by Dan Lonergan
Having a strong emotional attachment to an AFL Football club in fact any sporting entity can be a health hazard, especially if that team has promised so much and generally delivered so little in the case of the Western Bulldogs.
Between 1980 and 1982, when I was aged 11 to 13 the Dogs won 10 games in three seasons and I was so passionate about my footy team but also immature as a kid that I cried every time they lost. My parents certainly went through plenty of boxes of tissues during this time. I have always been nervous watching the Bulldogs and my mood every week after they played particularly early on was set on the result of the game and again up until 1990, I would start many weeks pretty annoyed.
I would be nervous when I went to watch them as a spectator and for many seasons, I was fortunate to live my dream of being a sports broadcaster at the ABC and call heaps of footy including Bulldogs games.
My fellow callers, like the late, great Drew Morphett knew they were in for a tense but entertaining day at the Footy as even though I reckon I called as impartially as possible, I got excited when the opposition kicked goals like the Dogs and made sure it was the same level of excitement.
I will admit although I saw myself as a professional sports media operator that I probably rode the bumps and showed some emotion in the box at times, which may have I hope in a nice way drove my colleagues mad like Drew, Stan Alves, Mark Maclure, Adam White, Adam Ramanauskas and Tim Lane.
Sometimes I thought believe it or not even despite having the best job in the world, broadcasting sport, commentating Dogs games was like a prison sentence, which is both stupidity and a poor sense of humour on my behalf as you were stuck there and if they were getting belted, there was no where to go.
When I didn’t go and watch them live, I would get so nervous and often refuse to put the TV on like the Adelaide and Bulldogs game on Friday night in Round two. The Dogs had enjoyed a great start with two wins, but were heading to a bogey ground the Adelaide Oval where they hadn’t tasted victory in their past five outings and Adelaide had star game changer, Izak Rankine back.
I am a three quarters glass empty or glass in the cupboard type Bulldogs supporter, so pessimistic, which drives my brother mad. He actually doesn’t mind it if I don’t watch a Bulldogs game with him or all of it as I can get fired up and go over the top. Despite the Dogs being the slight favourites, Negative Nelly wasn’t confident after the Crows kicked off their season last week with an excellent and rare MCG triumph over Collingwood.
The Bulldogs defence seems a bit better this year despite not finding a quality and experienced key defender, which was their major weakness in 2025 and Adelaide in particular exposed them at Docklands with Fogarty, Tex (Walker), and Thilthorpe getting hold of their tall defenders.
It’s a small sample but in the first two games, the Bulldogs had resorted to a team defence with many players flooding back to try and help the backline, making it hard for those tall opposition forwards to not get the one on one battles they all crave.
After a lovely long soothing run with 57 year old aching legs and a sore lower back, before heading over to my Friday evening ritual, dinner at my local, the best Italian restaurant in the world in my opinion, D’Asportivo in Williamstown North, I had a gander at the start of the game and the Dogs kicked the first three and the defence held up. I thought I am hungry and that will do, the Bulldogs are up and on fire so let’s go and eat some fantastic Italian on a empty stomach with a happy disposition.
The Crows did though boot the next four, bringing up memories of consecutive goals conceded against the good teams right throughout last season, which was the difference between Luke Beveridge’s team playing in September or going on holidays before Bont’s October wedding.
I nervously checked the scores while tucking into the pasta special, Pappardalle pasta with the best seasoned pork sausage, mushrooms and crisp prosciutto, beautiful home made bread and a side of my favourite vegetable, Zucchini, which was sautéed, along with an icy cold beer washed down with a blood orange soft drink. As usual a ten out of ten dish, with the flavours perfect.
I chatted with the owner, one of life’s greatest humans, Antoinetta and her husband, Claude called from the factory. He is a mad keen Dogs supporter and told me we were in front and would win. He is much more positive than me. Claude and Antoinette and their business, which has a number of restaurants and operates the Williamstown beach Kiosk also provides food to a number of AFL clubs including the Dogs and actually sent out their magnificent food including loads of focaccias to the Airport before the Dogs boarded the plane for that mighty win in Brisbane. They wouldn’t, but Claude and Antoinetta could say they played a big part in that victory in opening round.
After finishing a delightful meal with an ice coffee, I headed back home knowing the margin at three quarter time was 18 points the Dogs way. I was toey as usual, but the defence had been good restricting the Crows’ dangerous forwards in front of their rabid home crowd to 55 points at the last change. The Dogs had scored 73, with Jordan Butts frustrating Sam Darcy to the point that the prodigious talent had a brain fade earlier in the match in giving away a 100 metre penalty, but Butts missed the sitter directly in front.
Baku Khamis according to my brother Tim, who I watched the last quarter with, said he had played the game of his life at full back keeping the dangerous Thilthorpe in check. So there were unsung backline heroes at both ends of the ground. Aaron Naughton, much to my relief as ignored sitting in one of the chairs in the living room and elected stand viewing the action on tender hooks, kicked a goal after a great tackle from behind to extend the lead to 24. Still 17 minutes plus change to go, but this idiot could dare to dream his team was going to win their opening three games of the season for the first time since 2021 when they made the Grand Final.
