■ Sunday was going great, better than I’d expected. Footscray had a big crowd to watch the VFL final against Williamstown, which they won to move into a preliminary final. I was following Werribee’s battle against North Ballarat and after a classic quarter-time spray from the coach I thought they’d get home, and they did. So I headed to Etihad Stadium confident of a win to end the Doggies’ season. I got a good run in from Hoppers Crossing and a great parking spot and it all was well. I went to the Victory Room first. The crowd was good, considering, and the vibe was great. I was to interview Simon Garlick who, like me, was buoyed by the VFL result. The room was buzzing and the red, white and blue army was up and about. It was Gia’s last game and the commitment to win it for him was everywhere. An hour later it could not have been more sombre. The Dogs’ second-quarter performance was just plain awful. My half-time job was to interview president Peter Gordon, who was not happy with what we’d just seen. To his credit, he did the interview and was very honest about the big picture and the immediate picture. The boys did fight back in the third quarter and it turned out to be an exciting spectacle, which the Giants won by a goal. Daniel Giansiracusa finished his illustrious career with two out-of-bounds kicks, and the Dogs end the season with seven wins. Gordon made the point that he isn’t happy to make up the AFL numbers and will be doing his best to make the Bulldogs a powerhouse.
■ One positive watching the Bulldogs was the game of William Hoskin-Elliot. The former North Sunshine junior is a star for GWS and his five-goal performance was brilliant. He’s emerging as a super talent and, along with other former WRFL juniors like Cal Ward, Bachar Houli and the recently retired Ryan O’Keefe, has showcased the WRFL as a great pathway to future success. Keep an eye, too, on Connor Thar, who won his second B&F award in the WRFL juniors.
■ WRFL grand finals this weekend pit Albanvale against Braybrook in division 3 at Hogans Road on Saturday, and Parkside against West Footscray in division 2 at Avalon Airport Oval on Sunday. The difference a flag makes is immeasurable, so good luck to all four sides. In division 1, Werribee Districts plays Spotswood for the right to meet Deer Park in the grand final on Saturday week.
… K
evin Hillier
