What They're Saying - The Bulldogs Media Thread - Part 4

[dogwatch]

Tried that once and got accused of being a eugenicist (sp?). But it's true and sadly, it's increasing all the time. Covid, you had one job!

Yes, it's difficult to get a sensible AND humanitarian conversation going. We do have difficulty seeing the range of issues from our comfortable developed world perspective but that doesn't mean the problem has gone away.

The world population is currently between approx 75% and 150% of its long term carrying capacity. Estimates of carrying capacity vary widely and my guess is many of them are influenced as much by the agendas of the respective commentators (institutes) as by the science.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

I hear you and cling to the same nostalgia and love of green space and bird life. However urban sprawl is also bad for the environment in a whole lot of ways.

One of the core problems - probably THE core problem - causing urban sprawl, housing shortages, exacerbating climate change and forcing higher density living is overpopulation. It’s a global issue needing global solutions.

In Australia it’s driven more by immigration than by natural increase (fertility). Immigration in turn underpins the Ponzi mirage of constant economic growth. No mainstream politician is going to say we shouldn’t have economic growth.

Bottom line: Nobody wants to talk about overpopulation because it’s too hard to address it and it just starts a whole lot of sh*tfights.

So urban infill is here to stay.

There's no doubt that densification of the middle suburbs is a necessity in a city as sprawling as Melbourne. Especially with the amount of industry that was extant in those inner/middle suburbs closing down leaving these incredibly valuable sites under-utilised or derelict and ripe for redevelopment. One only needs to visit the car dependant outer suburbs to understand this. In fact I was passing through what until recently was a desolate cow paddock outside of Werribee that is in the process of being turning into yet another sub division and estimated that it was a 25 minute drive just to get onto the West Gate. That was during the middle of the day without considering what happens on that road in peak hour!

My overarching point was not one that was against gentrification of suburbs like Footscray. I understand that its an inevitable counter to the unpalatable alternative of the lack of meaningful entertainment, infrastructure and car dependance found on the outer reaches of suburban sprawl anywhere. What I was pointing out was the clubs turning it back on the rich heritage of its working class roots in its own backyard. In preference for the intangible promise of the generic.

At the time, I understood the rationale behind the change. Now, I dont care for the fact that a club with as long a history as ours has a name as easily interchangeable and generic as two franchise clubs in GWS and WCE. FMD. Even a non-entity in the game the Gold Coast Suns had the good sense to have an identifiable geographic place at the core of their branding.

Our club will live or die on its performance on the field. Not on its branding nomenclature. We only need to look at how well supported some of the larger Melbourne clubs are when they travel interstate. Sure they have an historical advantage built into their branding. However not all of the interstate fans that they have are Victorian ex-pats or people with familial ties to the club.

Most are people that like to identify with winners.

Do more of that and the people will come.

Our problem has always been one where period of sustained success has always been middling where playing successive finals series was seen as the high bar. Not exactly something that will drag in new followers.

/ wandering all over the shop.

The club should buy the Olympic Donut caravan and put it at Whiten Oval

I dont know what happened to that thing, but it belongs in the Melbourne museum.

 

[MYOB]

Please bring on the footy

 

[geoffjennings79]

I now have a hankering to drive through the streets of my childhood (West Footscray), while eating a hot donut, and kicking a brown plastic footy.
(It sounds like a scene from an early Weddoes song, e.g. "I ain't been to Brunswick in a long, long time... )

 

[dogwatch]

I now have a hankering to drive through the streets of my childhood (West Footscray), while eating a hot donut, and kicking a brown plastic footy.
(It sounds like a scene from an early Weddoes song, e.g. "I ain't been to Brunswick in a long, long time... )

Looxury!

When I were a lad we never had no plastic footy. We had a copy o' t' Sun News Pictorial folded over to be about 8" long which were tightly rolled and then tied oop wi' two pieces of rough hessian twine.

We used to kick it abaht street in t' drizzlin' rain all day long.

... an' y' tell the young people today and they won't b'lieve yer!

 

[Dogs 13]

Looxury!

When I were a lad we never had no plastic footy. We had a copy o' t' Sun News Pictorial folded over to be about 8" long which were tightly rolled and then tied oop wi' two pieces of rough hessian twine.

We used to kick it abaht street in t' drizzlin' rain all day long.

... an' y' tell the young people today and they won't b'lieve yer!

My dad was a Yorkshire man and he said he had to walk 10 miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways. I think he really believed it

 

[dogwatch]

My dad was a Yorkshire man and he said he had to walk 10 miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways. I think he really believed it

Pretty sure Mantis Toboggan can vouch for that. The hills are all steep-like in Yorkshire.

