Mega Thread Celebrating Kora the Companion Dog-the Casual Chat Thread: Part Deux

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Chappyuk

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Still up. Tipsy not drunk. Won't sleep til I get back from seeing tens of thousands of Doggies, inluding the special-most two dozen down in West Footscray tomorrow I reckon.

After the game I ended up in Yarraville and bumped into a best mate from primary school. He gave me a beer, we sand the song (which I'll admit is bottom-tier for the Vic clubs, but sounded bloody good tonight), and then another beer (i'm fat, still within the limit officer). And then we went for a bit of a drive.

Footscray was NUTS. Police public order repsonse team was out in force, saw a convoy of their 4WDs working their way round, down Hopkind and Barkly. Counted fifteen, would've been at least another 5, and never once did they flash the sirens, which I appreciated.Lads hanging out windows singing along to "Who Let the Dogs Out", another not very good song, but also one that gave me a damn good grin, as the mix of scragger and hipster and Vietnamese and Skip and old and young that is Footisgray was nothing but scarves and smiles, and horns and raspy voices.

I had a particular chuckle at the definitely not 18 year old boys who found there way into a particular pub that I won't mention cos they deserve to keep their licence, and were enjoying the *idea* of the darts and beers far more than the actuality of them. And at the woman who clearly didn't give two shits who constantly side-eyed her boyfriend who had shedded his hipster skin and was bathwatered to the gills.

After discussing who'd get in the boot of my boat of a commodore, old mate, his Dog-loving housemate, and a couple of good eggs who were 100% on board the Dogs for the day, and deciding that even though every road out of Yarraville had been blocked off by the coppers I was safe to drive (I actually was, I stayed sober as a judge for the game, too close to fainting from the stress for anything but tea), we made our way to see EJ and soak it up a bit down at Whitten oval. My horn, and those of a few others, got a workout; if you live near the ground, I hope you enjoyed my attempt to get my horn to play the song.

The pic isn't brillaint, but the mood was. There weren't many there, the ground had closed hours beforehand, but of the maybe three dozen who were hanging round making a nuisance there was not a one who didn't feel it.



Then down to Sims, for a longneck and some grub, and off to his place. On went the 7" LP of the Sons of the Scray, on repeat, for hours. Out came the herbal suppliments (again, officer, none for me), on went the highlights. I read the thoughts I'd penned about the Dogs the night before, to a remarkably patient audience, and I reckon a couple of them got it. And the rest were happy I was happy.

We talked about the Women's League, and how good it'll be to see the Dogs in action, sitting down at the Whitten Oval having a can and going for the first triple premiership in footy history, knock wood. And about life, And about the west. And about the game, the club, the coach, the players, the nannas of Seddon... the Dogs. Our Dogs.

And then, it was time to head home. Scarf out the window. Online blood alcohol calculator calculated (0.04, officer), half a packet of cheese and onion chips scoffed to mop it up a bit (minor, but only regret of the night), and heading home down the Princes.

Sainters, Dockers, Tigers... I hope you get there. Giants too once the club gives up on Western Sydney and embraces Canberra as their rightful home - apparently almost 50% of the Giants memebers who were at the prelim were from the Capital region, writing ought to be but is not on the wall, AFL.

4 weeks ago, I knew the Dogs, and THESE Dogs were special, and that when we got there it would be... well, special. But I don't know it would be like this.

And so now, it's quarter to five in the morning, and I'm more or less sober, but I'm not back to normal. It's just a game, it's just sport, but something has changed. Nothing earth shattering, just something small, and I don't know what it is yet. But... this win matters. More than I could know. Go Dogs!

________

tl;dr: Dogs won and it's ******* great. Woof Woof!
#Quill4Hufus
 

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hufus

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If I get a quill it's for this I reckon. I know it'll make most of you sick at how gooey it is but it's honest. I wrote it on Friday night:

---------------------

Tomorrow, the Dogs are in the first Grand Final with Red, White and Blue taking centre stage in my lifetime. In just about double my lifetime, actually. This week has been great - the cars and trucks and taxis with scarves and flags fluttering along Old Geelong Road; shop after shop in Werribee hanging the colours proudly, pubs in Yarraville, fences in Maidstone, houses in Altona, cars older than most of the players in Sunshine have all been given a fresh coat of paint. Balloons in hospices and streamers from balconies from Dromana to Mildura to Beechworth, and especially, to Footscray.

