WESTERN BULLDOGS HAS FAILED There you have 15 points as to why our name should not
have been changed in the first place. Perhaps you were prepared
to tolerate or accept the name change and wait to see whether
it would benefit the club and I respect your decision to
do that. That is your right, even though you didn’t
have the opportunity to vote for or against it.
Nevertheless we have moved into 2004 and I will now prove
beyond doubt why 7 years after the radical divisive changes
were thrust upon us, why we are no better off. Our club
has not been improved by the deletion of Footscray. Consider
the following (1) Have the non-Footscray supporters in the non-Footscray
areas of the Western Suburbs flocked en masse to join up
as members? Do these people believe that as Footscray did
not represent them, the more general term Western does or
will? No not at all. We are still down the bottom of the
membership table and the yearly bleating for more members
is on again in earnest. Are people oblivious to the fact
that they live in the western suburbs? Are they not aware
that the un-elected football club administration decided
to alienate and marginalise traditional Footscray fans in
order to gain their support and acceptance? This sacrifice
of loyal Footscray members to obtain a newer and larger
support base has failed miserably
(2) Have all the thousands of Collingwood and Carlton fans
(and others although the two C’s in particular) that
live in St Albans, Sunshine, Braybrook and the other non-Footscray
western suburbs switched their allegiance to us? Have these
Collingwood and Carlton supporters, (and the 13 other teams
as well) realised that as we ditched Footscray for Western
then they should consider their geographical location and
take up with us? No they definitely have not and if you
want evidence read the next point.
(3) There was a crowd of over 40,000 people in attendance
for the Eastern Magpies v Western Bulldogs clash on Saturday
3rd April 2004. Of that 40,000 the break up I reckon would
be 32,000 of them supporting Collingwood, 5,000 supporting
the Western Bulldogs and the other 3,000 would have been
neutrals, (AFL or MCC members) who didn’t care who
won. Probably between 10,000- 15,000 of the Magpie support
at that game live in Melbourne’s western suburbs or
(western region if you like).
So therefore the majority of people who went to the MCG
for this clash from the western suburbs, went to cheer on
Collingwood not the Western Bulldogs. So why have these
10,000 –15,000 not given up Collingwood and transferred
their allegiance to us? We are now called Western instead
of Footscray and they live in the western suburbs these
Collingwood fans. Shouldn’t the support therefore
be 15,000 –20,000 for the Western Bulldogs and around
17,000 for Collingwood? Try explaining to me now, how changing
the name has broadened our appeal and attracted extra support
in the western suburbs
(4) Have all the Carlton fans, and the 12 other clubs as
well,(we know Collingwood’s answer from the point
above) residing in Footscray now taken up with us because
Footscray was banished? Did they have a complex about where
they lived and didn’t like the F word being mentioned
too many times? Now that there is no Footscray, (the word
that they have a phobia about) they can feel more comfortable
in supporting their local team. Again they don’t.
They stick with Collingwood, Carlton etc.
(5) So who do you follow mate? People from Victoria will
usually answer with Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Footscray,
(if they were asking me, never I have I answered their question
with ‘The other name) Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne,
Richmond or St Kilda. People will look at you with amusement
when you reply with ‘Western Bulldogs’ after
hearing how the previous four had responded to their question
with Geelong, Hawthorn, Essendon and Carlton. I don’t
know what you Fitzroy and North Melbourne fans say. Maybe
you could e-mail me with your thoughts on this?
(6) On the same subject when asked who do you follow, do
you ever hear people reply with –“ Carlton Blues”,
“Collingwood Magpies”, “Essendon Bombers”,
“Geelong Cats”,” Hawthorn Hawks”,
“Melbourne Demons”, “Richmond Tigers”.
“ St Kilda Saints”? I never hear anyone describe
their team in that way as I never did with “Fitzroy
Lions”, “Footscray Bulldogs”, “North
Melbourne Kangaroos” and “South Melbourne Swans”
Now swap Footscray for Western and just think about how
stupid it sounds.
