melbourne's last triumph in 1933. Then there are three Footscray teams beginning with the men of the 1954 Grand Final victory.

Hawthorn's Winning Grand Final team of 1978

North Melbourne's Winning Grand Final team of 1977

Richmond's Winning Grand Final team of 1974

Carlton's Winning Grand Final team of 1970

St Kilda's Winning Grand Final team of 1966

Essendon's Winning Grand Final team of 1962

Melbourne's Winning Grand Final team of 1960

Collingwood's Winning Grand Final team of 1958

Geelong's Winning Grand Final team of 1952

Fitzroy's Winning Grand Final team of 1944

South Melbourne's Winning Grand Final team of 1933

Footscray's Winning Grand Final team of 1954

Footscray's Grand Final team of 1961

Footscray's Record Score registering team of 1978

So there above are some sporting teams which reflect the situation of the red, white and blue team. With Footscray now going by a nickname we fit in well with a bulldog that played for the other original 'F' team- Fitzroy. As for other AFL nicknames we have the (fat) cat, two tigers, a demon and a bomber. However you cannot forget the woofer before we leave the animals and head for the genuine Western connotations- with the Swamp's, Cowboys, Crazy Horses, Nuggets and Horseshoe. Then don't discard the hookers, dashers and slashers amongst the Dainty and well dressed Baron with the irony of one of the great fashion conscious men of football- being called Ragsy. We can be directed towards our cultural cringe brain dead monotony of Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, to replace some South Melbourne bloke of 1933 called Hans. Then it isn't Paul Anka playing quoits- Footscray blokes did have original sounding nicknames like Onka and Doits in the old days before Johnno and Westy. though Rocky could be anyone. Maybe Tangles missed the Big Ship back to Tassie with his teammate Iron Gloves.

The Hawthorn team of 1978 has a player there named 'Bomber'- the nickname of John Hendrie. Two of the three men from Hawthorn's centreline later went on to coach one of the Victorian teams. Geoff Ablett was the man of the three who didn't coach at senior level. Actually they could have been quite appropriately displayed as Plough and Rocket considering they coached 'the club with the nickname in the actual name' yes us the Bulldogs.

Melbourne's 1960 Grand Final Winning Team

One of the Melbourne players is Tiger. The rover Ian Ridley was nicknamed Tiger as was Brent Crosswell of the 1970 Carlton table above So Tiger is the nickname here amongst the 19 other players and their proper names.

However the point about names and nicknames with this 1960 Grand Final team is that one player does have his nickname used instead of his genuine given name. That is the fullback 'Tassie' Johnson. Throughout his career the man who came from Launceston- Robert Johnson was seemingly always known as Tassie or Tas Johnson. This was because he was one of three Johnson's in the team with Trevor Johnson and also the forward pocket Robert Johnson 'Big Bob' Johnson. To minimise confusion the man from the Apple Isle was branded 'Tassie.' Melbourne (and Tasmania's) Team of the Century fullback was always recorded as Tassie Johnson. The Tassie was never abbreviated to 'the letter t' Johnson as this would have been too confusing with the other T. Johnson – Trevor. The fullback also never saw his name abbreviated to 'the letter r' Johnson as this would become ambiguous with the other Robert Johnson (Big Bob Johnson) Therefore it was always Tassie Johnson.

The three T. Johnson's played their part in probably the most underrated Grand Final performance of all time. Melbourne restricted their Grand Final opponents Collingwood to 4 scoring shots for the entire game. Holding Collingwood to a final score of 2.2.14 in that 1960 Grand Final should be one of the most celebrated efforts in a Grand Final- the Demons should be shouting it from the rooftops. Melbourne humbled the 2nd best team for that season- not the 12th best but the runners up to the Premiership.

The Tassie Johnson situation is an example of where the necessity of a nickname must (and was) used correctly and appropriately. It helped to minimise confusion over identities of these great Melbourne footballers. Footscray supporters should remember or know that Trevor Johnson was the man that Merv Hobbs took that famous spectacular mark over in the 1961 Preliminary Final- our second greatest day after the 1954 Grand Final.

Tassie Johnson was Melbourne's captain for the 1969 season when 'Bulldog' won the Brownlow Medal. One of Tassie's Demon teammates in 1969 was fellow Tasmanian- 'Tangles'

All of Australia's Prime Ministers from 1901 to 2009

Here below are Australia's Prime Ministers from federation to the present incumbent Kevin Rudd. All are mentioned including those who performed the role in a temporary or caretaker stint for example Frank Forde and Jack McEwen. One of these Prime Ministers is mentioned by his nickname (which is not really a complimentary one- I doubt Julian’s dad would have liked what the media labelled him)

So who are these nicknamed men?

As for nicknames and genuine names, Footscray cannot be confused with any other team which is the exact opposite of Bulldogs and Western who can and do. The Rugby League club from Sydney –the blue and white coloured (but no red) Bulldogs of Canterbury is one case, South Fremantle the red and white coloured (but no blue) bulldogs from Western Australia is one more example. In the AFL we have the West Coast and Western Bulldogs, in the near future there shall be another new team and they will be from the western suburbs/ western region of Sydney. It is near on a certainty that this new franchise will be known as the Western something or another. West and Western will be there and all not quiet on three Western fronts. Then it needs to be mentioned though that there may be only two Westerns or Wests, if we - the Western Bulldogs are relocated up there. It is an easily believable possibility and it could quite comfortably be achieved in the same manner that South Melbourne became Sydney- their nickname of the Swans remaining so the South Melbourne Swans became the Sydney Swans. Our name wouldn't have to be changed unlike South Melbourne, as we are the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne and we would be the same as the Western Bulldogs at home in Sydney.

So there are a few more reasons and scenarios as to why we must revert back to Footscray. So for goodness sake make it occur before it is too late. Is it true that Homebush- the Olympic Stadium is a windy and wet place with little shelter from the elements?