1985 Bulldogs team

[Bont2Bruce]

1985 was my second year of following the dogs. I was at the first two finals, loved us beating North but we couldn't get tickets to the Prelim and I listened to it on the radio from home. Didn't watch the footage of the game until many years later.

I recall reading the paper in the lead up to the QF and I think Phil Maylin and Tony Buhagiar were the only players on our list to have ever played in a final before that game (for Carlton and Essendon respectively). Our lack of finals experience was a talking point throughout that finals series in the media.

 

[ivan rassmussen]

1985 was my second year of following the dogs. I was at the first two finals, loved us beating North but we couldn't get tickets to the Prelim and I listened to it on the radio from home. Didn't watch the footage of the game until many years later.

I recall reading the paper in the lead up to the QF and I think Phil Maylin and Tony Buhagiar were the only players on our list to have ever played in a final before that game (for Carlton and Essendon respectively). Our lack of finals experience was a talking point throughout that finals series in the media.

They were, and so at the opening bounce of the QF Malthouse started them on the bench. Can’t remember his reasoning, and probably didn’t make much difference.

 

[Draft Pick]

I think the other issue that should be discussed regarding 85 is why the club couldn’t maintain the level of performance in the years following 85.

Broke all the time and a more volatile environment with no draft ? Hawk‘s knee the following year ?

Edmond leaving ?

Thoughts ? Have I forgotten something ?

 

[gordo2016]

Was either of you working there?!

Was not working there, Ivan. But spent half of my pay packet there. The other half of my pay went to the Waterside Hotel.

 

[gordo2016]

I think the other issue that should be discussed regarding 85 is why the club couldn’t maintain the level of performance in the years following 85.

Broke all the time and a more volatile environment with no draft ? Hawk‘s knee the following year ?

Edmond leaving ?

Thoughts ? Have I forgotten something ?

Edmond said he wanted to stay and would have if they given him a little more money. He was a good leader and it hurt losing him. Hawkins was in his prime and a massive loss. Also, Bamblett was injured for much of the next couple of years and they missed his spark up forward, he kicked goals out of his arse in 85. Beasley was a fantastic player but the Dogs of that time needed someone else to take some pressure off him.

 

[theAthenian]

rd15 1985 Footsv Melb
BEASLEY ON FIRE kicks 12.3
Melb kicks 2 goals in the last and all the ground goes wild
supporters behind the geelong road end start chanting MELBOURNE......
WE STUCK IT UP THEM went 2nd of the ladder 6points clear and for the first time in my life we were a force to be rekoned with

PS 2min after the prelim i had destroyed a 2 radios , kicked in a kitchen door and set the neighbors fence on fire !! The robertsons were hawks supporters!

 

[stefoid]

BEEAZAAAAAAAAA!!!

 

[Braybrook Son]

My favorite team and the first year I followed the Dogs. Loved them even more than 2016 team! Only thing missing was Chris Grant! Imagine Grant at CHF with Beasley at FF?

 

[gordo2016]

I remember fondly a player Ian "Racoon" Williams. Did not play many games in 85, but he always seemed to get dropped straight away after a bad game. Racoon was pretty hungry for a goal. Should have passed off a few I reckon, but remember one game out at Moorabbin when the Dogs were miles behind. Racoon kicked one out of his arse to put the Dogs in front with a few seconds left. Think it was in 83, he had a really good season then but after that didn't seem to get much of a chance. Racoon was another one of the recruits who lifted the dogs in 83.

 

[ivan rassmussen]

I remember fondly a player Ian "Racoon" Williams. Did not play many games in 85, but he always seemed to get dropped straight away after a bad game. Racoon was pretty hungry for a goal. Should have passed off a few I reckon, but remember one game out at Moorabbin when the Dogs were miles behind. Racoon kicked one out of his arse to put the Dogs in front with a few seconds left. Think it was in 83, he had a really good season then but after that didn't seem to get much of a chance. Racoon was another one of the recruits who lifted the dogs in 83.

