This team was previously known as the “Footscray Football Club,” and has been active since 1877. However, their name was modified in 1997 with the intention of bringing a whole new era to the team. The new identity of the team seems to have worked exceptionally well, as their performance improved in the following years.
As mentioned above, the team was established in 1877. Therefore, the team has been active for over a century, although they have only won the Australian Football League two times.
The first time the Western Bulldogs won the VFL league was in 1954 as Footscray, during the final match against Melbourne. This event marked the first time the team had achieved the premiership of the VFL, although in the following years, their performance started to decline.
The late Ted Whitten still holds the record for the most played VFL games, with 321 games. However, the player retired from the team in 1970. Whitten died of prostate cancer in 1995.
During the 62-year gap that happened between their first premiership and their second, the performance of the team was mixed. Although there were seasons where the team had an acceptable performance, like in 2008 and 2009 where they were able to reach the top four. During the 2010 pre-season, they earned their first victory in several decades as the team defeated St. Kilda by forty points.
The second remarkable victory of the team was during the 2016 AFL Grand Final. Throughout the season, their performance was a bit unstable, although they managed to achieve the victory in the finals against Sydney. Their total score in this game was: 13.11 (89).
However, once again, their performance started to decline in the following two years. Their bad streak began to have a twist during 2019 and 2020. Although in 2019 the team had started with the right foot after their first two victories against Sydney and Hawthorn, they lost the next four matches.
The 2020 season was a bit different than the previous, although there was inconsistency in their performance. Still, despite all the problems, they made it through the finals.
This team has been having an excellent performance in the current season. As of now, they’re positioned as #1 in the rankings with 12 points accumulated, with the two teams in the top three being Sydney and Melbourne.
Their latest game in the season was against North Melbourne, match where they obtained the victory. It seems the team has been recovering from the bad streak from previous years, as they are moving around stronger than ever.
Still, we need to wait for a while to see whether they’ll make it to the finals or will suffer the same destiny from previous seasons. Being the top-team in the -21 season does not assure nothing, although may secure them a spot in the finals.
Back