BTW my story about the footy being made out of rolled up newspaper is 100% true! (Pretty sure the drizzle bit was a fib though )
By then we were living in West Heidelberg which was Collingwood territory. You had to be a tough 6yo to tell people you were a Dogs supporter and live to tell the tale.

 

[Olde 54]

Pretty sure Mantis Toboggan can vouch for that. The hills are all steep-like in Yorkshire.

BTW my story about the footy being made out of rolled up newspaper is 100% true! (Pretty sure the drizzle bit was a fib though )
By then we were living in West Heidelberg which was Collingwood territory. You had to be a tough 6yo to tell people you were a Dogs supporter and live to tell the tale.

Gotta agree with the paper footy Dogwatch, although mine was tied together with big lacca bands. I was in West Coburg so Dons turf.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Pretty sure Mantis Toboggan can vouch for that. The hills are all steep-like in Yorkshire.

BTW my story about the footy being made out of rolled up newspaper is 100% true! (Pretty sure the drizzle bit was a fib though )
By then we were living in West Heidelberg which was Collingwood territory. You had to be a tough 6yo to tell people you were a Dogs supporter and live to tell the tale.

I used to kick the newspaper one (not so much rolled up as scrunched up in an approximate footy-shape!) around inside - until I broke one of Mum's nice pieces of china... then a vase... then one of my sister's trinkets. Then I was banished to only kick the newspaper version around in my bedroom, and taking screamers over and onto the bed! Ah, the sweet innocence of youth. Later Dad had some old foam off-cuts around, so I cut one in the shape of a footy - that foam footy saw the bedroom Scraggers undefeated against the might of the 70-72-73-74 Carlton and Richmond teams (I always played against them as they were the only other clubs where I knew most/all of the players' names). In the backyard with the plastic footy, I always seemed to play against the Pies - Sandilands and Quinlan combined for 30 goals in a single game once in my backyard!

 

[Olde 54]

Ah the good old days!

I too took speccies over the bed, although I was Merv Hobbs or Jack Slattery.

 

[dogwatch]

I used to kick the newspaper one (not so much rolled up as scrunched up in an approximate footy-shape!) around inside - until I broke one of Mum's nice pieces of china... then a vase... then one of my sister's trinkets. Then I was banished to only kick the newspaper version around in my bedroom, and taking screamers over and onto the bed! Ah, the sweet innocence of youth. Later Dad had some old foam off-cuts around, so I cut one in the shape of a footy - that foam footy saw the bedroom Scraggers undefeated against the might of the 70-72-73-74 Carlton and Richmond teams (I always played against them as they were the only other clubs where I knew most/all of the players' names). In the backyard with the plastic footy, I always seemed to play against the Pies - Sandilands and Quinlan combined for 30 goals in a single game once in my backyard!

You clearly had Bulldog-like accuracy, gj. They should have signed you up.

 

[geoffjennings79]

You clearly had Bulldog-like accuracy, gj. They should have signed you up.

What do you mean "should have"?!

 

[dogwatch]

What do you mean "should have"?!

Wait a minute! …

At age 19 you were still playing against an imaginary Alex Jesaulenko in your bedroom with a foam footy … at the same time that you were making your debut at the western oval with a genuine leather Sherrin?

Rightio.

 

[TedDougChris]

Wait a minute! …

At age 19 you were still playing against an imaginary Alex Jesaulenko in your bedroom with a foam footy … at the same time that you were making your debut at the western oval with a genuine leather Sherrin?

Rightio.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Wait a minute! …

At age 19 you were still playing against an imaginary Alex Jesaulenko in your bedroom with a foam footy … at the same time that you were making your debut at the western oval with a genuine leather Sherrin?

Rightio.

Too right. And we had an old corrugated water tank out the back, and I used to kick a golf ball against it pretending it was a footy, that's how I kicked 136.87 in my career! That's a 60%+ scoring accuracy playing on open grounds, in all sorts of weather, including that cow paddock at Corio, and the sludge at Moorabbin!

Not like these molly-coddled "pop stars" these days, with their roofed stadiums, and doof-doof headsets, and warm-up outfits! What has this game become?! In my day..... arrrgghhhh, grrrr, etc

 

[NBates]

I hear you and cling to the same nostalgia and love of green space and bird life. However urban sprawl is also bad for the environment in a whole lot of ways.

One of the core problems - probably THE core problem - causing urban sprawl, housing shortages, exacerbating climate change and forcing higher density living is overpopulation. It’s a global issue needing global solutions.

