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1954: the last year the Bulldogs won the flag

2nd January, 2013
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The Bulldogs host Collingwood in this NAB Challenge match. (Slattery Media)
Roar Guru
2nd January, 2013
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Over the last twenty years, eleven different teams have won the flag, which represents a good distribution of premiership joy among supporters.

Some supporters have been privileged enough to experience several premierships; exceptionally privileged when you consider the plight of the (now quite elderly, or deceased) fans of the Western Bulldogs (née Footscray), who last saw one in 1954.

1954!?

There were BRAND NEW FJ Holdens being driven around in 1954.

It was so long ago, God Save the Queen was the national anthem, and it was the year the Queen visited us for the very first time (God stayed away until the British completed their nuclear tests).

This was a time when, following several of the aforementioned explosions, everyone would sit in front of their radiograms (there were no televisions remember) and listen to Prime Minister Robert Menzies announce: “The public should not attach any importance to Geiger counter readings of radioactivity” without choking on their Bonox or gagging on their liver pills.

Despite recently asserting themselves (and unfortunately losing three successive preliminary finals) poor Foostcray will always be associated with the distant past.

I have a book somewhere titled How To Play Australian Football.

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On the cover is a Footscray player from an ancient era caught in a ridiculous pose, executing what I think is a drop kick. His arms are outstretched like aeroplane wings and both his high ankle boots are off the ground.

I can almost smell the mothballs on his thick woollen jumper.

It’s worth noting that in 1961 the contraceptive pill was introduced in Australia. It coincided with Melbourne’s premiership interruptus, when its run of five titles in six years (1955-1960) came to an end.

It popped up again in 1964, but hasn’t reproduced since.

Two years later St Kilda would win their only premiership with an awful kick for a behind. They would attempt to do the same in 2010 against the same opposition but to no avail.

Melbourne is only four premierships off joining the all time leaders Carlton and Essendon and yet it hasn’t claimed one for 48 years.

Of course, there is nothing the Bulldogs wouldn’t have done to be premiers as recently as 1964! These were modern times.

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It was the year the Beatles visited the city and the slimline EH Holden was a vast aesthetic improvement on the chubby old FJ (many of which were already lying about as wrecks on empty suburban blocks).

This was the decade of excitement.

There was James Bond on film, JFK clearly getting shot from more than one angle on film, and an Australian Prime Minister who replicated Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice by faking his own death and getting whisked away by a submarine.

It definitely was a great period.

However, there is no getting around the fact that when Melbourne last won a flag, Crackers Keenan was only 13 years old… a long long time ago.

I must say that I’m still astounded by the large number of children running around in Richmond jumpers. Yes, the Tigers won a premiership well after Footscray, Melbourne and St Kilda won their last.

But it was still in 1980 – before people started dressing like Boy George.

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Despite being one of the competition’s most consistent under achievers, kids keep flocking to them. I’m not sure if it’s the parents who supported the club in the successful years, or the team song which, on the rare occasion it is played, is the equal of Carlton’s: “We are the navy blues…”.

Or perhaps their popularity with the youngsters is simply the tiger – the most powerful marketing mascot there is.

Richmond have a way to go before they are consigned to the old dusty wardrobe of history where Footscray and Melbourne currently reside.

But the scent of mothballs grows ever stronger.

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