lachy
Premiership Player
To secure the clubs future so we can have the time to develop, those on the board really do need to refocus their message when they have the opportunity to push the clubs growth in the western region of Melbourne.
Though those may not think so, this is not simply a Footscray v Western thread. It is a thread to discuss how the club can truly grow its supporter base, both individual and commercial, in the Western Region of Melbourne to genuinely ensure a long term successful future.
Listening to every board member at the moment when they are asked about the name and our push into the western region is like watching an episode of West Wing or Q&A. It is as though there is a directive that the name Western Bulldogs is fundamental and underpins the push and any change would fundamentally destroy the club.
Not only is that a load of garbage, in fact it is probably having the opposite effect, it is making sure that the great work the club is doing in the areas that will grow the clubs support in the Western region of Melbourne is being left as noise in the background.
To grow our brand in the West we need to be out there in the community. This includes players attending schools, auskick and junior football clubs. It also includes the club being totally engaged in community groups working with the community’s through out the west in programs for the disadvantaged, new arrivals, people from different cultural backgrounds and the communities in general.
It is this community involvement that will grow our brand. Proudly as a member and supporter of the Footscray Football Club, my club is one of the leaders in this throughout Australia. Every time the clubs growth is brought up by anyone in any type of media to a club representative this is what should be spruiked as it is this that will grow the brand in the region. We need to continue to enhance these initiatives and by being part of the communities our support will grow over time.
Now to our name. Its biggest issue is it does not anchor the club to any community in the west. The generic term Western could be anywhere and the moniker the Bulldogs is more often than not associated with those bulldogs in the northern state or in each state that all have a bulldogs team in their state leagues.
Interestingly if we still played out of the Whitten oval the name may work as our home ground provides the anchor. Fact is we don’t and wont.
The western region of Melbourne has spread from Footscray. That is simply a fact, and there are many ways to market the team as representing those from the West whilst anchoring it to the first major city in the west. It is also the last train station all western region train stations go through heading into the city.
A few examples are:
Footscray –the team of the west
Footscray – Gateway to the West
Footscray –the western bulldogs
Footscray – we are the west
I am sure there are may more.
Apologies to those posters who like short threads, but the future of our club deserves more than some glib lines and the discussion and debate needs to get past change or don’t change the name as we do or don’t like it. Also the fantastic work of our club off the field needs to be recognised.
Though those may not think so, this is not simply a Footscray v Western thread. It is a thread to discuss how the club can truly grow its supporter base, both individual and commercial, in the Western Region of Melbourne to genuinely ensure a long term successful future.
Listening to every board member at the moment when they are asked about the name and our push into the western region is like watching an episode of West Wing or Q&A. It is as though there is a directive that the name Western Bulldogs is fundamental and underpins the push and any change would fundamentally destroy the club.
Not only is that a load of garbage, in fact it is probably having the opposite effect, it is making sure that the great work the club is doing in the areas that will grow the clubs support in the Western region of Melbourne is being left as noise in the background.
To grow our brand in the West we need to be out there in the community. This includes players attending schools, auskick and junior football clubs. It also includes the club being totally engaged in community groups working with the community’s through out the west in programs for the disadvantaged, new arrivals, people from different cultural backgrounds and the communities in general.
It is this community involvement that will grow our brand. Proudly as a member and supporter of the Footscray Football Club, my club is one of the leaders in this throughout Australia. Every time the clubs growth is brought up by anyone in any type of media to a club representative this is what should be spruiked as it is this that will grow the brand in the region. We need to continue to enhance these initiatives and by being part of the communities our support will grow over time.
Now to our name. Its biggest issue is it does not anchor the club to any community in the west. The generic term Western could be anywhere and the moniker the Bulldogs is more often than not associated with those bulldogs in the northern state or in each state that all have a bulldogs team in their state leagues.
Interestingly if we still played out of the Whitten oval the name may work as our home ground provides the anchor. Fact is we don’t and wont.
The western region of Melbourne has spread from Footscray. That is simply a fact, and there are many ways to market the team as representing those from the West whilst anchoring it to the first major city in the west. It is also the last train station all western region train stations go through heading into the city.
A few examples are:
Footscray –the team of the west
Footscray – Gateway to the West
Footscray –the western bulldogs
Footscray – we are the west
I am sure there are may more.
Apologies to those posters who like short threads, but the future of our club deserves more than some glib lines and the discussion and debate needs to get past change or don’t change the name as we do or don’t like it. Also the fantastic work of our club off the field needs to be recognised.