Dogs fans don't live with expectations. Maybe it's a failing, but it's still true that there's a sort of eternal, defensive pessimism about the upcoming game. But there's always been a little nugget of hope that shone through even as we told ourselves not to get uppity and that things will come good, maybe in a few years, maybe then it'll be our time. And it got us through a lot of heartache over the years. I've only been feeling it for a couple of decades, some have been feeling it for most of a century.

St Kilda has the draw, and there are plenty of heartbreaking games for fans of the Cats or the Crows or the Weagles. I can only talk through a biased mouth, but I'd venture that the Dogs have a particular knack for breaking hearts.

'The Prelim'.

That game that broke the hearts of a generation, and that still earns that name despite another 38 Preliminary finals having been played since. More than a couple of those 38 were pretty hard, too. But 1997... it somehow broke my heart when I was 9 and only just beginning to understand footy. The team I'd chosen only a year beforehand partly cos two of my best mates - Toddy and Mads - went for them, partly because my family was divided between Melbourne, Essendon, Richmond, and Geelong and I wanted to forge my own path, a little because there was a street for everyone in the family on the Footscray page of the Melways (even a Freame St!), and partly because I liked the colours - ie, without knowing what I was getting myself in to - felt right from the start, and I felt like my place in footy, the real heart of Melbourne, was set.

And then we lost that game, and I was hooked, not because I was particularly masochistic; I think because the Dogs made me *feel* something that the Bombers or the Dees or the Cats or the Tigers didn't, and wouldn't, and dare I say, couldn't. The defensive pessimism took root, but the hope was also lit. We went down the ladder, we went up the ladder, and down and up again. And again. We lost another 4? 5? Prelims. I moved interstate and my attention waned a bit.

Last week, it felt like there was another 'The Prelim'. We'd been better all day but couldn't take a bloody mark in the forward 50, and the Giants, the antithesis of the Dogs in so many ways, had a break on us. Here we go again, Dogs fans... but now that game will be close to forgotten. Don't get me wrong, it was a brilliant match, one of the best I've seen, Dogs or no Dogs. But for once it didn't break my heart.

We won, 89-83. And in 16 hours, we're going to be playing in a grand final.

Most years during this week, I say to Mum over a cup of tea while discussing the game to come, "Can you imagine what it will be like when the Dogs get in there? The west will go mental. I know it means something to the supporters of every club that makes it, but I don't think it'll mean as much to a Hawks/Cats/Eagles fan as it will to the Nannas of Seddon".

Well, there's no need to imagine anymore, and the Nannas of Seddon get their day tomorrow. They've waited a bloody long time for it. And I get mine, too.

I really hope we win. I really, really hope we win. Hope! The biggest prize has been that that nugget of hope has burst out and pushed away that pessimism, for good. My club deserves to be there, we're not almost good enough, we're good enough. From now on, I don't support the heartbreakers, the brave battlers, everyone's second team, the unthreatening, scrappy scraggers. I support a team equal to any in the league, and by this time tomorrow, if the hearts of Dogs fans have any say in the matter, the Premiers.

Go Dogs!

--------------------------------

Anyhoo, that's what I read out tonight to the assembled faithful, had a Sainter (one of the good eggs) a bit misty and more or less resonated with a punk of happy drunks who already knew the result.
 

