9 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Mmmmmm .. I'll concede the year had some pleasing aspects, however, the [censored] ups against Carlton and Geelong left a very sour taste.

I'm not sure where we stand atm. We are certainly a long way off any of the sides I've seen play in the last 3 weeks. 

Not sure I will ever get over those two Bbo.

however today I am just happy that dreams can come true.

Just over joyed for the thousands of long suffering Dogs fans.

I am also happy that in spite of the AFL,s salting of the Sydney mine it fell on its arse.

I'm totally shitty with that result.

It just shows what a joke and fark up we've been over the last 10 years and how a battling and even less resourced  side like the dogs who have experienced the ultimate hardship (losing CEO, coach and captain in the one off season) have reached Mt Everest in the space of 23 months.

I'm in total admiration of the Western Bulldogs and acknowledge how far we're away from even a finals win. 

Its like watching your colleague at work getting that promotion that you've been striving for. Sure you're happy for them but how does it advantage you individually.

Edited October 1, 20168 yr by Bring-Back-Powell

1 minute ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I'm totally shitty with that result.

It just shows what a joke and fark up we've been over the last 10 years and how a battling and even less resourced  side like the dogs who have experienced the ultimate hardship (losing CEO, coach and captain in the one off season) have reached Mt Everest in the space of 23 months.

I'm in total admiration of the Western Bulldogs and acknowledge how far we're away from even a finals win. 

Forget the MFC for 24 hours. There is plenty of time over next five months for that.

I'm very jealous, I admit it.

1 minute ago, Fifty-5 said:

I'm very jealous, I admit it.

I feel jealous too that our side doesn't play with so much heart and soul like the doggies. Brings back memories of all those hundred point thrashings when obviously a lot of our players don't care.

This year has shown that we do have the talent but still lack that mental toughness time and time again.

44 minutes ago, Dante said:

It was like a changing of the guard this year, Hawthorn dropped out early, Geelong were shown up as pretenders, Sydney were walloped by GWS and were only there because they played Geelong to get back in the game.

Sydney were beaten by two teams in the finals that were brutal and hit them with everything, that's what they normally do to other teams.

There are other teams on the verge of the top eight like Melbourne and St Kilda that are on the improve and sides like West Coast and Adelaide that seem to be treading water. If we can improve our list a bit to fill in the missing pieces we can have a real rivalry with the Bullies and GWS, it's up to us now.

Agree with this

Seeing the Doggies today reminded me of the John Northey sides of the late 80s/early 90s. To use a cliche, they had a "red hot go".

I'd love to see the Demons of 2017 (and beyond) play with that level of intensity and commitment. 

Edited October 1, 20168 yr by bingers

5 minutes ago, bingers said:

Seeing the Doggies today reminded me of the John Northey sides of the late 80s/early 90s. To use a cliche, they had a "red hot go".

I'd love to see the Demons of 2017 (and beyond) play with that level of intensity and commitment. 

Too many self serving egos in our team

56 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

If anything the win gives hope that a battling team can beat a club given unfair advantage via the cost of living crap and their Academy.

Exactly my thoughts too.

If and when we get it right - and I really hope that every player, coach, assistant, bootstudder watched this very closely and saw that a team fully committed to one another can beat a privileged team of stars - then we can enjoy the happiness too.  

Totally over the "good on the bulldogs" bollocks.

Bad on everyone but us.

 

 

 

Beginning of the week I was for the Swans but as the week progressed I was moving towards the dogs, but this morning I'd switched back to the Swans because I felt so jealous of the Dogs and I was not wanting them to win at all .. I wanted us to be in their position , I wanted all of us Demonlanders to be basking in all the glory ! How fabulous it would have been ! If it's to be a Victorian Victory it has to be us , if not , make it a interstate side and they can gloat a long way from my face !! 

Today gives me hope.

Hope that if we try our guts out the whole [censored] time... and i mean the whole time... you can get wins

Sad? Nah, I'm happy. Last time they won one we won 5 of the next 6...

This is the first blue collar team to win the flag in a long time. This gives me hope that our team could one day hoist the cup without needing a team of 1000 top ten draft picks to make it happen.

I think gws win 3 of the next 5 cups though.....

I thought that the Swans would over power them but got on board the Doggy Express several weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed the ride, they showed what can be achieved when everyone is on board and all the Administration, Supporters, FD & List are in total alignment and the team has the right mix of toughness, skill, enthusiasm and desire to achieve the unthinkable and they did just that...Almost Magical l!!!

Overall I'm happy, because it just proves what I already knew; anyone can win it. Plus I didn't want to see Sydney with all their concessions win another one.

It also proves that if you nail a few drafts you can rise very quickly, we've seen what happens when you stuff them up.

As others have mentioned, the only thing I'm jealous of is the way the Bulldogs never give up, something seldom seen from Melbourne.

