Game Day What do you want to see at Home Games?

[Fossie 32]

I think one game a year should be mankini/bikini round, where everyone dresses in their team-coloured outfit. I mean, I don't get to wear my Bulldogs mankini very often, and well, oh, ummm... sorry, I think I've got the wrong forum....

Sounds good, you should go ahead and be a trendsetter - don't forget to post pics

 

[dogwatch]

I think one game a year should be mankini/bikini round, where everyone dresses in their team-coloured outfit. I mean, I don't get to wear my Bulldogs mankini very often, and well, oh, ummm... sorry, I think I've got the wrong forum....

You could wear it down Collins St. Just go to the red faces thread and type:

If <*outrageous prognostication*> doesn't happen I will walk 3 blocks down Collins St in peak hour in my Bulldogs mankini (after PM-ing Fossie to bring his camera).​

 

[mambavino]

Hows this for left field. I think we should tweak an idea from the Philadelphia Phillies that would tie in well with our major sponsor, Mission Foods.

The Phillies have a giant neon bell that lights up and rocks when they hit a home run.

This obviously relates to the Liberty Bell in Philly, but I think it would work in well with the bell logo of our major sponsor.

I know a giant neon sign isn't realistic at Etihad, but my proposal is having something similar that comes up on the big screen at the end of a game when the Bulldogs win. The bell would ring the tune of "Sons of the west, red, white and blue" (just that first line, or it could also just be a generic bell ring). Afterwards the screen would flash "MISSION Complete" while the full theme song plays.

Some may think this is too commercial, but it's an idea, and something like this may help further strengthen the partnership with Mission Foods by providing them a little more unique value.

 

[Running Dog]

Mission Mexican Week. Luchadors, sombreros, ponchos etc in RW&B everywhere.

Ay carumba gringo, me gusta muchissimo!! Not sure about the RWB ponchos, though - een my conntry we keel peeple for less dan deess.

Cinco cervazas, tres tequilas, y dos enchiladas por favor. Y lo mismo para mi amigo!

 

[HiReception]

[INCOMING MEGA POST]
[That should probably be my, like, pre-signature by now]

All right, I've been spending the last three months in the middle of a US College town (still got one more month to go), and here are my observations:

The Hyde St Band needs more involvement, definitely. At gridiron and basketball games the marching band is one of the key features of the whole game. During timeouts and breaks, they play their renditions of pop music AND classic big band numbers, and it gets everyone involved.
Obviously the timeouts don't really apply, but they could have little numbers after goals (like the elongated last line of the theme song after a WB goal), the drummers keeping the pace of the fan chants (see below), and possibly doing an obnoxious drum roll while the other team lines up for a set shot (and of course, if they put it out on the full, pull out this sound ).

Another facet I like here is the use of the soccer-style chant. At this Uni's major sports events (for reference, the team's called the West Virginia University Mountaineers), they have both cheerleaders (female, with pom-poms), and yell-leaders (male, with megaphones) lining the field, who direct the rabid louts student section in chants. One particular one is used at football games, where they get the West half to shout "LET'S GO!", and the East side to respond "MOUNTAINEERS!". Absolutely ear-splitting if it's done right after we've taken the lead.
When I was at the Round 2 game against Fremantle, which happened to be the day after Perth Glory played in the A-League Finals at the same ground, they seemed to be using the same chants after Freo goals, just replacing "Glory" with "Freo". We can get some of the cheer squad veterans together to come up with new ideas, and maybe space them out along the ground to get all the sections involved!

If we have our own home ground like the nba or nfl
then stuff like that would fit

but since others play at Etihad it can never be a dogs place.

I disagree; I think it actually makes it more important that we get fan activity up, to try and make Bulldogs experiences unique. If we're playing another Etihad tenant in a home game, we can negate that team's virtual-home-field advantage with some special touches, like the marching band.

 

[Morris Major]

YES! The club should use the screen to co-ordinate some chants. Stuff the cheersquad. Get the whole crowd into it. It'd be awesome.

After a little while you wouldn't even need the screen - the culture would be built, and the crowd would be self-starters.

I bet within 5 years every club would be doing it.

It's a great idea but it'll take forever to implement. Even in the EPL there's only a select number of fans who sing, and we're talking about a culture where they've been singing about every bloody sing under the sun for decades.

 

[theAthenian]

all i wanna c at home games is 4points and no injuries the rest is filler

 

[yebiga]

I am all for **** Fights

 

[skooshtamart]

A couple of ideas.