(7) Same subject with a variation. Often Western is dropped
and replaced with ‘The’. So the pre-season competition
commenced with Richmond playing The Bulldogs. Do you hear
these scenarios? Adelaide v The Saints, Fremantle v The
Bombers, Port v The Cats, Sydney v The Blues, West Coast
v The Magpies, Brisbane v The Hawks, The Demons v The Kangaroos?
Well I suppose you do with the last one. I’m not here
to argue the pro’s and con’s of North Melbourne
changing their name to The Kangaroos or just Kangaroos,
(whatever it is as I don’t know) That is for you people
from Arden Street, (As it is none of my business to involve
myself in affairs of other clubs) to debate, ring up radio
stations, write letters to your club, start web sites etc.
However should you wish to e-mail this site with your beliefs
then good please do, as I want to view your opinions.
(8) The name given on official club documents is Footscray
trading as Western Bulldogs. Doesn't sound right for a football club. Can't imagine seeing -
"Collingwood trading as Eastern Magpies, Carlton trading as Northern Blues, Melbourne trading as Central Demons, Geelong trading as Country Cats" etc.
(9) We should have 100,000
members. There are over 500,000 people in Melbourne’s
western region. So if one in five suddenly realised that
they were duty bound to follow us because we are swapped
the name Footscray for western then one tenth of a million
people would be Western Bulldogs members. As we have around
25,000 members where are the other 75,000?
(10) Footscray the area is now a booming in house prices
so the area is no longer undesirable,(if it ever really
was) So some may have stooped to the twisted logic that
we should be embarrassed of our name for what it represented
in 1996.Yet now in 2004 we don’t need make excuses
about living in Footscray anymore as it has become trendy.
Shame can be reserved for living in other suburbs now (Again
if shame was ever an emotion you had about Footscray)
(11) Why has the directional name,(north, south ,east ,west)
not caught on with other clubs or are they 8 years behind
us? Why are they slow at picking up the obvious benefits
of having their traditional suburban title altered to parallel
our initiative where the nickname is preceded by the NSEW
direction. How many years will it take before we are playing
against the Northern Blues, Eastern Magpies, Western Bombers,
Country Cats, Eastern Hawks, Central Demons, Eastern Tigers
and Southern Saints? Anyhow although these clubs are lagging
behind us by not changing their names, please refer to the
draw for this upcoming season. I have made the necessary
alterations for when these clubs understand that the capitol
of Virginia,(and thus the old Confederacy) and Lord Nelson’s
deputy at the Battle of Trafalgar are names that must be
thrown on the scrap heap. Who cares about Carl’s ton?
So what if he made a century facing the bowling of G. Long
and Colin Wood (who would if he could but he can’t?)
Where was Mal born and was Wendy the name of the woman that
saint killed? Who is S. N. Don anyway and is he connected
to Lord Haw Haw Thorn? Our club is leading the way- dispense
with your place name and adopt a directional word followed
by your nickname
(12) I always reply to supporters of other clubs with this
question- “So would you be happy to be known as the
Northern Blues, Eastern Magpies, Western Bombers, Country
Cats, Eastern Hawks, Central Demons, Eastern Tigers and
Southern Saints”. Oddly enough all of them says no
and “ I see what you mean” after they initially
query my disgust at the Footscray / Western Bulldogs saga.
They it seems are more than happy that their club is slow
off the mark in adopting the directional nickname. I have
never met a Carlton supporter who wants to become the Northern
Blues. The same with Collingwood and Eastern Magpies, Essendon
………
(13) When reading or on the computer with the television
on in the background, I immediately tune in when I hear
the word Bulldogs in anticipation of hearing information
of the Sons of the Scray. However I need not bother looking
up when Sandra Sully, George Donikian, Tim Webster, Matthew
White, Les Murray, Mieke Buchan, John Mangos, Lee Lin Chin,
Terry Willesee, Gary Wilkinson or whoever else mentions
the Bulldogs word. I have wasted my time as they are nearly
always talking about the RUGBY team from New South Wales.
If the above were to say FOOTSCRAY then I would know to
tune in. This scenario also occurs with headings in newspapers
and Radio Bulletins. Call us Footscray and there is no confusion.