OES

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God I'm so happy for you hufus. I have a couple of friends IRL who I'm so happy for but somehow, perhaps because of what you've gone through this year I'm even more happy for you. After I got over my bitterness and hatred for st kilda (which I actually still have a bit of to be honest) I learnt that this in a way feels like my team winning. I was on the doggies train today. (I jumped off momentarily after my two children absolutely embarrassed me at a gf party but that was just the ****** up unreasonable bone in my body that causes me to be a one eyed psychopath rearing its ugly head)

When we got home and rewatched the grand final, that final quarter just felt so magical. Witnessing the pure emotion and the elation from Bulldogs fans and players alike and all of a sudden it felt like my team won. I felt like I did in those two fleeting minutes of bliss when Goddard took that mark in 2010.

But it wasn't mine. I stole the feeling.
 

the fly

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Still up. Tipsy not drunk. Won't sleep til I get back from seeing tens of thousands of Doggies, inluding the special-most two dozen down in West Footscray tomorrow I reckon.

After the game I ended up in Yarraville and bumped into a best mate from primary school. He gave me a beer, we sand the song (which I'll admit is bottom-tier for the Vic clubs, but sounded bloody good tonight), and then another beer (i'm fat, still within the limit officer). And then we went for a bit of a drive.

Footscray was NUTS. Police public order repsonse team was out in force, saw a convoy of their 4WDs working their way round, down Hopkind and Barkly. Counted fifteen, would've been at least another 5, and never once did they flash the sirens, which I appreciated.Lads hanging out windows singing along to "Who Let the Dogs Out", another not very good song, but also one that gave me a damn good grin, as the mix of scragger and hipster and Vietnamese and Skip and old and young that is Footisgray was nothing but scarves and smiles, and horns and raspy voices.

I had a particular chuckle at the definitely not 18 year old boys who found there way into a particular pub that I won't mention cos they deserve to keep their licence, and were enjoying the *idea* of the darts and beers far more than the actuality of them. And at the woman who clearly didn't give two shits who constantly side-eyed her boyfriend who had shedded his hipster skin and was bathwatered to the gills.

After discussing who'd get in the boot of my boat of a commodore, old mate, his Dog-loving housemate, and a couple of good eggs who were 100% on board the Dogs for the day, and deciding that even though every road out of Yarraville had been blocked off by the coppers I was safe to drive (I actually was, I stayed sober as a judge for the game, too close to fainting from the stress for anything but tea), we made our way to see EJ and soak it up a bit down at Whitten oval. My horn, and those of a few others, got a workout; if you live near the ground, I hope you enjoyed my attempt to get my horn to play the song.

The pic isn't brillaint, but the mood was. There weren't many there, the ground had closed hours beforehand, but of the maybe three dozen who were hanging round making a nuisance there was not a one who didn't feel it.



Then down to Sims, for a longneck and some grub, and off to his place. On went the 7" LP of the Sons of the Scray, on repeat, for hours. Out came the herbal suppliments (again, officer, none for me), on went the highlights. I read the thoughts I'd penned about the Dogs the night before, to a remarkably patient audience, and I reckon a couple of them got it. And the rest were happy I was happy.

We talked about the Women's League, and how good it'll be to see the Dogs in action, sitting down at the Whitten Oval having a can and going for the first triple premiership in footy history, knock wood. And about life, And about the west. And about the game, the club, the coach, the players, the nannas of Seddon... the Dogs. Our Dogs.

And then, it was time to head home. Scarf out the window. Online blood alcohol calculator calculated (0.04, officer), half a packet of cheese and onion chips scoffed to mop it up a bit (minor, but only regret of the night), and heading home down the Princes.

Sainters, Dockers, Tigers... I hope you get there. Giants too once the club gives up on Western Sydney and embraces Canberra as their rightful home - apparently almost 50% of the Giants memebers who were at the prelim were from the Capital region, writing ought to be but is not on the wall, AFL.

4 weeks ago, I knew the Dogs, and THESE Dogs were special, and that when we got there it would be... well, special. But I don't know it would be like this.

And so now, it's quarter to five in the morning, and I'm more or less sober, but I'm not back to normal. It's just a game, it's just sport, but something has changed. Nothing earth shattering, just something small, and I don't know what it is yet. But... this win matters. More than I could know. Go Dogs!

