1989 Footscray Fightback "Every Dog Has its Day"

Dealing with the 1989 Footscray Fightback. Narrated by Kevin Hillier.
Sorry about Quality, from old VHS tape..

[@proqualm]

Thanks for uploading, Daz. After watching that, I cannot for the life of me understand why we can't revert our name back to Footscray. Our club will always be the heart of the West, regardless of our title, and with this as part of our history, we as a club should once again be saving Footscray's name.

[@TheCamRonG1993]

We have. In the VFL, as a very successful team. The Bulldogs represent the whole of the western suburbs as was shown in this, which is why it was changed to the Western Bulldogs.

[@sliat1981]

@@TheCamRonG1993 where are the fans won over to Western? Was there a significant jump in membership when they changed? From all the ones who joined after 2016 don’t you think they have them for life? Who would seriously leave because of being upset by the name change back. Very few at most I’d guess. Western Bulldogs do NOT represent the whole of the Western suburbs. You forget that Essendon is also in the west, doesn’t have “western” in their name yet have a far superior membership. What about the ones who followed FOOTSCRAY since before 1995? Go away because their views don’t count. That’s sounds a bit arrogant

[@sliat1981]

@J G soccer is hated in all Australian states and many countries hate soccer too so stop writing crap

[@hamlan7425]

@@sliat1981Obviously he is spitting out the obvious fact to get you angry. More people are playing soccer than Aussie Rules in every state of Australia and out of 195 nations soccer is easily the number 1 sport in more than 150. As for the leftover countries that you think that hate soccer well guess what soccer still ranks 2nd or 3rd in most of them

[@sliat1981]

@@hamlan7425 lol obviously rice is the most popular food in the world. Doesn’t mean it’s the best. USA is the most influential country in the world and hates soccer. So do we. And not he’s actually reposting this spam in every post here like a troll and has had three accounts closed already as a result of it. Personally most people here think lawn bowl is more exciting the poofball And, no you’re wrong. More people play Aussie rules than soccer in south Australia

[@waffles85]

Thank you for sharing. In tears atm. Was just a young kid in 89, but have memories of the Fightback. My dear old Nan was heavily involved in the taskforce and had lifelong friends on the back of it. I love the FFC, the scenes of WO brought back fond memories.

[@sliat1981]

waffles85 the battling club took on the VFL and Oakley and won

[@unleashdahounds]

Thanks Waffles.. I watched it recently and i know there are plenty who have not seen this so im glad you enjoyed..

[@bensmith5064]

4 years old that day in 1989 at the rally but remember signing my kiddy life savings over, a whole 2 bucks. Best investment EVER - our loyalty is well rewarded ---!!!2016!!!---

[@sliat1981]

ben Smith my dad is a one eyed demon supporter, but gladly gave money to help

[@newellgirl]

Leon Wiegard Nic columb..both grubby toads who tried to sell the Dogs down the river..toads who told us this is how its going to be and the people of the West told them to go to buggery..fast forward to 2016 and that grand final win was the sweetest..

[@MegaJustGeorge]

Even though I'm one for Essendon, it just wasn't right to try to take away the Footscray side, not in the least; the dedicated efforts of the supporters of the 'Scray were what kept this football club alive; Athena Bless the Bulldogs! In the interest of full disclosure, I live in Tennessee - and I enjoy the footy to no end.

[@sliat1981]

Must be hard following it there

[@MegaJustGeorge]

@@sliat1981 Well, my friend, it can be hard to follow the footy in the states, but I have access to the AFL web site.