(14) Now link the above to the recent allegations linked
to the Bulldogs. Four Bulldogs players up on a rape charge. ‘Oh no’ I thought, (and so did you)
when we first heard these allegations on the radio. Happily
though we didn’t have to worry as it was about the RUGBY TEAM from NEW SOUTH
WALES. Nevertheless it was enough to confuse a
high profile MELBOURNE journalist as commenting
on the incident this Melbourne journalist referred to the
team as the Western Bulldogs. Despite living
in Victoria this journalist mentioned Western Bulldogs instead
of Canterbury Bulldogs! His newspaper, (the Melbourne Herald
Sun) in a bolt from the blue did provide a clarification
the next day (not an apology just a cross between a clarification
and retraction) at the conclusion of his column. This particular
journalist may not be familiar with football or the names
of different football or rugby clubs here in Australia.
He may know the names of rugby clubs in South Africa, New
Zealand or other places though I wouldn’t know this
or care either way. What I do care about though is if we
were Footscray and not Western Bulldogs or just ‘The
Bulldogs’ as is the case when the Western is dropped,
this most unfortunate connection between them and us would
not be eventuate.
(15) Any new convert to our game may not know that we were
formerly known as Footscray. They would probably assume
that this team who plays in red, white and blue has never
won a premiership. They could also safely conclude that
no player of ours has collected a Charles Brownlow, John
Coleman or Norm Smith medal. They would be right about the
Norm Smith medal as of course we haven’t. (Maybe John
Kerr or Jack Collins if it is ever to be retrospectively
awarded). The same new convert to our great Australian game
would therefore also assume that Scott West has won Best
and Fairest awards with two clubs!
(16) How do you explain to a recently arrived (ie. post
1996) migrant who has moved to Footscray from wherever,(overseas/interstate
etc) the name change?. Do you inform them that the suburb
that they reside in, had their football team’s name
changed because the hierarchy are ashamed of that name?
They may believe that the football club were embarrassed
by their presence in Footscray so they changed our name
to escape them?
(17) Just as well the council amalgamations took place and
new names invented as was the case with the City of Footscray
replaced by the City of Maribyrnong. It would be somewhat
embarrassing explaining to the Footscray council that- Thanks
for the millions of dollars you and your ratepayers have
put into this club since the 1800’s. However we think
that your name is no longer suitable. (Third rate losers
lacking success) We will still take whatever money you give
to us, but we don’t want your name. There was one
good reason for Jeff Kennett’s government merging
councils. Embarrassment problem does therefore does not
occur for Western Bulldogs administration. If the council
that Footscray and Yarraville residents pay their rates
to was still the City of Footscray, then that council would
have every justification in asking for all the money back
that they donated to the football club since the 1880’s
and with interest too.
(18) Many people who gravitated to the Footscray football
club for whatever reason have never lived on the western
side of Melbourne. If you follow Footscray and your abode
is in the eastern, northern or southern suburbs what does
Western mean to you? How is the name Western going to magnetically
attract people from the eastern, northern or southern areas
when it is woefully unable to draw people
from the Western suburbs? The club should
be making attempts to grab people from all areas from Melbourne
(and beyond)
(19) What about those Footscray fans from the rural areas
in particular east Gippsland? We had a substantial following
from that region due to the old days of zoning. Bairnsdale,
Sale, Leongatha, Traralgon and other smaller towns were
a fine recruiting ground for us. Remember these places are
where we obtained Kelvin Templeton, Brian Royal and Steven
Wallis and many other players. Why would anyone from the Eastern environs of Victoria be so wrapped
up in a team named Western?
(20) The cumbersome procedure of displaying both titles
with the slash symbol. Footscray/Western Bulldogs is often
stated in documents or official club functions. This is
to make distinctions between pre October 1996 and Post October
1996. It is an unnecessary nuisance and looks ridiculous.
Obliterate western, (because it is impossible to scrub Footscray
from old books) and this embarrassing pick one or the other
scenario is gone for good.