________

tl;dr: Dogs won and it's ******* great. Woof Woof!
As others are said, enjoy the moment. I certainly did in 2005 and 2012.
 

Plugger35

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God I'm so happy for you hufus. I have a couple of friends IRL who I'm so happy for but somehow, perhaps because of what you've gone through this year I'm even more happy for you. After I got over my bitterness and hatred for st kilda (which I actually still have a bit of to be honest) I learnt that this in a way feels like my team winning. I was on the doggies train today. (I jumped off momentarily after my two children absolutely embarrassed me at a gf party but that was just the stuffed up unreasonable bone in my body that causes me to be a one eyed psychopath rearing its ugly head)

When we got home and rewatched the grand final, that final quarter just felt so magical. Witnessing the pure emotion and the elation from Bulldogs fans and players alike and all of a sudden it felt like my team won. I felt like I did in those two fleeting minutes of bliss when Goddard took that mark in 2010.

But it wasn't mine. I stole the feeling.
I didn't get that feeling at all, I just felt bitter about the fact that St Kilda hasn't been able to celebrate a premiership in my lifetime.

Although the Dogs breaking their premiership drought at least gives you some hope that St Kilda can do the same thing, I won't hold my breath though.
 

OES

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I didn't get that feeling at all, I just felt bitter about the fact that St Kilda hasn't been able to celebrate a premiership in my lifetime.

Although the Dogs breaking their premiership drought at least gives you some hope that St Kilda can do the same thing, I won't hold my breath though.
Actually if anything the dogs breaking their drought makes me think it's less likely for st kilda to do it anytime soon. Hard to believe three teams could go sixty plus years without a flag but Sydney Bulldogs and saints have all done it. Saints could easily do it twice.

As long as I experience it in my lifetime. One is all I need. Until thencouldntcreally care less about 2>1, 28 spoons, 120 years of mediocrity and all that crap because if you think after thirty years I haven't learnt the saints are crap and therefore I need to be reminded every second of my life, you're really wasting your time. Now all I care about is celebrating a premiership eventually.


But not right now. Footy season is finished. Time to focus on real life for a while.

Enjoy it doggies fans. We know what you've been through. We know how much you want it. We know how much this means. :)
 
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I didn't get that feeling at all, I just felt bitter about the fact that St Kilda hasn't been able to celebrate a premiership in my lifetime.

Although the Dogs breaking their premiership drought at least gives you some hope that St Kilda can do the same thing, I won't hold my breath though.
Get a coach who has belief & can instill it in his players, is the simple message.

Nothing pretty about the dogs style, though it is accountable....They turn the game into a scrap to get it played on their terms.....Simple formula.
 

Plugger35

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Actually if anything the dogs breaking their drought makes me think it's less likely for st kilda to do it anytime soon. Hard to believe three teams could go sixty plus years without a flag but Sydney Bulldogs and saints have all done it. Saints could easily do it twice.

As long as I experience it in my lifetime. One is all I need. Until thencouldntcreally care less about 2>1, 28 spoons, 120 years of mediocrity and all that crap because if you think after thirty years I haven't learnt the saints are crap and therefore I need to be reminded every second of my life, you're really wasting your time. Now all I care about is celebrating a premiership eventually.


But not right now. Footy season is finished. Time to focus on real life for a while.

Enjoy it doggies fans. We know what you've been through. We know how much you want it. We know how much this means. :)
Nah we certainly haven't been the worst team since I've been following the Saints which is about 25 years now, Richmond Melbourne and Freo have been worse, we've played in finals regularly and made GFs we just can't win the bloody things.

What is frustrating is that we had a great team in 2009 and 2010 that would beat most other GF teams including the current Dogs team but we unfortunately came up against one of the GOAT teams in Geelong and a red hot Collingwood team, both of whom play at the MCG a lot more than us.

The Dogs and the Hawks the previous 3 years had the advantage of playing interstate teams so it was like a home game for them, premierships are quite often a case of being in the right place at the right time.

Get a coach who has belief & can instill it in his players, is the simple message.