In Australia it’s driven more by immigration than by natural increase (fertility). Immigration in turn underpins the Ponzi mirage of constant economic growth. No mainstream politician is going to say we shouldn’t have economic growth.

Bottom line: Nobody wants to talk about overpopulation because it’s too hard to address it and it just starts a whole lot of sh*tfights.

So urban infill is here to stay.

It's the whole unsustainable world we have created for ourselves as we want more & more. We aren't satisfied with less. We need population to consume & consume more. Etc etc etc.....I chose not to have kids and I'm glad I did as the world cannot cope with continual growth in poplulation, what it takes to feed them and the same standard of living people (particularly young ones) are accustomed to now in the western world. Something's gotta give eventually...we can't go on like this forever...

No trolls please, these are just my thoughts....

 

[NBates]

The club should buy the Olympic Donut caravan and put it at Whiten Oval

That's gone too....donuts sold at the Footscray Station kiosk....

 

[Freshwater]

It's the whole unsustainable world we have created for ourselves as we want more & more. We aren't satisfied with less. We need population to consume & consume more. Etc etc etc.....I chose not to have kids and I'm glad I did as the world cannot cope with continual growth in poplulation, what it takes to feed them and the same standard of living people (particularly young ones) are accustomed to now in the western world. Something's gotta give eventually...we can't go on like this forever...

No trolls please, these are just my thoughts....

Having two kids doesn’t create unsustainable growth, without any we have population collapse. The west is not even repopulating itself, growth is based on immigration. Now that is a bigger political issue, that our ‘uniparty’ loves because you can’t really have a recession with such large growth, so they look good in their brief time in office, but hurts our country long term if it’s too much too soon.

 

[NBates]

Having two kids doesn’t create unsustainable growth, without any we have population collapse. The west is not even repopulating itself, growth is based on immigration. Now that is a bigger political issue, that our ‘uniparty’ loves because you can’t really have a recession with such large growth, so they look good in their brief time in office, but hurts our country long term if it’s too much too soon.

Trouble is, not everyone has 2 kids.

 

[dogwatch]

Trouble is, not everyone has 2 kids.

In a developed country it is calculated that the replacement rate (ie just to keep the population level) is 2.1 offspring per female. It is of course higher in underdeveloped countries where infant mortality is higher etc.

So every couple having two kids is not the problem. It's that the wrong people are having them!

You know, like Carlton supporters.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Article on AFL Website

THIS wasn't the plan for James O'Donnell this year. Before Christmas, when the Victorian wasn't training or playing for Essendon Cricket Club, he was sitting behind a desk working as a junior analyst at CitiPower three days a week, spending the other two days in business classes at Monash University.

The 20-year-old had a plan for 2023. At least, he thought he did. It involved cementing a spot at Premier Cricket level and taking the next step with his bowling. It also involved ticking off more subjects and advancing his professional career. But sometimes the best-laid plans can be changed for the better.

After making his debut 35 days after joining with the Western Bulldogs as a Category B rookie in April, O'Donnell has now played five games for the club and will add a sixth to his tally when he returns to face Fremantle at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
So how did a boyhood dream become a reality? How does someone who hadn't played a game of football since his final game for Xavier College in Year 11 end up landing a spot at the Whitten Oval?

It turns out a flippant tête-à-tête in the nets between O'Donnell and his new bowling coach at Essendon Cricket Club quickly turned into more. Much more. When the bowling coach is also the Western Bulldogs' fitness boss, Mat Inness, things move fast. Very fast.
O'Donnell played for Victoria at under-12 level and was a decent schoolboy footballer until Year 9 when everyone became bigger and stronger than him. He then started focusing on cricket more seriously, but after a growth spurt in his late teens, footy was always an itch that had to be scratched if an opportunity presented.

This was that opportunity. Inness, who was a first-class cricketer for Victoria and Western Australia before transitioning into a career in high performance, introduced O’Donnell to Footscray VFL coach Stewart Edge and they caught up for a coffee and a kick.
When Western Bulldogs list manager Sam Power

Sam Power

Age

41

Ht

190cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

No current season stats available

D

7.8

2star

K

3.8

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.6

4star

did his due diligence, the club realised they could use the same mechanism Geelong used to sign Mark Blicavs

46

Mark Blicavs

Age

33

Ht

198cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

M/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.5

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

7.9

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.7

4star

D

11.1

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.9

3star

CL

0.1

2star

D

8.6

3star

K

2.0

1star

HB

6.6

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.6

4star

CL

2.0

4star

while he chased qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games, the same lever Collingwood pulled to add Mason Cox

46

Mason Cox

Age

33

Ht

211cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.7

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

3.5

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.2

4star

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.8

5star

as a project player back in 2014.