Was a gun, wouldn’t say he was selfish, had great skills. Not sure why he didn’t play much in 85, as he was a solid ruck-rover and kicked goals resting forward in 83/84. One of many Sandgropers in our list in those years.

 

[bobs head soup]

I remember fondly a player Ian "Racoon" Williams. Did not play many games in 85, but he always seemed to get dropped straight away after a bad game. Racoon was pretty hungry for a goal. Should have passed off a few I reckon, but remember one game out at Moorabbin when the Dogs were miles behind. Racoon kicked one out of his arse to put the Dogs in front with a few seconds left. Think it was in 83, he had a really good season then but after that didn't seem to get much of a chance. Racoon was another one of the recruits who lifted the dogs in 83.

I remember Williams very fondly also. I used to wear #5 for Spotswood U15s in 1984-85 as he was my favourite player.

He was an opportunist forward flanker whose best weapon was his penetrating 50 metre+ kicks off either foot.

That StKilda game was part of a golden end to 1983. After a good start to the year, we slumped badly to 7-12. To inject some enthusiasm, Eastcoast Jeans offered a substantial contribution to the players fund if we could win the last 3 games.

We responded by overcoming a 40 point+ defecit to beat Fitzroy in R20 (Williams kicked 5), then a 9 goal to 1 last quarter (in poor conditions) to beat StKilda by 6 points (Williams kicked the sealer from a tight angle, 45 metres out with a heavy ball) and then a more comfortable win against Sydney in R22 (Williams kicked 4).

For long suffering fans, they were 3 great weeks.

Sadly Williams form was much patchier in 1984, largely due to opponents being more alert to his evasive tricks.

By 1985 he only got a few games and didn't manage a single goal.

 

[mianfei]

Edmond said he wanted to stay and would have if they given him a little more money. He was a good leader and it hurt losing him. Hawkins was in his prime and a massive loss. Also, Bamblett was injured for much of the next couple of years and they missed his spark up forward, he kicked goals out of his (expletive) in 85. Beasley was a fantastic player but the Dogs of that time needed someone else to take some pressure off him.

Bamblett was the key difference between 1985 and the other five seasons between 1983 and 1988. In those other five seasons Footscray always won either ten or eleven games with line-ups not otherwise radically different (though with steady player turnover). However, Bamblett, recruited from Melbourne for the 1984 season, never played more than four senior games in any of the 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1988 seasons.

Then in 1989 when Beasley played only six games for fifteen goals, Footscray scored just 1,614 points and finished 6—15—1 and thirteenth of fourteen teams. The Bulldogs’ 1989 attacking record was the worst by any team since South Melbourne scored just 1,513 points in 1972. However, many critics thought Footscray’s forward work that season was worse than anything for decades – despite a very rainy winter and several games on a mud-drenched Western Oval – given that Doug Hawkins had his best season since 1985, and Terry Wallace was in outstanding form in the centre. In many games the Bulldogs lost – most notably the Round 3 clash with North Melbourne – they had more of the ball than their opponents but could not use it. The recruitment of Chris Grant for the 1990 season showed that the 1989 Bulldogs were only a forward away from competitiveness as they went to 12—10.

 

[Cookie]

In that wonderful era we had a real social club unlike the bullshit arrangement we have today. Malthouse used to call it a very hostile place. He had to front us after home games, win lose or draw. When we lost, he disappeared pretty quickly through the black curtains that backed the small dais opposite the bar. Most of the players stayed till stumps only to front up again for the Sunday session and the raffles. These Sunday sessions helped pay for the infamous "Bulldogs Airlines" incident. I think I have a white windcheater (Just Jeans?) somewhere that was a raffle prize. Super signed it with "Tabouli". We were all liqueured up pretty well. He was supposed to sign it "To Poolie". Great times, never to be seen again.
I've also got a Sherrin that is signed by all of the '85 team. A mate was a leading VFL umpire at the time and he saved an unused match ball for me (opposition ball as they had to pay for them). I knew Rod Macpherson and he arranged the signatures for me. One of my prized possessions.

