OUR VFL GRAND FINAL COVERAGE
Picture gallery: Footscray v Box Hill VFL grand final
Quarter x quarter: A dissection of the grand final
Footscray player reactions to premiership
Footscray has moved up to equal third on the all-time VFA/VFL premiership list after claiming its 10th flag with a quirky three-peat on Sunday.
The last time the Bulldogs were in the state league competition was way back in 1924, when they won back-to-back flags under captain-coach Con McCarthy.
The Bulldogs were promoted to the AFL ranks for the 1925 season and had not been seen in the VFL as a stand alone club until this season, when they completed a club three-peat, albeit 90 years apart.
The youth driven Bulldogs defied the preseason critics, who tipped they would be lucky to even make the finals, running out 22-point winners over defending champion Box Hill Hawks in a pulsating grand final in front of a massive crowd of 23,816.
A long premiership drought ended for Bulldogs fans, whose last senior success came back in 1954 in the big league, when Footscray thrashed Melbourne at the MCG.
They have won night premierships and even AFL reserves premierships along the way, but this one meant a bit more for a club starved of the ultimate success on that last Saturday in September.
It was celebrated with gusto by a crowd predominantly in the Bulldogs red, white and blue, one that was late arriving due to the stadium operator being caught unaware of the big turn-out and failing to open enough ticket windows, leading to long queues before the first bounce.
Footscray coach Chris Maple was “ecstatic” to stand on top of the dais and accept the premiership cup on behalf of all of the people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make a premiership a reality in their first season back in the competition.
“I’m really proud of the boys, really proud of the club and all our staff that made it happen,” he told Star Weekly.
“Starting up from scratch was a massive job and to come out and get the flag in the first year back was just unbelievable.”
From day one, Maple has not shied away from the fact that he used the VFL as a development tool for the Western Bulldogs to begin their march up the AFL ladder.
But the longer the season wore on, the more insatiable the thirst became for the Bulldogs to make it an unforgettable season in the VFL.
They won 15 of their last 16 games of the season to go from a speculative finals chance to a bona fide premiership contender.
The players never once took their eyes off the prize on offer.
“Every AFL listed player obviously wants to play AFL footy, but their buy-in [to the VFL side] was fantastic,” Maple said.
“We were really proud of their attitude to playing VFL footy.
“It was good for their development to play in high pressure finals games.”
There were a number of hard luck stories for the Bulldogs.
Co-captains Lukas Markovic and Nick Lower missed the grand final, but, like true leaders, did not let their disappointment show.
Lower was ruled out with a shoulder injury, while Markovic was the odd man out in a Dogs side laden with tall defenders.
The pair at least had the honour of joining grand final captain Jordan Russell and Maple on the podium to receive the premiership cup.
Jase Perkins and Anthony Barry were on the borderline of the side and stiff to miss out.
Fletcher Roberts, Josh Prudden, Matt Fuller and Clay Smith missed through injury.
For every hard luck story, there were more happier ones of players who will go down in history as premiership winners.
The Norm Goss Medal for best-afield went to midfielder Brett Goodes, who was outstanding with his ferocity at the contests and penetrating left foot kicking.
“He was awesome wasn’t he?” Maple said.
“Goodsey’s Goodsey, hard, tough, great leader, just been fantastic for the group.”
Liam Jones booted five goals, including two late sealers, while onballer Lin Jong backed up a two-year contract extension with a scintillating performance.
Maple was thrilled for the Bulldog army who turned out in force to make it a memorable occasion.
“There was just under 24,000 here today and for them to come out and see the youth of the Bulldogs moving forward and developing well was great,” he said.
“We’re on the move.”
2014 VFL GRAND FINAL
FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS 4.2 7.4 10.7 16.13 (109)
BOX HILL HAWKS 4.2 7.3 11.7 13.9 (87)
Goals: Footscray: L Jones 5, T Dickson 2, J Redpath 2, T Campbell, M Fogarty, J Grant, C Howard, D Pearce, J Tutt, T Young.
Box Hill: J Sicily 3, M Hallahan 2, B Ross 2, S Collins, S Grimley, W Hartung, L Lowden, D Willsmore, A Woodward.
Best: Footscray: B Goodes, L Jong, L Jones, T Campbell, M Fogarty, S Darley. Box Hill: M Hallahan, J Sicily, W Hartung, A Litherland, B Ross, S Iles.
Norm Goss medal: B Goodes (Footscray).
VFA/VFL PREMIERSHIPS
Footscray Bulldogs: 10 – 1898, 1899, 1900, 1908, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, 2014.
All clubs: Port Melbourne (16), Williamstown (13), Footscray, Sandringham (10), Geelong (9), Coburg, Oakleigh, North Melbourne (6), Springvale/Casey, Prahran, Northcote, South Melbourne (5), Preston/Northern, Essendon (4), Dandenong, Brunswick, North Ballarat (3), Box Hill, Moorabbin, Yarraville, Essendon Association, Richmond, Carlton (2), Werribee, Geelong West, Waverley, Brighton, West Melbourne, Collingwood, Fitzroy (1).