[@sliat1981]

26:56 best mark I’ve ever seen. Even better than Shaun Smith

[@sliat1981]

You merge any clubs you'll lose more fans to soccer. I know many former Fitzroy fans who no longer follow football. The AFL should be protecting the struggling clubs

[@Magpie_Mark92]

They help poor clubs now, because they now realise they should never have killed Fitzroy

[@sliat1981]

@J G Soccer is the worst sport on the planet. It is hated by ALL Australian states. USA, Australia, Philippines, Ireland, Cuba, New Zealand all hate soccer. You are obviously VERY threatened by Aussie rules popularity as keep posting this. It’s the only way anyone will even gay attention to your shitty boring sport

[@FeminismDebunked]

Awesome show. Its really hard to find any footage about the Fitzroy Bulldogs merger. If anyone has any VHS video tapes of news reports or anything like that please let me know and I can help u upload them.

[@sliat1981]

I remember that big guy at 2:58 on video screaming out “you bastards!”

[@marnuscoreyempanadaslooseb6760]

23:16 this guy has probably seen it all in WW2 and yet he cries more about a club that really amazes me

[@sliat1981]

I’m not Footscray supporter but I nearly cried watching this to see them pitted against the vfl and to win

[@Unotuchable]

Fucking fantastic. I was born in 89 so I didn't know just had bad it had gotten for us that year.

[@jamesstyles6721]

Tuesday October 3, 1989. The Merger Proposal that got Melbourne Western Suburbs Talking.

[@dwexm]

How sweet is this to watch in 2017?

[@sliat1981]

That was a disappointing year for footscray

[@phillipnicholls7384]

Was 13 almost 14 when this happened in October 1989. My interests were sport, shows, movies, including science fiction but this was real life..family related to how packed it was at then Western Oval latter renamed Whitten Oval always remember that with Tina rattling cries to save our club.. Mr Football Ted Whitten Snr..he didn’t live to see the name change paasing June 1995, with it another premiership in 2016 another grand final this year despite a shellacking to the first ever Aussie Rules Football team..Part of the revival saving the club was a veteran’s game where my future wife, brothers in law, father in law the mother in law never had whi went for Fitzroy so when they merged she went for Bulldogs but never the same..Bears and Lions merged got success all three but to some loyal to save a club had second club Carlton 1995 till 2007 marrying a Collingwood supporter at that veterans of Bulldogs vs Magpies marrying in too a family with in laws Carlton and Essendon too! Red White Blue lives on and has a VFL team and AFL W VFL W too!! :)

[@sliat1981]

Glad he never saw the name change. He’d be against it

[@davedunn64]

I don't go to AFL games nowadays .... but I do continue my WBFC Social Club membership (Bulldog for Life) membership. Costs me heaps, ... but I don't want 1989 to happen again. I pay for my local league memberships, go to a few games at Macleod & Deer Park, but support the Doggies on tv. They get my $$$$. Keep supporting them, so we don't lose our team. Forge an empire.

[@sliat1981]

A small working class team took on the VFL and Won

[@AlonsoRules]

Back in the GF!

[@sliat1981]

Won a premiership and DIDN’T merge. All Oakley said were lies

[@sliat1981]

Lost a GF!

[@108CAM]

If only the same thing could've been done to save Fitzroy in 1996. The 2016 Premiership just goes to show how the hard work of a club and it's fanbase can pay off, even long after the original campaign has finished.

[@sliat1981]

Yep. Brisbane may have won in 2001 but it was a merged club not Fitzroy.

[@sliat1981]

22:44 Ross Oakley “congratulating” them and trying to pretend he’s happy. In reality he was pissed beyond belief that they hadn’t merged. From that moment on, he went after Fitzroy, determined to merge them with firstly Melbourne, North then finally Brisbane. After he killed them, he got what he wanted and resigned

[@anguskerr7665]

Red dude sure is a heavy set man.

[@sashbell5887]

I went there i smashed a window at VFL house everybody cheered me even collingwood supporters

[@sliat1981]

I smashed a Collingwood club window. Not because of this, I just hate Collingwood ☺️

[@Adam-XL]

@@sliat1981 Lol 😄

[@qqq2211]

What a great story I have to say to all the supporters from that era well done if it wasn't for you lot there would be no Western Bulldogs today

[@sliat1981]

Would be much better if they were still Footscray

[@sliat1981]

Anyone who follows NRL might notice the comparison what happened to the rabbitohs 😊

[@sliat1981]

Ross Oakley was here. One dislike. Glad he didn’t destroy my team (Demons). This was like the keep South at South campaign except successful

[@michaelfeast9869]

It was luck.........pure luck and the people. The people must be in the AFL hall of fame

[@AlonsoRules]

Premiers!!