 

[gordo2016]

Alan "Shorty," Daniels was another player who had a very good season in 85. Remember watching him in his debut against Carlton, in round 1. Thought we had picked up a very good player after that game. Shorty was quick and a booming kick. Remember him kicking a brilliant goal in the 85 semi against North, from about 60 out. After 85 he was injured a lot and couldn't repeat his 85 form. I was watching a game, in 86 I think, with a few mates. We stood near the race and Shorty stood near us, on crutches. He had a few beers alongside us and didn't seem to give a s**t whether anyone saw him drinking or not. Amazing how times have changed, injured players all sit together now and would never be seen drinking.

Found this interesting article on Daniels, written three years ago.

Long and short of Allen Daniels

Lippy, funny, sometimes inappropriate, the former Bulldogs wingman had a relatively brief career but left a lasting impression, writes Paul Amy.

www.sen.com.au

 

[Jeff 1975]

It’s great to see the 85 side getting together

If my memory severs me correctly we played Essendon early in the year
All the talk about the baby bombers, was enough to make you sick
Guess what we thrashed them in-front of a record crowd - great stuff
Later in the year a great win against Hawthorn, with Hardie BOG on Mathews

Interesting to see Malthouse on the list
I thought Malthouse made a few mistakes in 85; however it was only his 2nd year as coach. Footscray / Malthouse were very unlucky to lose 2 key players against North. Two players down and playing Hawthorn at Waverley was always a big ask

I believe Malthouse’s best year as coach was 2010 at Collingwood; he was unfortunately done-over by Eddie. Malthouse deserved better

I’m sure the Beasley head butting the ball will be raised

Have a good one

 

[D Mitchell]

...

If my memory severs me correctly we played Essendon early in the year
All the talk about the baby bombers, was enough to make you sick
Guess what we thrashed them in-front of a record crowd - great stuff
Later in the year a great win against Hawthorn, with Hardie BOG on Mathews

The Essendon win put the Club on top of the ladder. In the Prelim, Hardie was on top of Matthews until after half time and Matthews was dragged. He came on again in the last quarter, lost Hardie, who was never great defensively, kicked 2 and the club lost by 10 points.

 

[Jeff 1975]

Thanks DM

There was a photo at the time of Knights and Matthews on the bench in the 3 quarter
This was Knights last game and Matthews 2nd last
It was our chance however the 2 players we lost the week before began to hurt
The win against North was our first final win since 61
We had the scoring end in the third quarter but failed to capitalise
As you say Matthews cut-loose in the last
I went to all 3 games and my memory is Malthouse started Hardie in the centre in the Qualifying Final
Hawthorn flattened two players Hardie and Royal I think
It was a long way back after that
Don Scott writing for The Sun at the time strongly believed we had the wood on Essendon
Sadly the one that got away

 

[RedWhite&Blue]

Alan "Shorty," Daniels was another player who had a very good season in 85. Remember watching him in his debut against Carlton, in round 1. Thought we had picked up a very good player after that game. Shorty was quick and a booming kick. Remember him kicking a brilliant goal in the 85 semi against North, from about 60 out. After 85 he was injured a lot and couldn't repeat his 85 form. I was watching a game, in 86 I think, with a few mates. We stood near the race and Shorty stood near us, on crutches. He had a few beers alongside us and didn't seem to give a s**t whether anyone saw him drinking or not. Amazing how times have changed, injured players all sit together now and would never be seen drinking.

Found this interesting article on Daniels, written three years ago.

Long and short of Allen Daniels

Lippy, funny, sometimes inappropriate, the former Bulldogs wingman had a relatively brief career but left a lasting impression, writes Paul Amy.

www.sen.com.au

Ha! That article was a great read. I remember Shorty Daniels... my dad loved him.
the opposition coach he had a go at was Graeme Cornes and the teammate that Was involved with Cornes’ wife was Tony McGuiness