(21) “Yes I don’t like the name change either
but they are really Footscray. I still call them Footscray”
Now I have been told a million times not to exaggerate,
but I have heard that comment, well on at least 54,000 occasions
and my reply to the above quote is- “ No they are
not still Footscray. Where do you see Footscray printed?
I don’t see it on any fixtures and new yearbooks will
not list Footscray except in pre October 1996 nostalgia.
The club song has erased all mentions of Footscray”
Sons of the Scray, is now Sons of the West and ‘That
made old Footscray’s name’ is now sung as ‘The
team of the mighty West’. Now Western Bulldogs or
‘The Bulldogs’ replaces Footscray for past players.
Three of our champions died last year, Roger Duffy, Norman
Ware and Wally Donald. Newspaper and radio bulletins commented
on their deaths as former players of the Western Bulldogs
or The Bulldogs. They never played for the Western Bulldogs
it was only ever Footscray. The media has certainly forgotten
that we were Footscray. In his autobiography ‘Sacked
Coach’ Stan Alves refers to a crunch game against
us in the 1996 season (whilst he was St Kilda coach) as
Western Bulldogs. No one had heard of the name then Stan!
Don’t ever refer to Jack Collins, the seven goal hero,
of Saturday 25th September 1954 as a former Western Bulldogs
player. He will set the record straight with you about who
he played for. Jack was and still is a true Footsconian.
(22) Doug Hawkins played 350 league games but for who? The
two teams he played for are no longer mentioned in fixtures.
I will tell you that he played 21 with a now defunct club
and 329 with some mob that’s name is nowhere to be
seen. Therefore a younger person not familiar with history
may conclude that the club he played 329 games with is no
more as well? Justin Madden participated in over 300 senior
games. Some of those games with Essendon and the rest with
Carlton. A young person discovering football history through
books will have no problems ascertaining who Justin Madden
played his games for. With Doug Hawkins well - “Hey
mum, this bloke Doug Hawkins, he played 350 games of AFL
football” “ Well who did he play for mum? Who
was this Footscray and Fitzroy mum?” The same argument
can be extended to Bernie Quinlan and Simon Atkins. If you
swap Fitzroy with North Melbourne, you could include Gary
Dempsey. If South Melbourne was added to North Melbourne
and Footscray the same applies to Gary Cowton, (remember
him the old Crazy Horse Cowton, who we received in a trade
with John Moylan and Mark Williams for Gary Dempsey?) Yes
for one of the greatest ruckmen of all time we traded him
to North Melbourne at the end of the 1978 season for 3 players
from North Melbourne. In 1981 Gary Cowton was playing for
South Melcourne, Mark Williams had left football and whatever
did happen to John Moylan?
(23) The child in the hypothetical argument above will then
ask his/her mother/school teacher this question. “
Mum/Mr Chips(you select) what happened to Fitzroy and Footscray” “ Well Dick/Jane(you select) Fitzroy merged with Brisbane
and Footscray changed their name to Western Bulldogs”
After learning of the reasons for Fitzroy’s merger,
Dick or Jane turns their inquisitiveness to Footscray /Western
Bulldogs. Mum or Mr Chips explains how a new administration
took over control and decided that amongst other things
Footscray was third rate lacking success and losers and
the connotations with the name were an embarrassment. In
other words Dick/Jane it was not a worthy name and Western
sounded better and is easier to spell than Footscray. “So
what was the vote mum/Mr Chips? Was it 90/10 or 70/30 or
51/49” “ Well er………there was
no vote actually it er……… just happened.”
We can teach our youngsters the benefits and disadvantages
of democracy from a young age can’t we?
(24) In 1989 Ross Oakley (and others who knew what was good
for us) proclaimed this new force for the upcoming season-
the Fitzroy Bulldogs. We could now look forward to supporting
the Fitzroy Bulldogs and playing our home games on Carlton’s
ground. What did you fight for back then? Now substitute
the word Fitzroy for Western. Did you really fight so hard
in October 1989 to swap the Ted Whitten and John Gent stands
for the George Harris and John Elliott ones? As mentioned
earlier I can accept the Docklands Stadium, it is a million
miles preferable to the Northern Blues oval. Kicking to
the Coventry or Lockett end is better than the Robert Heatley
Stand or Lygon St goal. We can’t go back to the Whitten
Oval but we definitely can return to being Footscray and
we must.