Nothing pretty about the dogs style, though it is accountable....They turn the game into a scrap to get it played on their terms.....Simple formula.
I'm pretty happy with Richardson as our coach, he has improved us every year he has been there and has what it takes to be a premiership coach imo.

Luke Beveridge has done a great job at the Dogs, we actually appointed him as our football manager from the Hawks and then the Dogs poached him to be their coach after they sacked McCartney.
 

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Actually if anything the dogs breaking their drought makes me think it's less likely for st kilda to do it anytime soon. Hard to believe three teams could go sixty plus years without a flag but Sydney Bulldogs and saints have all done it. Saints could easily do it twice.

As long as I experience it in my lifetime. One is all I need. Until thencouldntcreally care less about 2>1, 28 spoons, 120 years of mediocrity and all that crap because if you think after thirty years I haven't learnt the saints are crap and therefore I need to be reminded every second of my life, you're really wasting your time. Now all I care about is celebrating a premiership eventually.


But not right now. Footy season is finished. Time to focus on real life for a while.

Enjoy it doggies fans. We know what you've been through. We know how much you want it. We know how much this means. :)
When we get ours it will be all the more sweeter.

Every heart break will go, every spoon gone, every shit game and 10 goal thrashing gone.

Our journey might be harder with more downs then ups but when we reach nirvana it will be ******* amazing and worth it in every way.
 

Run n Spread

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I didn't get that feeling at all, I just felt bitter about the fact that St Kilda hasn't been able to celebrate a premiership in my lifetime.

Although the Dogs breaking their premiership drought at least gives you some hope that St Kilda can do the same thing, I won't hold my breath though.
Shows things can turn quickly and with a bit of luck and variables such as a mid season bye 1 of 10 teams could theoretically win it next year if all went to plan.

Happy for dogs fans and the club but the wank fest in the media and the narrative is tiresome. Need to switch off a while.
 

dales.girl38

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A few months ago people were saying we couldn't win away from Etihad - we only play 1-2 home & away games at the G, but we won all 4 there this year, we won at Domain and Spotless in knock out finals, Cazaly Stadium, Adelaide Oval and the SCG. No roof, no worries.
 

Plugger35

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A few months ago people were saying we couldn't win away from Etihad - we only play 1-2 home & away games at the G, but we won all 4 there this year, we won at Domain and Spotless in knock out finals, Cazaly Stadium, Adelaide Oval and the SCG. No roof, no worries.
Yeah but you had an extra 3 players this year, even interstate you had the better of the umpiring.

St Kilda don't even have the better of the umpiring at Etihad and interstate we get absolutely shafted.

There is one Swans fan I feel bad for, poor Antony. :drunk:

He looks like Kevin Sheedy with a shaved head.
 

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A few months ago people were saying we couldn't win away from Etihad - we only play 1-2 home & away games at the G, but we won all 4 there this year, we won at Domain and Spotless in knock out finals, Cazaly Stadium, Adelaide Oval and the SCG. No roof, no worries.
TBH i think every etihad side gets that same argument every year.

The way the dogs, north and us play it is based around playing at the G for finals so it still makes no sesne

(That being said st kilda were ******* shit interstate this season)
 

Plugger35

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I don't really care who wins the NRL GF, it's either drug cheats (Cronulla) or salary cap cheats (Storm).

I'll just be watching if for Keith Urban and his shit awful country/rock songs that no one knows the names of, yeah not.

Can anyone even name an original Keith Urban song? How the hell is he so popular that he is playing at an NRL GF, must be the Nicole Kidman factor.

Have a look at this Frees For table if you don't believe me.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_team_rankings?year=2016&type=TT&sby=8

Even with the Bulldogs 4 extra finals games you had over 100 more free kicks than us this year.
 

MEB_

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Yeah but you had an extra 3 players this year, even interstate you had the better of the umpiring.

St Kilda don't even have the better of the umpiring at Etihad and interstate we get absolutely shafted.



He looks like Kevin Sheedy with a shaved head.
imgres.jpg
 
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