The Western Bulldogs’ failure in being able to get past the preliminary finals in recent decades means little to the current crop of players, says former club president David Smorgon.
The lifelong Bulldogs supporter says that the club is focused on the present and future, and that while previous preliminary final results are known by most at Whitten Oval, they are now distant memories as the club seeks its first grand final appearance since 1961.
“History accounts for nothing at the moment. History is not about the past. The Western Bulldogs of 2016 are here for this year and the future and I think that’s the important thing,” Smorgon said on SEN Afternoons.
“I’ve read that we’ve been in seven preliminary finals over recent years and we weren’t good enough on the day to win it and I don’t think that’s impacting at all on the playing group, they might be aware of the fact but it’s a very distant memory and they’re here for today and tomorrow.”
Smorgon also says that there a sense of expectation amongst all Dogs supporters as they prepare to take on the GWS Giants on Saturday.
“I‘ve heard from 90 year olds and I’ve heard from nine year olds and I think they’re expressing the same thing. We’ve all got a sense of high expectation based on the way the whole club has worked over last few years, in particular under the leadership of Peter Gordon and Luke Beveridge together with all the players and support staff,” he said.
“Every person involved with the club have been a real credit to the colours red, white and blue.”
Smorgon, who served as the club’s president between 1996 and 2012, says that the club’s off-field progress has also been impressive under the leadership of his successor Peter Gordon.
“I look at what the club has done off the field. I mean we’ve got 40,000 members. That was a dream 20 years ago when we decided in the long-term interest of the club to move from Footscray to the Western Bulldogs, to see the club next year play a game or two in Ballarat and using that as headquarters,” he said.
“That’s where you have to give credit to Peter Gordon, he got a bit criticised early on a couple of years ago and he had to make some tough calls, but making tough calls is all part of what footy and any business is all about and he’s proud to stand on his record.”