2 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Overall I'm happy, because it just proves what I already knew; anyone can win it. Plus I didn't want to see Sydney with all their concessions win another one.

It also proves that if you nail a few drafts you can rise very quickly, we've seen what happens when you stuff them up.

As others have mentioned, the only thing I'm jealous of is the way the Bulldogs never give up, something seldom seen from Melbourne.

CB they have completed their List re-build, we are still building, still have several spots that we need to fill, remember most of our youngest players are not steeped in a losing culture, they are the ones along with Goodwin who will lead us to the Promised Land...!!!

10 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Mmmmmm .. I'll concede the year had some pleasing aspects, however, the [censored] ups against Carlton and Geelong left a very sour taste.

I'm not sure where we stand atm. We are certainly a long way off any of the sides I've seen play in the last 3 weeks. 

Reason I am more optimistic this year BBO, we have a lot of young (recognised as having a lot of potentail) guys who Goodwin will be able to show the last 3 weeks and say this is what you need to do, also we will have 2 guys, if we get Hibberd, who have had a year off, wanting to prove themselves all over again, plus a couple of experienced heads in Jones and Vince to drive the standards.....plus some in the likes of BenKen, Bugg, Lumumba who will need to perform or will get used to the drive to Casey

10 hours ago, bingers said:

Seeing the Doggies today reminded me of the John Northey sides of the late 80s/early 90s. To use a cliche, they had a "red hot go".

I'd love to see the Demons of 2017 (and beyond) play with that level of intensity and commitment. 

I agree. The Dee's had that same manic momentum in the '87 and '88 finals series. They rolled through the finals having just scraped in. Unfortunately, we ran in to strongest team of the period (Hawthorn) and were shown up for our lack of class and experience. I think the Doggies have a very good list and should be up there again next year. Especially considering the setbacks they had this year. 

It is especially gratifying to see that the Hawks, Swans, Cats, and the other powerful clubs were pipped by the Dogs. Hopefully it is the end of the Hawthorn era. 

I was fairly neutral about who won yesterday and while I couldn't get too excited about it all I really noticed the 'bulldogs mania'.

But what made me sad is the bulldogs have something we will never have:  They have a heartland - the Western suburbs which galvanised its support.  Whole suburbs were decked out in red white and blue.  They have their suburban home, the Western oval, their spiritual home to which their fans flocked to this week and will do today to celebrate. A spiritual home which they can permanently deck out with their past heroes and stories.

It made me realise that we the only club that doesn't have a 'heartland - a geographic area and suburban oval to call home.  Think: Punt Rd oval, Victoria Park, Princes Park, Waverley, Kardinia Park, Arden St, Windy Hill, and soon Moorabbin oval for the Saints etc. 

Gosch's paddock and Casey just don't cut it. 

When we win the Premiership we will certainly flock to somewhere but its sad that our great club does not have an obvious geographic place to call home - a place which is ours and nobody else's; a place that means something to the locals as well as to us die hard dees fans.

 

Edited October 1, 20168 yr by Lucifer's Hero

I think anyone who disputes having felt even the slightest twinge of jealousy is hiding it well or too proud/stubborn to admit it.

IMO it's only natural for us, as Melbourne supporters, to be jealous. I want to feel how the Dogs' supporters are feeling. I want to ride the wave of making the finals, winning finals, making the GF, winning the GF. I'm sure, deep down, we can all admit to that slight twinge of jealousy.

That doesn't mean I'm not, overall, extraordinarily happy - 2016 might have been the most even season of AFL ever, the finals series this year may well have been the best finals series ever, and the year's result showed that you don't need to be one of the modern "big 3" or one of the traditional "big 4" to be able to win the flag. A great result all round.

12 hours ago, praha said:

What...

Sorry-was feeling vicariously happy for a while when you posted.

Then you actually brought me down to earth so I retaliated with a concocted socio economic criticism a thinly veiled sledge of your European title and perceived social mobility.

Have lots of mated who follow the Dogs. Very happy for them this year. Long overdue. 

Just now, Moonshadow said:

Have lots of mated who follow the Dogs. Very happy for them this year. Long overdue. 

I'm sure there has been mating in the Slums of the Inner West.

probably record numbers.

Given that there's a school of thought that only the well-resourced clubs from interstate (Qld the exception) or the big Victorian clubs can win premierships and that sides like Melbourne will never see another cup, the Dogs victory yesterday puts that to bed.  Where there's life there's hope and the way the Dogs have gone about it confirms aspects of footy that are as old as the game itself.  Where heart, belief and getting your hands on the pill first are what counts. I'm happy yesterday has been run and done, now I can look forward to 2017 with the belief I've had for a while that we're only 12-18 months behind the Dogs in terms of development. Beveridge will take the kudos as he should, but premiership lists take time to build and develop and we should feel comfortable with the likes of Goodwin (who could be as good if not better than Bevo) and with Macca in charge of development.