DOGGY TALES: TELL US YOUR OWN STORY. We want to know why you barrack for the boys from Whitten Oval, your favourite players or stand-out memories. Who were some of the colourful characters you met on the terraces at the Whitten Oval? What has been the highlight of your time as a Doggies fan? Can Brendan McCartney lead the current-day Bulldogs to the flag? Email us at webteam@yourweekly.com.au and we’ll publish your story online.
THERE’S a very simple, understandable reason why I have barracked for, and been a member of, the Footscray Football Club for many, many years. In September 1963 I came from Canberra to help rejuvenate the then Footscray Advertiser (owned by the Jamieson family) which later morphed into the Footscray Mail and now, into the Maribyrnong Weekly.
If my move had seen me ensconced initially in, say, Hawthorn or Richmond or Essendon, it’s likely I would have supported that VFL side, but Footscray it was. Even though I was transferred to the Dandenong office in November 1964, I kept following ‘my’ Dogs. How could I not after meeting the likes of Ted Whitten and Jack Collins?
There’s one game I certainly remember for a special reason and that was on a cold, wet and typically windy Western Oval day. It was May 15, 1965 and I took a friend from Dandenong to watch my beloved Footscray take on South Melbourne in round five of the VFL. My friend had never even been to a VFL game (yep, the VFL; it was, after all, the winter of ’65).
Remember? Those were the days when you got real value for your quids (hasn’t time flown since decimal currency came into being in February 1966?) by being able to watch clubs’ perceived lessser lights strutting their stuff in the reserves.
So, along with my uncommitted (as in VFL supporter) friend, I stood in my favourite spot by the ’Scray race, surrounded by equally ardent Bulldogs supporters, some already getting stuck into their first (or maybe second, third or fourth) beer even though it was bitterly cold. So much so the crowd was a miserly 11,253, way, way short of the 25,000-plus attendances on days more conducive to enabling good football to be played.
Leader of the pack of Dogs as playing-coach was, of course, EJ, who was destined to retire from playing just five seasons later with a then record 321 VFL games under his belt. This was his 237th.
Those who were at the ground which was later to bear the name of the great man saw a thrilling contest, despite the conditions. It was a nail-biter with the Dogs triumphant by just one point – 11.11 (76) to 11.10 (75). Memory fades over time but one thing certainly is easily recalled: the game was a thrilling encounter after Footscray appeared to have the four points sewn up – at quarter-time – and almost certainly due to the well-known Western Oval Wind. To keep the chill off, what better way than a nice, icy cold beer? I downed a couple during the first quarter, but my friend declined.
When the siren sounded to end the opening stanza, the rickety scoreboard on the Hill showed the Dogs 6.3 (39) to South 0.1. (1). Time for a beer, but my friend declined. As is often the case in our great game, things went awry (or vastly improved depending on who were barracking for) and kicking with that WOW, South kicked 6.3 to 1.3 and at the long break, the Dogs’ lead had been reduced to eight points. I needed another beer, but again my friend again said no.
The third term was again a WOW quarter, Footscray scoring 4.3 to 1.2 to lead by 27 points at the three-quarter-time with South having the WOW in its favour. In a nail-biting last term, the Dogs held on to win by just one point – 11.11 to 11.10. A beer or three to celebrate? Yes, I told myself. No thank you, said my friend.
It was a privilege that day to watch two of the greatest players the VFL/AFL has ever had run out onto a footy ground: EJ and the courageous ’mighty midget’ Bobby Skilton, who snagged one goal in his 144th game. Also in the Swans side were then household names Des Bethke (later to star at full-back for VFA side Dandenong), Graeme John, Herbie Matthews, Max Papley and John Rantall.
But the Dogs also had a plethora of top-notchers – as well as EJ there was David Darcy (father of another later great in Luke), John Schultz (a gentleman on and off the field and a deserved Brownlow medallist), pocket dynamo Merv Hobbs who kicked three goals on this day, Ian Bryant, Peter Castricum and Don McKenzie.
This was just one of the many thrilling encounters I’ve witnessed over the years at Western/Whitten Oval and now Etihad Stadium. But it sticks in my mind for one very good reason. My friend was then just a friend. Later, my fiance. And not much later, my wife. She was happy for me over the win and drove us back to Dandenong – my beer intake certainly precluded me from getting behind the wheel.
As I’ve said, it was her first VFL game and, believe it or not, her last. Hasn’t been to a VFL/AFL game since. And therefore the good lady still doesn’t know the difference between a Sherrin and shepherd!
SEE: Doggy Tales: Joy on the Western Oval terraces
SEE: Doggy Tales: The best “second family” a person could have
DOGGY TALES: TELL US YOUR OWN STORY. We want to know why you barrack for the boys from Whitten Oval, your favourite players or stand-out memories. Who were some of the colourful characters you met on the terraces at the Whitten Oval? What has been the highlight of your time as a Doggies fan? Can Brendan McCartney lead the current-day Bulldogs to the flag? Email us at webteam@yourweekly.com.au and we’ll publish your story online.