[@sliat1981]

Would love to see demons and st kilda win one soon

[@sliat1981]

Runners up!

[@Magpie_Mark92]

Why didnt Fitzroy fight like this?

[@sliat1981]

Because they only had to change their mascot and they’d had a lot of mascots in the past

[@Magpie_Mark92]

@@sliat1981 I meant in 1996 when they were dying

[@sliat1981]

@@Magpie_Mark92 unfortunately they had low supporters who had grown up with a defeatist attitude. They had been rumoured to merge for years. Maybe they accepted it as inevitable

[@Magpie_Mark92]

@@sliat1981 they were supposed to move to Sydney in 1981, Brisbane 1986, Merge with Footscray 89, Merge with Melbourne 1994, Merge with North Melbourne 1996 and then got taken over by Brisbane Bears 1996

[@sliat1981]

@@Magpie_Mark92 and!

[@adrianbarichievich7756]

this info is wrong in regards to the merger of Fitzroy

[@jamesstyles6721]

Fitzroy were the Losers of this Merger Battle, even losing Sponsors and Supporters to Footscray and that was the Beginning of the End for the Lions in the VFL/AFL.

[@sliat1981]

I hated seeing Fitzroy go. The AFL lost a lot of supporters when that happened

[@MRHenHen]

Ross Oakley wanted Fitzroy gone in 1986 10 years later he got what he wanted & retired at the end of 1996.

[@AlonsoRules]

Fitzroy should have gone to Brisbane in 1987 like South Melbourne did in 1982 when they went to Sydney

[@marnuscoreyempanadaslooseb6760]

Look the 80s is when everything became business oriented and those who failed failed clubs like Hawthorn, Footscray, Richmond, Melbourne are big teams and were , Fitzroy were cooked.

[@sliat1981]

Despite being the one it had to merge with Footscray supporters didn’t really hate Fitzroy. They had a lot in common and were helping the dogs by using Western oval as a home ground. When they merged and moved to the Gabba, it didn’t help Footscray’s position. They were in dire circumstances in 1996. Even Peter Gordon (who had been such a prominent fighter here) considered a merger. A taskforce took charge and took away the Footscray name. A lot of dogs fans were sad to see the Lions go.

[@sliat1981]

Bring back the Footscray name. Western is just stupid

[@JohnRRoe2]

Yes!! I agree 100% it's been 20 years and I think it's time for the AFL to change and remove "WESTERN BULLDOGS" and bring back FOOTSCRAY name for good!!! I think a lot of people think the Dogs is a Sydney team?? It's not!! It's a Western Melbourne suburb team!!!

[@sliat1981]

D-MMA lol what a load of shit. Did Norths lose fans when they returned to North Melbourne? Do you really think all these fans will turn away from their premiership-winning team because they're called Footscray again? Rubbish

[@sliat1981]

Yes it was an attempt to appeal to a wider community. They even tried playing in Sydney,

[@sliat1981]

D-MMA and where are the thousands more fans that signed up because they changed? Was there a huge surge in memberships after they changed the names? How many of the won over to the Western Bulldogs because we changed our name from Footscray to Western Bulldogs will drop off? Well at a guess probably less than a handful of people. Of those who finally found the club in 1997, maybe we have got them for life? Perhaps the Preliminary Final reaching seasons of 1997 and 1998 in the first two seasons of Western Bulldogs have kept their affections for the bulldogs for eternity? With four out of the last five seasons being not bad ones (2007 being the poor one) does anyone really think that someone will say-

[@bashirhayek5255]

sliat1981 : They start with the name change & then force them to relocate to another state.