"I started pre-season at Essendon ahead of what was going to be my second full year at Essendon. That was my third winter not playing and I was kicking the footy every other day and missing it a lot. The itch just started to build and I knew I could do it. I didn't know the level I could play and I wanted to find out if I could do it," O'Donnell told AFL.com.au at the Whitten Oval this week.

"Mat Inness was just starting as bowling coach at the Bombers and he was one guy I just started chewing his ear off. I was bowling and I joked to him: 'Do you need a utility in the VFL next year?' Then he asked if I was serious. Deep down it was what I wanted to do. He was only half-serious.
"All I wanted to do was try out at VFL because that would be a fast way to find out if I was good enough or not. I thought if I tested myself against those blokes and it didn't work out, I would not have any regrets at 25. Mat put me in touch with Stewart Edge and we went for a coffee. He asked me how long it had been since I played. When he realised it was three years, he came back to me and said, 'Don't worry about the VFL, have a crack at this'. The rest is history."

To be eligible to join an AFL club via the Category B rookie list rule, O'Donnell couldn't have been registered in an Australian Football competition for a minimum of three years. He couldn't train with the Western Bulldogs over the pre-season, but he could train with Footscray. That's what he did from late January until April, watching Beveridge's squad from over the fence at Skinner Reserve on Friday mornings in the pre-season, hoping he would join that program, not daring to imagine he would be playing for them in the months ahead.

But after making his debut for Footscray against Southport in April and playing the next fortnight against Carlton and Greater Western Sydney reserves, the match committee inside the Whitten Oval produced arguably the boldest selection of the season to date when they picked O'Donnell to debut against the Blues in round nine.
"I haven't really had time to reflect on it because it has gone quick, even you play a game and then you're onto the next week. I don't think it will sink in until the end of the season, but in terms of how my life has changed, it has completely flipped on its head. I have always wanted this, I've always wanted to be a professional sportsman," O'Donnell said an hour after being told he would return to help fill some of the holes in the Bulldogs' backline this weekend.

Everything has happened far more swiftly than O'Donnell envisaged. The contract. The debut. The games. Beveridge has been a believer from the start, and it is that ongoing conviction shown by the senior coach and the rest of the coaching department that has allowed him to navigate the meteoric leap from nowhere to the big time.

"I've received great faith from 'Bevo' and the coaching staff. I don't take that for granted. I'm very grateful for that, and in some ways I get confidence out of it," he said. "Although it's happened quick, they haven't chosen me to play because it’s a cool story. I just think I try my arse off and try to be the best I can be. Whether that's resonated with them to put that faith in me, that’s pretty amazing."
Football and cricket courses through O'Donnell's veins. James is the son of former Australian cricketer and St Kilda forward Simon, who has been a popular voice in the sports media landscape for more than two decades. He is also the grandson of Kevin, who played 49 times for the Saints in the 1940s before returning to Deniliquin where he continued to play both sports until he couldn’t any longer.

"I was never able to meet Pa, unfortunately. I was born in 2002 and he died just before I was born. But I learnt a lot about him, not only as a sportsman but a person and my dad is very similar to him. Dad is my idol, he is someone I look up to so much. He is having as much fun as I am right now. I can see that. He is also someone I can lean on, and I always have," O'Donnell said.

"In terms of that lineage, it is cool to have that link. My pa wore 18 for St Kilda and that gives me an extra link to the number. Obviously the name comes with a little bit of pressure, but dad never put that pressure on me. He would never force anything. He would wait for me to ask questions. I'd be lying if I said it wasn’t a burden at times; you want to live up to your old man. But I am my own biggest critic in many ways, so I put the pressure on myself more than what my name puts pressure on me."
The dream is the same that it was this time last year, only the sport has changed. O'Donnell has always wanted to be a professional sportsman, he just thought he'd be wearing whites and standing in the field for hours on end, not wearing the red, white and blue and playing a role – in defence, attack and on a wing – in a side hunting a spot in September.

"Growing up the dream was always footy or cricket. Now to have this opportunity, and knowing what it was like to work, play sport and do uni at the same time – and all you wanted to do was get to the position I’m in now – I'll never take anything for grated," he said.

"I love it so much and want to get the most out of myself and reach my fullest potential. I would love to have as long a career as I can and make the most out of this crazy opportunity that I've been given."

