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A Bulldogs win would help justify AFL equalisation

27th September, 2016
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Jake Stringer needs to fire for the Doggies to have a chance this weekend. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Roar Rookie
27th September, 2016
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It has been 55 years since the Western Bulldogs, formerly known as Footscray, appeared in a grand final in a professional competition.

But separating the VFL with the AFL, the Doggies’ record is actually not the disaster we may think.

It is generally agreed the AFL competition as we know it began in 1987, when Brisbane and Perth joined 11 Melbourne teams and one Sydney team.

In that year, the Victorian Football League was essentially replaced by the Australian Football League (AFL), although that name wasn’t officially used until 1990.

Since 1987, Hawthorn has won the most AFL flags, a whopping seven. Geelong, Brisbane and West Coast have won three. Collingwood, Essendon, Adelaide, Sydney, Carlton, and North have each won two.

Unbelievably, Port Adelaide is the only team to have won just the single AFL flag, to join the 34 flags won in their own local Adelaide competition pre-AFL.

This leaves the Bulldogs, Melbourne, St Kilda, Fremantle, Gold Coast, Richmond and Greater Western Sydeny with an empty cabinet.

Removing the youngsters, Gold Coast and GWS, just five teams have failed to win an AFL flag, providing some comfort that the AFL’s equalisation efforts are bringing a reasonable balance; a ‘share the love’ ethos that few of us can argue with.

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This weekend, the Western Bulldogs get their chance.

Like the four other clubs that have been in the AFL competition for 30 years, they should have ideally secured at least one AFL flag by now. A win will go some way to support the AFL’s equalisation efforts.

With a little bit of luck, hopefully every team currently in the competition would have won at least two flags each when the AFL celebrates its 50th year in 2036.

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