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The sun was shining, the smell of finals footy was in the air. Walking down Cross Street towards Whitten Oval, there was a sense of something special.
That special feeling was the opportunity for me to take my kids to the oval where I grew up supporting the Footscray Football Club. Back during the 90s it was known as the Western Oval, today it’s recognised as the Whitten Oval with a statue of the man it’s named after on display at the main entrance.
Every weekend Footscray played at the Western Oval, I would make the trek down Cross Street towards to that sacred ground.
This year, Footscray’s VFL side returned to Whitten Oval. While it wasn’t AFL action, to have the opportunity to take my kids 17 years since it closed its doors on top level footy was a moment to cherish.
Like most families, my kids never had a choice when it came to footy teams, it was Footscray from the moment they were born. I have copped flak from friends and work colleagues calling it a ‘form of child abuse’.
While success might be limited if you are a Bulldogs supporter, my oldest daughter is already showing passion – the pillar of our football club.
Walking into the ground, the atmosphere was already building. Old faces, young faces and past players filling the grand stands and outer terraces. Although there was no official crowd figure mentioned – 7,000 had been bandied about – it felt like a 10,000-strong crowd of Bulldogs support.
Doug Hawkins in attendance addressed the crowd, talking of past club memories, some from his own collection and ones which included Kelvin Templeton kicking 15 goals against St Kilda.
The chant of Footscray would erupt from all corners of the ground, EJ Whitten Stand, John Gent Stand and of course behind the goals at the Geelong Road end. It was a clear indication that the locals loved their team and returning to the spiritual home gave them a reconnection which might have once been lost.
A multi-million dollar refurbishment of the ground might have taken away a true suburban feel that made areas like the Doug Hawkins wing an iconic place for the Western Suburbs locals on a Saturday afternoon, but there is still a strong historically presence within.
As the nostalgia returned, so did the howling wind that caused havoc to visiting teams for 113 years of its use. Against the wind Footscray would run away with the game in the final quarter, moving a step closer to a VFL grand final spot.
Cheers would ring out and the club song echoing across the ground as the Bulldogs were once again Footscray’s favourite sons.
For the all heartache that the name change to Western Bulldogs and moving from our home has given fans over the past 17 years, footy returning to Whitten Oval under the banner of Footscray Bulldogs has been important. It’s our history, our roots and more importantly our identity.
While the debate of a name change will go on for many years, the fact that football fans and its families can now relive the joy many shared at Whitten Oval for 113 years with the return of VFL action is a step in the right direction.
It’s a special place to every Foostcray person. Carn the Scray!
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