Crazy is the right word. O’Donnell’s life has been crazy from the moment he floated the idea to Inness. And it is only going to get crazier if he continues along this trajectory.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney

Adam Cooney

Age

39

Ht

187cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.7

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

10.2

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.8

4star

believes that Western Bulldogs’ recruit Rory Lobb

7

Rory Lobb

Age

31

Ht

207cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

11.3

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.6

3star

has been a failed experiment as the 30-year-old tries to find some form in 2023.

Lobb was traded to the Dogs from the Dockers for pick 30 and a future second-round selection during last year’s trade period but is yet to make a serious impact in the red, white and blue after kicking 13 goals from 13 games this year.
Cooney, who played 219 games for the Dogs, wondered why his former side targeted Lobb during the off-season given their abundance of young and talented key forwards.

“There were question marks leading in as to where he (Lobb) was going to fit in and how and why they would bother with (Sam) Darcy down there as well and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan,” Cooney told SEN’s Run Home.

“They’ve had some injuries to Darcy and whatnot, but it still hasn’t worked.

“He just doesn’t fit the mould of where they are at the Western Bulldogs.

“He is just floating at the moment. He’s up on the wing, he’s forward, he’s in the ruck, time on the pine, it just hasn’t worked.

“Full credit to the Dogs for having a crack at it.”

Lobb enjoyed a career best season last year, kicking 36 goals from 21 games and helped lead Fremantle to their first finals series in seven years, but this year the key forward has failed to kick more than two goals in a game.

After trialling a mix of players as key defenders in 2023, the Dogs are still searching for someone to cement themselves in the role, leading Cooney to pose the question: Should the Dogs trial Lobb as a defender?

“He can’t really play a key position down back can he? Cooney said.

“Can he play as a third defender who tries to intercept? Could they experiment with that? Maybe that’s the last straw for him.

“I’d be more comfortable with Aaron Naughton

33

Aaron Naughton

Age

24

Ht

196cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.7

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

4.9

5star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

6.3

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

2.3

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

0.8

1star

G

0.5

4star

D

12.8

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.0

1star

back there (in defence) but then who kicks the goals?”

Lobb will be hoping to kickstart his season on Saturday afternoon when he faces his former side for the second time this year at Marvel Stadium.

 

[The Inbetweener]

Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney believes that Western Bulldogs’ recruit Rory Lobb has been a failed experiment as the 30-year-old tries to find some form in 2023.

Lobb was traded to the Dogs from the Dockers for pick 30 and a future second-round selection during last year’s trade period but is yet to make a serious impact in the red, white and blue after kicking 13 goals from 13 games this year.
Cooney, who played 219 games for the Dogs, wondered why his former side targeted Lobb during the off-season given their abundance of young and talented key forwards.

“There were question marks leading in as to where he (Lobb) was going to fit in and how and why they would bother with (Sam) Darcy down there as well and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan,” Cooney told SEN’s Run Home.

“They’ve had some injuries to Darcy and whatnot, but it still hasn’t worked.

“He just doesn’t fit the mould of where they are at the Western Bulldogs.

“He is just floating at the moment. He’s up on the wing, he’s forward, he’s in the ruck, time on the pine, it just hasn’t worked.

“Full credit to the Dogs for having a crack at it.”

Lobb enjoyed a career best season last year, kicking 36 goals from 21 games and helped lead Fremantle to their first finals series in seven years, but this year the key forward has failed to kick more than two goals in a game.

After trialling a mix of players as key defenders in 2023, the Dogs are still searching for someone to cement themselves in the role, leading Cooney to pose the question: Should the Dogs trial Lobb as a defender?

“He can’t really play a key position down back can he? Cooney said.

“Can he play as a third defender who tries to intercept? Could they experiment with that? Maybe that’s the last straw for him.

“I’d be more comfortable with Aaron Naughton back there (in defence) but then who kicks the goals?”

Lobb will be hoping to kickstart his season on Saturday afternoon when he faces his former side for the second time this year at Marvel Stadium.

When we recruited him I said to a friend I bet we turn him into an intercept defender. It’s the Bevo way.

At least he can kick unlike most of our other key defenders.

 

[Bulldogs85]

When we recruited him I said to a friend I bet we turn him into an intercept defender. It’s the Bevo way.

At least he can kick unlike most of our other key defenders.

I would laugh if Bevo tried it

 

[Whoyagot]

I would laugh if Bevo tried it

Wouldn’t happen now because someone in the media has flagged it. Bevo has to come up with the idea himself for there to be any chance of it being implemented.