1. Western bulldog SMS blitz / to all supporters at certain times in the games, with instructions at a certain time on the stadium clock to start a chant/Sing/Boo/recite a poem/ taunt the opposition whatever, just organized, with current day tech, once started the rest will join in.

2.Members reserve seats could be designated Red White or Blue and members given that color cap/shirt/Handkerchief to wear or bring to games, In the formation of the Tri-Color Jumper. Perhaps Blue on Level 1 and 3 with a mix of red & white, with a touch blue on Level 2. Would look good after every goal. If People bring the handkerchief the a reverse side could act as big three level , stadium wide crowd sign that reads BOO in green and white to remind the umpires we witnessed their error.

 

[ivan rassmussen]

Just on the umpires, everyone in the crowd should have cards numbered 1-10. At halftime, everyone holds up their appropriate card to rate each umpire as their face is displayed on the big screen. Any umpire who has low numbers (majority of 3 or less) is immediately executed, fed to a large tank of piranhas, substituted out and replaced by Doug Hawkins/Tony Liberatore/Brad Hardie/John Cuzzupe for the second half. Personally, I would only ever need the bottom 3 cards, probably just the bottom one actually...

 

[Syrah]

Just on the umpires, everyone in the crowd should have cards numbered 1-10. At halftime, everyone holds up their appropriate card to rate each umpire as their face is displayed on the big screen. Any umpire who has low numbers (majority of 3 or less) is immediately executed, fed to a large tank of piranhas, substituted out and replaced by Doug Hawkins/Tony Liberatore/Brad Hardie/John Cuzzupe for the second half. Personally, I would only ever need the bottom 3 cards, probably just the bottom one actually...

I like the way you think, but we'd also need a zero card just in case Matthew Nicholls was umpiring.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

I like the way you think, but we'd also need a zero card just in case Matthew Nicholls was umpiring.

Just for Matthew Nicholls, I propose we add a rail extension through Etihad Stadium so we can tie him to a train and boo him as it takes him away

 

[timtamWB]

Just for Matthew Nicholls, I propose we add a rail extension through Etihad Stadium so we can tie him to a train and boo him as it takes him away

Why would we boo him going away, it would be a moment of celebration.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Why would we boo him going away, it would be a moment of celebration.

Good point, maybe we could throw our $8 cold pies at him instead

 

[arkie]

Everyone wearing the same coloured tee will never happen IMO. it's nice to dream though. Imagine if we had a Penn State-esque white out. When I think about how the gameday experience at our home games could be improved I always immediately think about college football. Even a lot of NFL teams struggle with this. Buffalo did a white out a few weeks ago and I don't even think they got 50% of the crowd on board. The only NFL team that is college football like is probably Kansas City.

Check out the opening to the SC game from the other week. Now that's a cauldron



What about the famous Clemson entrance?



Or the amazing FSU Tomahawk Chop?



Look up Texas A&M or Ohio State as well for anyone that doesn't know much about college football. You'll truly see what a cauldron is.

No AFL club could ever implement anything like this. But what about Notre Dame and how they sing their fight song to their fans after victory?



The Boston Red Sox play Sweet Caroline at every Fenway game, it's become tradition! That would be truly unique in the AFL. These things usually have to happen on their own though, they can't be forced or they just seem tacky even though every Bulldogs supporter singing Sweet Caroline at 3 QTR time would be awesome to me!

 

[Chicago1]

What do you want to see at Home Games?

Me. I'm hoping that I can make the Round 2 and 3 matches.

I can get to Melbourne using my United Airlines Rewards points prior to Round 2, but there are no return flights in early April that I can use my points on. I have to enter Australia by early April to keep my Permanent Residency. I just hope I'm not forced to fly out for a week in February instead. Of course, if the club would like to pay for my flights...

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

What do you want to see at Home Games?

Me. I'm hoping that I can make the Round 2 and 3 matches.

I can get to Melbourne using my United Airlines Rewards points prior to Round 2, but there are no return flights in early April that I can use my points on. I have to enter Australia by early April to keep my Permanent Residency. I just hope I'm not forced to fly out for a week in February instead. Of course, if the club would like to pay for my flights...

Could always come over and stay, could do with an extra face in the stands

 

[astrawally]

on the subject of fan atmosphere.. can anyone remember the random barking after goals doug hawkins got people to do a couple times? that still makes me laugh, in the stands sounded like you were in the lost dogs home.