Expansion Could there be a better time to win a flag?

[Spazz Cat]

With the West being the fastest growing area in Australia, and the Essendon/ASADA scandal do the Bulldogs have opportunity to one day become an off field powerhouse?
The Bulldogs must make the most of this opportunity IMO.
Try and play a NAB challenge game in Melton or Sunbury. Have a lot of training sessions and footy clinics in Caroline Springs, Derrimut etc.
Must keep Lin Jong.
I'm not sure if he speaks Vietnamese but it would make sense to get him out to Sunshine/St Albans as much as possible. Could start whole new generations of support that weren't there before.
This is a massive opportunity.

 

[SgtSchulz]

Certainly being run like a powerhouse off-field at the moment.

 

[TheDyerLegacy]

With the West being the fastest growing area in Australia, and the Essendon/ASADA scandal do the Bulldogs have opportunity to one day become an off field powerhouse?
The Bulldogs must make the most of this opportunity IMO.
Try and play a NAB challenge game in Melton or Sunbury. Have a lot of training sessions and footy clinics in Caroline Springs, Derrimut etc.
Must keep Lin Jong.
I'm not sure if he speaks Vietnamese but it would make sense to get him out to Sunshine/St Albans as much as possible. Could start whole new generations of support that weren't there before.
This is a massive opportunity.

Good post.. this is a huge opportunity and I really hope the dogs capitalise

 

[TedDougChris]

Massive engagement and support from the community, a well run and better resourced off field structure and a young list with local roots - it is a tremendous opportunity to build longer term sustained growth for the club

 

[Hawkforce]

I encourage all Essendon supporters who believe in integrity to ditch their vile tainted club and join the true spiritual force of the Western suburbs!

 

[wally funk]

No better time to win a flag than on grand final day

 

[Bayer_]

With the West being the fastest growing area in Australia, and the Essendon/ASADA scandal do the Bulldogs have opportunity to one day become an off field powerhouse?
The Bulldogs must make the most of this opportunity IMO.
Try and play a NAB challenge game in Melton or Sunbury. Have a lot of training sessions and footy clinics in Caroline Springs, Derrimut etc.
Must keep Lin Jong.
I'm not sure if he speaks Vietnamese but it would make sense to get him out to Sunshine/St Albans as much as possible. Could start whole new generations of support that weren't there before.
This is a massive opportunity.

I'd be mighty impressed if Lin Jong spoke Vietnamese, given his roots are from Taiwan and East Timor.

 

[Pessimistic]

Doggies and hawks to carve up melbourne like the portuguese/spanish in the 15th C

 

[Occidental]

An all round good idea to embrace one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. They do have a chance now to exploit their success. Aren't they playing out in Ballarat for a few games next year?
Anyway Jong's background is that his dad fled East Timor, so he's not of Vietnamese background.

 

[Spazz Cat]

I'd be mighty impressed if Lin Jong spoke Vietnamese, given his roots are from Taiwan and East Timor.

Guess that would be impressive.
Still he's Asian and a decent player. Great role model for a lot of kids in the West who have never thought about footy before.

 

[Spazz Cat]

An all round good idea to embrace one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. They do have a chance now to exploit their success. Aren't they playing out in Ballarat for a few games next year?
Anyway Jong's background is that his dad fled East Timor, so he's not of Vietnamese background.

Their hoping for one game in the Rat next year which is good but already there are a lot of Geelong fans there.
I was thinking more of the West of Melbourne which is becoming huge.

 

[citizen-erased]

I encourage all Essendon supporters who believe in integrity to ditch their vile tainted club and join the true spiritual force of the Western suburbs!

Ah, the hop on, hop off Hawks mentality
Pass
Also, Essendon is north. Dogs already have the west to themselves

 

[Bayer_]

Guess that would be impressive.
Still he's Asian and a decent player. Great role model for a lot of kids in the West who have never thought about footy before.

You're right that he's a trailblazer who should help more kids of Asian background want to get involved in footy, though I don't know how many Chinese communities there are out West - they tend to be out East? But I think overall, the most important thing is the team is not merely an also ran this season. I couldn't help but be impressed to see how diverse the Doggies support base is - they seem to have representation from every community, and that kind of shared experience does more to build bridges than most government programs can.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

Very good opportunity for the Dogs to capitalize on a huge market. A lot of things need to work in there favour, not the least sustained success over at least 5 to 8 years and another flag or two.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Ah, the hop on, hop off Hawks mentality
Pass
Also, Essendon is north. Dogs already have the west to themselves

I live in the North West. To me I would say there would slightly more Bomber fans than Dogs.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Agree with the sentiment of keeping Jong even if the OP was clumsy. Would be great for promoting a club that has always respected its local community and the grass roots.

But failing that hes welcome at Collingwood. I wouldnt want Jong kept at the Dogs if it was ONLY for marketing reason. That would be racist. At the end of the day successful clubs sometimes need to trade good players.

 

[AFDogs]

Yes, the Bulldogs already run clinics in schools in the St. Albans/Sunshine area but have yet to really hit the new developing areas (Caroline Springs, Derrimut, Taylors Hill etc.).

Big opportunity.

 

[TheSunGod]

You're right that he's a trailblazer who should help more kids of Asian background want to get involved in footy, though I don't know how many Chinese communities there are out West - they tend to be out East? But I think overall, the most important thing is the team is not merely an also ran this season. I couldn't help but be impressed to see how diverse the Doggies support base is - they seem to have representation from every community, and that kind of shared experience does more to build bridges than most government programs can.

When People of European Caucasian descent see Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese etc. they see Asian.
When people of Asian descent see Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese etc. they see Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese etc.
An East Timorese / Taiwanese player is not going to help convince Vietnamese or Chinese kids to play AFL.

 

[Tulip]

Lin Jong won't be at the Dogs next year, though. He's not best 22.

 

[Bayer_]

When People of European Caucasian descent see Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese etc. they see Asian.
When people of Asian descent see Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese etc. they see Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese etc.
An East Timorese / Taiwanese player is not going to help convince Vietnamese or Chinese kids to play AFL.

You do realise that Chinese people are not limited to China? They have diaspora over all of Asia, including in East Timor. I'm not sure if Lin's background is East Timor Chinese, or plain East Timorese, but Taiwan is the Republic of China.

 

[Spazz Cat]

When People of European Caucasian descent see Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese etc. they see Asian.
When people of Asian descent see Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese etc. they see Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese etc.
An East Timorese / Taiwanese player is not going to help convince Vietnamese or Chinese kids to play AFL.

You're probably right. I'm not Asian so I wouldn't know.
Vietnamese dudes at work seem to like him though.

 

[Bayer_]

You're probably right. I'm not Asian so I wouldn't know.
Vietnamese dudes at work seem to like him though.

Reminds me of a funny story about Todd Goldstein. The Embassy of Israel asked him to come speak at a function. He informed them that he'd be happy to oblige, but wanted them to know he wasn't Jewish. The response was 'he's close enough'.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Well Ballarat is really keen as ever now to get the ground finished.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Lin Jong won't be at the Dogs next year, though. He's not best 22.

I'd say he'll become best 22. Was mighty impressive in that VFL GF.
With a broken collarbone.
Thought he was the one who really got them going in the 3rd. Really took the game on, quick nice spot up kicks into the middle as well as linked up with some good overhead marks.
Would want him at the Cats.

 

[bucksisbest]

I wouldn't mind them establishing themselves as a bit more of an off field powerhouse for the competitions sake and it might avoid the hokey, group think, patronising nature of the past few weeks, in the future.