These are just a few reasons for why the name change has
been a dismal failure. A few more Brazilian rainforests
would need to be logged to provide enough paper for me to
further express my loathing of Western Bulldogs replacing
Footscray.
Funnily enough I am not knocking David Smorgon personally
or necessarily wish him to be replaced as President. I do
appreciate his efforts and commitment even though I don’t
agree with so much of what was implemented. In some ways
I can understand the thinking in trying something new in
an attempt to revitalise the place,(even though the changes
introduced were wrong). I just request that he and his administration
take stock of the feelings of alienated supporters like
myself who feel so insulted that our name was changed and
worse not having any involvement in the decision to alter
it. If there was a vote on it back in 1996 and that vote
went with the idea that we needed to drop our traditional
title for the directional nickname, I would have to tolerate
it. However as we all know there was no election or consultation
and four blokes took control in a bloodless coup and our
heritage was mutilated.
We finished last season one spot above the 17th team. The
Northern Blues may have been a worse side but the cold hard
facts that we have to face cannot be compromised. We won
the wooden spoon following on from 1959, 1967 and 1982.
We are a bit stronger than the teams of those eras as they
only held up 11.The 2003 team supported 15. It can’t
get much worse, would people agree to a second tin rattle?
The television deal and sale of Waverley will keep us going
for two more years but after that we may be pretty much
finished. If there is anything positive from last years
debacle it would have to be that it didn’t happen
later when the television deals are to be re-negotiated.
We have got our season from hell out of the way (or we hope
we have) and maybe these new recruits and Chris Grant’s
return will start the resurgence. Maybe we will be stronger
now that Nathan Brown has followed in the footsteps of David
Thorpe, Robert Mc Ghie and Justin Charles in joining the
Eastern Tigers. Sadly we are not playing the Country Cats
at the Kardinia Park Reserve this year. That barren spell
we had no wins and just the one draw there (in round 1 1957)
from 1945-1971 is now hardly mentioned anymore.
Our great strength has been our high pain threshold. We
are a resilient club and are still going 43 years after
our last Grand Final appearance. People can ridicule and
belittle us till the cows come home but we are still there.
If Carlton. Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond went anywhere
near 43 years without a Grand Final to contest, they would
all have merged with each other years ago. The fact that
our club, which has been ran so incompetently for so much
of our history since 1925 keeps on keeping on is a magnificent
tribute to our eternally loyal support.
The third round of the season at the MCG against the Central
Demons saw us playing in our 1954 jumper. It was not 100%
right as we wore blue shorts for this game and Melbourne
white. This was the reverse as to what happened at the 1954
Grand Final as we wore white shorts. However I suggest we
should give strong consideration to wearing that kit all
the time and ditching the Mickey Mouse costume that is worn
now. It is embarrassing that players the calibre of Scott
West, Rohan Smith, Brad Johnson, Chris Grant and Luke Darcy
run around in what resembles a kindergarten child’s
smock. (Did you notice that I presented their surnames in
reverse alphabetical order? Make the most of that because
it is unlikely you will see R.A.O. used anywhere else).
Sweet 16 again are we.
Whilst I strongly ARGUE IN FAVOUR of the old jumper, I
COMPLETELY DEMAND our REAL NAME.
I have not been a member since 1996 due to
(1) The changes discussed all throughout this document &
(2) The club no longer needed ‘Stick in the muds’,
(as one Melbourne newspaper described traditional Footscray
supporters hostile to the 1996 changes)
I could therefore believe that the new un-elected regime
no longer needed people like me, as 100,000 new members
would come on board with the name being Western. It makes
sense to lose one member, (Stick in the mud me) when you
are going to gain 99,999 others. Can’t argue with
that logic. However what can be argued is where are the
100,000 members? Why are we 75,000 members out? Well they
aren’t coming, if you haven’t noticed so how
about working on coaxing back the disgruntled stick in the
mud people like me? There are more than just yours truly
out there and we haven’t taken up with a rival club.
