It was an amazing week, swept along in Grand Final fever. To cope with the stress of the Bulldogs upcoming first decider in 55 years, we went to Thursday morning’s open training session at Whitten Oval, tuned in to Thursday night’s GF Footy Show, attended Friday morning’s city-stopping parade, and finally an AFL dinner with a thousand others Friday night. Kate Ceberano, John Stevens and Ross Wilson put in excellent performances sharing the stage with radio & football personalities. At last, the nerves had abated. But it didn’t last, waking the following morning to a bout of shocking game-day anxiety.

We arrived early at The G to witness pre-game entertainment by Vance Joy, Living End and Sting. Then the game kicked off in a blur of adrenaline at 2:30pm. By half time, nerves were utterly frayed, Sydney 2 points ahead. No side took ascendancy til the last 10 minutes, when the Bulldogs slotted a couple of game-icing goals to run out winners by 22 points after a kick on the final siren. It was their first Premiership victory in 62 years. Tears of joy and relief flowed, thousands of Doggies fans in shock (99,981 in attendance). A big night ensued, followed by Sunday morning back at Whitten Oval – 30 thousand delirious supporters singing and cheering.

And just like that, another AFL season closes, the gravity of what just happened yet to truly sink in.

Fires out.

I’ve held back on posting the past month – our beloved Western Bulldogs have defied all expectations & risen to this final moment of 2016’s AFL season. After 55 years in the wilderness, they’ll line up against Sydney in this Saturday’s Grand Final. A thing we thought we might never see. Out of my mind this week, can barely concentrate on the basics of existence. Feels surreal. At Whitten Oval this morning, the boys trained to a crowd of around ten thousand, chanting, singing, cheering. One guy who’d painted his car red, white & blue, circled the car park to cheering onlookers. The West is painted those colours this week. Flags & scarves adorning cars, balloons & streamers on porches, in windows. By Saturday evening we’ll know. Those gutsy young Dogs have just one more question to answer.

Fires out.

Hosted our first art exhibition at Studio V last week. Ada & Georgina put a fantastic installation together, starting early Friday morning, opening doors to the public at 4pm, closing late. It was a wild mix of visual art, painting & sculpture. Really made great use of, and totally suited, the space.

Fires out.

From Jake Bugg’s 2013 album Shangri La, smashing this song today –

Fires out.

Beers Thursday night with Lachy next door & we decided to throw a last minute Grand Final day party at his bar. 24 hours to get organised. Posters designed & printed by Friday afternoon, up on the bar front windows by sunset. Borrowed a TV from Rick (neighbour across the street). TC rolled up with a long aerial cable & we hooked into one of our TV points over the fence. Facebook notification late night & people started rolling in midday Saturday.

Sandy gives thumbs up as Mat serenades post game.

The game was actually an anti-climactic fizzer . Hawthorn just too good and West Coast surprisingly overawed by the occasion right from the start. By quarter time it was pretty much all over, and just got worse from there, the mighty Hawks running away with their 3rd AFL Premiership in a row. And that’s a wrap for 2015’s epic season, Hawthorn cementing their place in history as one of the game’s all-time greats.

Now it’s time to get excited about cricket. I’ve never found that an easy task.

Fires out.

Hawks and Eagles through to this year’s AFL Grand Final. It’ll be a week of footy craziness in Melbourne, with a public holiday Friday in honour of Saturday’s game at The G. Should be a tough, tight encounter. West Coast got up over a gallant North Melbourne Saturday night in Perth. For the first half, I thought the Roos might just pull off a miracle. But the Eagles found enough momentum by the final quarter to seal it. The Hawks were too good for minor-premiers Freo on Friday night for a 27 point win. Both prelim finals were great games, desperate and hard fought. One more game for the year – hard to believe we’re here already. Looking forward to a big Saturday.

Fires out.

Another big weekend working on the venue space & building in general. 2 AFL finals played Friday & Saturday evening. Saw the Hawks v Crows game at a mate’s footy club reunion on Friday at the infamous Bakers Arms. Regular locals allowed to join the party & eat classic footy finger-food (cheese & cabana, bight-size sangas & chips). The Hawks destroyed Adelaide in a 74 point belting. Not hard for a Bulldog supporter to watch given our game the week before against the Crows. So it’s off to Perth for Hawthorn this weekend in an epic preliminary final clash against Fremantle. The winner books a place in the grand final the following weekend. North Melbourne, the big surprise this finals series – and the first team ever to make the final 4 from 8th on the ladder, will also travel west after beating Sydney in a thriller, to play an all-conquering West Coast. We’re quietly hoping (as Victorians), one of our local sides makes it to the big one.

Fires out.

They were gallant in an absolute thriller at The G Saturday night, but the youngest side to make the finals fell to a hardened Adelaide who held on to clinch a 7 point victory. The Bulldogs seemed deeply effected by the sense of occasion – their first finals appearance in 5 years. With an average age of just 23, almost the entire side had never played an AFL final. And it showed – silly mistakes, costly turn-overs and 20 missed shots at goal, before a fever-pitch crowd of over 60,000 screaming maniacs (including us). Despite all their nervous decision-making, they ran and ran, crashed through packs & gave their all – consequently taking the lead by 8 points with just 10 minutes to go. We thought, hoping against hope, they had it. But the Crows had other ideas – bigger-bodied, finals-experienced, and just cool-headed enough to snatch victory. The final score – Bulldogs: 14.18 (102), Adelaide 16:13(109). If you can bare to watch it – here’s the gripping final quarter.

This coming weekend, The Crows play The Hawkes at The G in a Friday night sudden-death battle. And North Melbourne, who upset the Tigers yesterday, travel to play Sydney. The winners go to a Preliminary Final. The losers, season over.

Fires out.

Caught up in finals fever this week. Bulldogs faithful marching from Fed Square to The G this Saturday at 5pm, in preparation & celebration of the first Doggies finals appearance in years. Got our tickets for the game, sitting inside the Punt Road arc, to the left of the southern point post. Will Minson recalled to the ruck for this epic clash against the Crows. Captain Bob Murphy returns from injury. It’ll be a tough & frenetic sudden-death final, the winner surviving to play the following weekend against Hawthorn or Westcoast (depending on which team loses that qualifying final in Perth tonight).

Fire out.

Rare video, shot from the audience at Strawberry Festival, Beijing 2012. Must have been loud out there – sound is clipping pretty hard. One of our favourite festival shows ever.

Footy fever gripping Melbourne town. This Saturday night, a Red-White-and-Blue march from Fed Square to The G, lead by Bulldogs club president Peter Gordon. We’ll be there & posting here. It’s the first week of AFL September Finals, just gets bigger from here.

Fires out.