As the dream AFL grand final approached on Friday afternoon, Whitten Oval’s favourite son admits there is a sizeable part of his soul that isn’t totally cleansed.
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Doug Hawkins will jump on a Saturday midday flight from Launceston Airport to race back to the MCG for the first bounce of the Western Bulldogs’ historic first grand final in six decades.
The 329-game Bulldog spoke at South Launceston’s annual grand final luncheon at the Country Club on Friday with 2005 AFL premiership Sydney coach Paul Roos.
But Hawkins concedes he will be watching the game through gritted teeth – and not just because he turned up nearly an hour late for the engagement over a delayed flight from Melbourne.
“I am dirty,” Hawkins said.
“I missed the boat.
“At the end of the day, we had two cracks - ‘85 and ‘92.
“We weren’t good enough.
“I wasn’t good enough.
“But this team certainly is.”
The 56-year-old’s career at the club spanned from 1978 to 1994 that included just six finals matches for two wins.
He never would play in a grand final, as Footscray lost multiple preliminary finals to Hawthorn (1985) – Hawkins with a game-high 28 touches – and also to Geelong (1992).
But the ex-star wingman said he is ready to move on for the club he loves so much.
“You know who it’s all about? It’s about the supporters,” he passionately said.
“It’s not about Doug Hawkins or Scotty West or Brad Johnson or Chris Grant.
“It’s about our supporters who have stuck thick and thin since ‘54 right through.
“We all love EJ (Whitten), we all love Charlie Sutton, but you know what, that’s going to be history now because this young group is going to create it’s own history.
“Our captain Robert Murphy will stand up there with the Cup with Easton Wood and say, ‘bloody beauty, we stuck it right up them’.”
I am dirty. I missed the boat.
- Bulldog legend Doug Hawkins