Despite my ingrained pessimism, I felt the Dogs had the game in control having answered all of Adelaide’s challenges, but all of a sudden the game flipped with the Bulldogs a bit shaky with their passes through the corridor missing targets and the Crows’ stars of which there are many finally got involved. Josh Rachelle, a brilliant soccer junior, showed why with a wonderful soccered goal and I know it was only one goal and the margin still 18 points, but I could feel the sweat on my mostly bald head.
The crowd’s noise ramped up and Adelaide ignited as they kicked five in a row to hit the lead for just the second time and had all the momentum with the Dogs unable to get much of the ball and when they did get it forward that unheralded virtual no name Adelaide backline double, triple and quadruple teamed Darcy, Naughton and Co and diffused all high balls.
I was more numb than animated as Jordan Dawson converted a set shot, Rachelle kicked another, Walker was on his own as the Dogs defence reverted to 2025 style unaccountability and snapped around the body and then that irresistible match winner, Rankine kicked an impossible goal for everyone bar him hard on the boundary.
Crows by six and even though the time had malfunctioned, so we were unsure how much time was left, that sinking feeling that entered my stomach when the Dogs were in trouble was there in full force as I was sure Adelaide had more than enough time to run away with it.
Last year, they certainly would have, but the Dogs own irresistible match winner, Marcus Bontempelli, quiet by his mountainous lofty standards, took over by roving a ball in the forward line off the pack after Darcy crashed it. His handpass found Bailey Williams, fast becoming a miracle worker in front of goal, and he snapped a beauty to level the scores and then a behind gave them the lead.
The clock had gone haywire again or more accurately the count down clock, but my brother and I guessed around three minutes left, so anyone’s game again between two good sides. I went for a nervous one and returned as Bont had the footy again and set up Oskar Baker, who was running frantically when he received close to the boundary and curled a ripper for his third of the night to give the Dogs breathing space by seven points.
I jumped up and down and thought, gee! Despite still not being aware of how much time remained, it had to be less than 2 minutes, so Adelaide must score two goals to pinch it. The count down clock reappeared and Dan Lonergan’s perspiration ran everywhere, 87 seconds left and the home team with the crowd screaming went forward and big Tex still looking like he has plenty of good footy left with that big right foot took a mark.
I was pacing the floor much to my brother’s chagrin wearing the tiles out, Sorry Tim! Knowing that Tex even on an angle 50 metres out was a big chance to kick it, but he hit the post and I exhaled so loudly, I reckon everyone in Williamstown heard it. I then pumped my fist when the siren sounded and for the second time in a matter of weeks, the Bulldogs beat a top team from last year away from home after having the lead then losing it only to regain it.
3 from 3 to start the season and the Bulldogs social media forums, as expected, generally positive although a couple went early when Adelaide took the lead again blaming the coach as they always do when a loss was looming. It was the first time this season I had heard from these recidivists, who have been calling for ‘’Bevo’s’ head for years.
He has won 147 games from 256 matches, easily the Dogs most successful coach and gets them out of the blocks quickly in 2026. A bye next week, which might have come up at the wrong time as the negativity in me believes it could stymie momentum and over the next five weeks, a tough draw including Hawthorn for Gather Round, Gold Coast away, Freo in Perth and Sydney.
Despite being in good form, I am very worried about all of those and before that on Easter Sunday is Essendon, another team they have the wood over. That should be a win, but remember this is the Bulldogs we are talking about. You can never rest easily, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
ADELAIDE 3.0 5.2 8.7 13.10 (88)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.4 7.5 11.7 14.11 (94)
GOALS
Adelaide: Walker 3, Thilthorpe 2, Fogarty 2, Rachele 2, Butts, Soligo, Dawson, Rankine
Western Bulldogs: Freijah 3, Naughton 3, Baker 3, Williams 2, Croft, Bontempelli, Darcy
BEST
Adelaide: Butts, Worrell, Dawson, Thilthorpe, Walker
Western Bulldogs: Freijah, Richards, Khamis, Liberatore, English, Naughton
INJURIES
Adelaide: Ah Chee (right hamstring)
Western Bulldogs: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Adelaide: Hugh Bond (illness), replaced in selected side by Chayce Jones
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Crowd: 49,185 at Adelaide Oval
Read Dan Lonergan’s debut piece HERE.
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A great, great read Dan!
As ‘Rabbit in the Vineyard’ my allegiances are to South Sydney in the NRL, however as a rusted-on Bunnies member living in Brisbane for 32 years (until 2023) I can relate to much of your mindset around your beloved Bulldogs … as Souths struggled for most of that time, and were even out of the comp for two long seasons
As I drove home to the Barossa (yes, ‘tough’ place to live, as JTH will agree!) from Adelaide on Friday night I tuned into the game, rather than the NRL.
What a contest indeed!
I really enjoy your writing!
Great piece Dan.
I’m totally on the same wave length it must’ve been the heartache we endured in those early years. I turn 57 next month.
My Canadian born wife who has lived in Oz for 20 years can’t work out my ingrained pessimism. You love your team, you should have belief in them. I think it’s the fact my 12 year old has, by osmosis, the same outlook as me now that has her attempting to pump some positivity into the room. Mum are you watching? The Crows just kicked 5 unanswered goals in 15 minutes and we are a goal down. Of course I want us to win but it’s not looking good!
She was right, we were thankfully wrong, thank you Bulldogs. Two of your biggest fans will try to be more positive.