Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, the Bulldogs are a proud club from Melbourne’s west, despite their lack of premiership success. In 2016 the Western Bulldogs won their second flag, breaking the longest premiership drought in AFL/VFL history, after their only other triumph in 1954.
Joining the VFA in 1886, Footscray were one of the three Melbourne clubs (along with Hawthorn and North Melbourne) to secure a promotion to the VFL in 1925. The Bulldogs were quick to find their feet, and of these three new clubs in Australia’s premier Aussie Rules competition, the Dogs became the first to make the finals in 1938.
However, there was still a while to go until Footscray won their maiden premiership. This came in 1954, where the Bulldogs belted Melbourne by 51 points, much to the delight of their fans. The bulk of this success can be attributed to ‘Mr. Football’ and legend of the game E.J. Whitten. A goal-scoring defender, Whitten’s legacy looms large over Whitten Oval, the name given to the Bulldogs’ training ground and home base.
What followed from the 1954 flag was the longest barren spell of all time. Facing financial difficulties as a result of decades of failure on the park, Footscray rebranded themselves as the Western Bulldogs in 1996.
Despite only finishing 7th in the 2016 regular season, the Bulldogs went on an amazing finals run, eventually taking out the flag with a 22-point victory over the more fancied Swans, breaking a 62-year premiership drought to boot. This fairytale provided much needed joy for the loyal and patient Dogs’ fans, who will be hoping that they don’t need to wait another 62 years for their next piece of silverware. With future Brownlow-medalist Marcus Bontempelli running around the Kennel, Bulldogs’ fans shouldn’t have to wait too long.