Western Bulldogs shake-up as long-serving president David Smorgon hands over power

THE 17-year reign of Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon is over.

In a shock move, Smorgon, 65, has tonight agreed to hand power to former club president Peter Gordon for the 2013 season.

Smorgon took over the top job at Whitten Oval in 1996 - from anti-merger hero Gordon.

Shifting the deck chairs?

Anything to stop Dimattina one suspects

Anything to stop Dimattina one suspects

quite possibly.

I fear for the Dogs

I see them in a not to disimilar spot to the MFC a couple of years ago.

Team now of average quality, low members numbers, Debt and looking to re build with Kids.

Sounds like the MFC 2009

I fear for the Dogs

I see them in a not to disimilar spot to the MFC a couple of years ago.

Team now of average quality, low members numbers, Debt and looking to re build with Kids.

Sounds like the MFC 2009

being in debt & playing home games at Etihad Stadium must be a nightmare position.

Etihad is an AFL problem that certain clubs have had pushed on them.

If the season was different and we snagged a couple more wins and the Dog's finished below us then they would have probably participated in the MD and taken Hogan, they would have had a better bargaining chip for Dawes and they probably would have bid on Viney.

This draft could have been their saving grace, instead it's ours. Ironically being just a little bit crapper than them may have saved our skin whilst simultaneously sinking them.

And they say there is no incentive to tank. Lol. Not saying we did though- but the incentive is undeniable!

Reign man.

When was the last time we beat the Dogs??

We have only beaten two Victorian teams since the end of 2007

Western Bulldogs shake-up as long-serving president David Smorgon hands over power

reins dee-luded not reigns. you know, as in gee-gees not royalty

When was the last time we beat the Dogs??

We have only beaten two Victorian teams since the end of 2007

We should have beaten them in 2010. Watching Lake go forward and sink us in the closing minutes still rankles me. I remember when the siren went punching the (empty) seat in front of me in frustration. I'd never done it before, haven't done it since. Hoping next year the only thing I will be punching is the air from copious amounts of MFC goals.....

being in debt & playing home games at Etihad Stadium must be a nightmare position.

Etihad is an AFL problem that certain clubs have had pushed on them.

Rumours are the AFL is considering giving the stadium to developers (for apartments), for another parcel of land & building another stadium.

Under consideration.

reins dee-luded not reigns. you know, as in gee-gees not royalty

Calm down daisy, I guarantee you the Sky won't fall on you.

#Edit, Oh, & buy the way daisy, I copy & paste'd it from the paper, to post it quicker.

I fear for the Dogs

I see them in a not to disimilar spot to the MFC a couple of years ago.

Team now of average quality, low members numbers, Debt and looking to re build with Kids.

Sounds like the MFC 2009

Sounds like MFC at anytime over the past six years.

Rumours are the AFL is considering giving the stadium to developers (for apartments), for another parcel of land & building another stadium.

Under consideration.

I wonder if there is any spare land around Casey; supposed to be the demographic centre of Melbourne. Could have a stadium to hold 167,000 just like was planned for VFL Park in the 1960's.

I think from an outsiders point of view Smorgan has been a good President. The 'Dogs have been strugglers off field it seems forever (Mission aside) and yet they thrived on field not far from flags. They now have (as every club states) top notch facilities backing onto a community centre that will allow continues fans for the future. While some of it may not have worked (Western Bulldogs) they as a board and as Smorgan leading them for so long have been an overall positive.

I wonder if there is any spare land around Casey; supposed to be the demographic centre of Melbourne. Could have a stadium to hold 167,000 just like was planned for VFL Park in the 1960's.

Have a read bushy >

http://www.bigfooty....lbourne.972058/

Doesn't mean that it will eventuate, but it has been discussed.

I'd suggest a site close to the Nth Melbourne Railway Station, South of Dynan Rd, & West of the Railway Station.

All presidents need to retire at some time and he's been a great servant of his club. The concern from the article is the level of debt. According to Gordon they are currently $10m in debt..thats double where our peaked and we saw how that affected the club.

All presidents need to retire at some time and he's been a great servant of his club. The concern from the article is the level of debt. According to Gordon they are currently $10m in debt..thats double where our peaked and we saw how that affected the club.

Agree Darkhorse

Seems they need a JS but there are not too many of those about so I think the Dogs are in deep Poo.

It costs Min. $700 000 a year just to pay the Interest before you start.

They should amalgamate with North.

But of course that will not even get discussed.

They should amalgamate with North.

But of course that will not even get discussed.

History shows that mergers are painful without surety they will work.

And there is no sense in putting one weak side together with another weak side.

being in debt & playing home games at Etihad Stadium must be a nightmare position.

Etihad is an AFL problem that certain clubs have had pushed on them.

Certain clubs. Not sure Footscray were one of them. IIRC, weren't they co-tenants at Princes and gladly signed on as co-tenants at Docklands stadium?

Certain clubs. Not sure Footscray were one of them. IIRC, weren't they co-tenants at Princes and gladly signed on as co-tenants at Docklands stadium?

i think Footscray signed on because there was no alternative.

Essendung are the only club who make money there. They signed the first deal and ticked all the extra boxes.

We should have beaten them in 2010. Watching Lake go forward and sink us in the closing minutes still rankles me. I remember when the siren went punching the (empty) seat in front of me in frustration. I'd never done it before, haven't done it since. Hoping next year the only thing I will be punching is the air from copious amounts of MFC goals.....

I agree we should have won that game. From memory, that was a cold, wet Friday night and it was the match that supported breast cancer research. I was there, wore my pink poncho, got soaked, couldn't see much due to the heavy rain and to top it all we lost a gamethat we should have won. There were some very poor umpiring decisions that night......

History shows that mergers are painful without surety they will work.

And there is no sense in putting one weak side together with another weak side.

I will not bore you to death RR because I think you know my thoughts on the number of teams

However there are too many in Victoria and as I see it the the ways to reduce the number all seems to hard for everyone.

Mergers will never be raised by the AFL or clubs after the Demons and Hawks affair

The only way I see a reduction happening is the AFL will have to let a club fail after a long and painful death

Or move a side interstate.

It was tried with North and did not happen.

So where this all ends is anyone's guess.

But I really believe a club or two are going to fail by the end of this decade.

The prime candidates are the MFC, western Bulldogs or North