Players That Supported The Bulldogs

Apr 22, 2004
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Definitely supported Footscray before he played for Richmond.

I’ve actually noticed some pro Bulldogs sentiment from him over the years in the media ie commentary, radio etc

Yep. KB was 100 percent a Bulldog fan. I remember him writing an article about it, and describing the joy of attending the 1954 grand final as a little kid. Always liked KB :D
 
Surely got to be Troy Pannell then!
No. Current umpire who has umpired over 300 games including 2 Grand Finals. First game was in 2003.
 

footscray1973

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Chris Mitchell. was my sport teacher in high school. Dogs man.

Around Chris Mitchell’s time, there were 3 senior umpires who grew up as Dogs supporters. I can’t remember the name of one, but another senior umpire I know said this guy went out of his way to make sure there was no favouritism in his umpiring, to the point some other umpires who shared games with him felt he deliberately umpired against us.
 
Chris Mitchell. was my sport teacher in high school. Dogs man.
Mathew Nicholls, is one of my former students, one of the few Doggie fans that went to our northern suburbs college. His entire family were Doggie supporters. In fact, I went to the final match at the Whitten Oval with Mathew and his father and younger brother. After the match I went over to his family's home for dinner.

I last saw Mathew in Feb 2014 right before a Melbourne practice match at Gosch's Paddock during one of my visits to Melbourne. I went there to see Daniel Cross and sign up as a Demons member for the year in Crossy's honour. Mathew was one of the umpires for that match and prior to the start, while he was warming up running around the ground, I saw him, called out to him and he stopped and we talked for a while. I know how he is hated by many on here, but he is a really nice person. In fact, he was the umpire who reported Gary Ablett Jr in the first incident in Round 7. :)
 

Leon

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Mathew Nicholls, is one of my former students, one of the few Doggie fans that went to our northern suburbs college. His entire family were Doggie supporters. In fact, I went to the final match at the Whitten Oval with Mathew and his father and younger brother. After the match I went over to his family's home for dinner.

I last saw Mathew in Feb 2014 right before a Melbourne practice match at Gosch's Paddock during one of my visits to Melbourne. I went there to see Daniel Cross and sign up as a Demons member for the year in Crossy's honour. Mathew was one of the umpires for that match and prior to the start, while he was warming up running around the ground, I saw him, called out to him and he stopped and we talked for a while. I know how he is hated by many on here, but he is a really nice person. In fact, he was the umpire who reported Gary Ablett Jr in the first incident in Round 7. :)



I have met a couple of experienced AFL umpires over the years.

Despite the constant abuse and negativity they get week after week, they all loved the job and all were very nice guys.

Matt Nicholls is a very good umpire IMO for what it’s worth.
 

footscray1973

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I have met a couple of experienced AFL umpires over the years.

Despite the constant abuse and negativity they get week after week, they all loved the job and all were very nice guys.

Matt Nicholls is a very good umpire IMO for what it’s worth.

Yeah I get that. But I went to school with one now in a very senior position. Possibly the most over-rated person in Australian football history, but that’s a conservative opinion!
 
80s umpire Peter Howe came from a Dogs supporting family. They wouldn't talk to him fir days if he officiated a losing Dogs game! Still involved in umpiring, in a coaching capacity I believe, so he'd probably be reluctant to admit that his heart lies with the Dogs.
 
I have met a couple of experienced AFL umpires over the years.

Despite the constant abuse and negativity they get week after week, they all loved the job and all were very nice guys.

Matt Nicholls is a very good umpire IMO for what it’s worth.
I also taught Michael Vozzo. His family lived a few streets down from where I lived in Box Hill. He was a great kid, always smiling. Unfortunately his family were rabid Essendon supporters. And I mean rabid! I'm waiting for the day when another former student becomes a Senior coach. He's a former two time premiership player and now an assistant coach for the team I hate the most. Again, another kid from a really great family.
 
Re: Umpires, I heard an unconfirmed rumour years ago that Darren Goldspink was/is now a Bulldogs supporter, anyone else heard?
Having met him I am surprised he follows anyone. May well be the most humourless human being I have ever met, and that was away from football. I assumed he watches paint dry and eats unflavoured porridge three meals per day.
 
How about an umpire that supported us? I know one.
I know of one too, didn't umpire 300 games though. Good fella, overall he gave more free kicks to the opposition than the Bulldogs as he was worried about perceptions of favouritism.
 
I also taught Michael Vozzo. His family lived a few streets down from where I lived in Box Hill. He was a great kid, always smiling. Unfortunately his family were rabid Essendon supporters. And I mean rabid! I'm waiting for the day when another former student becomes a Senior coach. He's a former two time premiership player and now an assistant coach for the team I hate the most. Again, another kid from a really great family.
Stevie J?
 
I also think we should claim Dennis Commetti.
Speaks fondly of us and played two reserves games for us IIRC. Was pre-AFL era and he was a WA boy.
 
Stevie J?
Nope. Blake Caracella. Nice kid. Very friendly. Bit of a goofball. I also taught his little brother.

I seem to have a few footy stories. LOL Not bad for a foreigner. Did I ever mention that I went to the footy with Jarrod Molloy, another former student, at Princes Park(Footscray v Fitzroy) and a year later in 1994 I went to watch him play his first VFL Senior match for Fitzroy against Essendon on the same ground? It was Tim Watson's 300th game. I used to watch Jarrod when he played for the Box Hill Mustangs when he was 16. I lived near the ground. Good times.
 
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