I should have prepared for this game by watching a replay of the Doggies defeat of the reigning premiers on their home deck to open their 2026 account. This seemed the obvious approach given I had reported on the Giants’ home opener against the Hawks. Or, I could have tuned in to one of the plethora of ‘talking head’ shows on any of the networks or online, maybe even read a recap of the battle between these shows in the press (really?). Instead, I watched some old clips of the SANFL from 1975 and 1976 on YouTube (plus a clip of Skynyrd playing ‘Free Bird’). I am nothing if not unconventional.
I have been more of an SANFL follower in recent years anyway (sometimes even No-FL). I have dabbled in the AFL here and there, drifted in and out (usually around Mali’s Gather Round), but haven’t tended to stay too long before venturing back to the safe and familiar confines of the SANFL when the ‘noise’ gets too much.
But the AFL starts earlier and earlier these days, and the SANFL doesn’t kick off for another couple of weeks, so a bloke might as well get his eye in with a few of these early season AFL games.
(Full disclosure: I did watch the first episode of ‘Final Siren’ on Amazon when it came out. It covered Toby Greene and Marcus Bontempelli so can probably be counted as pre-game preparation. I stopped after the first episode because, jeez, life’s short enough as it is …)
The Western Bulldogs versus the GWS Giants at Marvel Stadium from 115pm on a Saturday afternoon is pretty ‘AFL’.
A club that used to be known as Footscray and play its home games on a terraced, often muddy, suburban oval in the (then ungentrified) inner-west of Melbourne, up against an expansion club (wholly owned by the AFL commission) installed in Sydney’s growing Western Suburbs, a cultural melting pot of 2.8 million people, but a loooong way from the Aussie Rules heartland (call me cynical but …). All this takes place in a roofed stadium (naturally closed to protect all from the 22 degrees and no rain outside) that is also owned by the AFL and named for a comic book company that is in turn owned by the entertainment behemoth that created Mickey Mouse. Yep.
But as they say, don’t hate the player, hate the ‘game’. So, let’s try and have a decent crack at this!
Well, at least I gave it a decent crack, which is more than I can say of the Giants.
Bontempelli, Liberatore, Richards, English, Naughton, Darcy (it was pretty much all the Dogs to be honest) just gave it to them. Blokes were lining up to fill their boots in front of goal. Personal milestones were being eyed off. The experienced brigade of the Giants that got the job done against the Hawks last week, were nowhere this week. Not just quieter, they were non-existent. The Giants got smashed, pure and simple.
What does one write about after such a comprehensive win as this? Do you continue to heap praise on the Bulldogs? They are 2-0 and flying when 1-1 would have still been a pass mark from their draw. Do you skewer the Giants? Themselves sitting at an acceptable 1-1 with a pile of blokes still out. Or do you go for something left field? Left field it is.
Moustaches to be precise. These Bulldogs love a stand-alone moustache. I counted nine in this lineup. Superb! Oskar ‘The Buccaneer’ being the standout with his glorious handlebar number. Add to that a couple of solid beards from Bont and Williams. Then there is Naughton with his curly blonde mop. All this in a side that racked up 20+ goals. This lot wouldn’t be out of place in the 1978 Dogs lineup.
Surely they could truck out the red shorts again and get the lads to pull up the hooped socks. Maybe someone like young O’Donnell could make up for his lack of ‘tache action by donning the Ugg boots in the back row of the team photo?
1978, I was only in primary school, but I could handle a return to 1978. Football was football. You lined up in a position and stayed there until you were getting beaten. You only came to the bench if you were being dragged or were horrendously injured.
In 1978 there were no layered structures, stoppages, clearances, release options, maintaining length, or spread from contest. A North Star was just a bloke that played for the Kangaroos. (All of the above terms were sourced from a game summary on the AFL website.)
Footy was played on suburban grounds, in the weather. Forwards were forwards, not offense. Defense was not dee-fence. 6-6-6 was the number of the beast. Bruce Doull played for Carlton. Good times!
But I am snapped from my nostalgic stupor by the most unlikely source (an interview with Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age discussing signature guitar amplifiers).
I am reminded that life is about what is now, not what it was.
I know that the next young kid in a small town can really get behind this current batch of Bulldogs. Bring back those red shorts and I’m definitely on board as well!
There is one other thought that I would like to share in closing. Having ‘Anarchy In The UK’ come on the radio as you drive in to the office carpark is the best way to start any workday, let alone when it happens on a Friday. (A little nostalgia is ok.) Do with that as you wish.
Take it easy.
More from Greg A can be read Here.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 5.1 11.1 16.6 21.8 (134)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 2.3 4.5 6.8 7.11 (53)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 6, Darcy 4, Bontempelli 3, Baker 2, Davidson 2, Hynes, Liberatore, Kennedy, Bramble
Greater Western Sydney: Callaghan 2, Greene, Rowston, Riccardi, O’Halloran, Coniglio
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Khamis, Naughton, English, Kennedy, Jaques
Greater Western Sydney: Greene, Fonti, Ash, Himmelberg
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Lewis (head)
Greater Western Sydney: Himmelberg (chin)
Crowd: 28,318 at Marvel Stadium
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Greg
Very good read with a different slant. Your comment re the history of the Clubs brought back a memory of the Dogs banner for the 2016 prelim against GWS.
‘ Our club was born in blood and boots / not in AFL focus groups’
As a Dogs supporter at the game we all loved it and fairly sure the players didn’t read it but they played like they had.
Cheers
HK
Cheers Hayden.
I have written about GWS the past couple of weeks and the focus group phrase kept popping in to my head, but I couldn’t remember where it had come from. Thanks.
It was a theme that I had played around with when comparing them to both Hawthorn and the Bulldogs, suburban VFA/VFL clubs that had arisen out of the mud of the Glenferrie and Western ovals respectively to get to where they are now.
You can’t develop culture and soul in focus groups.
Nor by just putting together a bunch of super-talented high draft picks (with the egos to match).
Right or wrong, I still see GWS as a franchise rather than a club.
Even Adelaide and Brisbane had to grow out of ATCO huts, cobbled together lists, and away trips to inhospitable suburban grounds.