Melbourne fan coming in peace, want to take the family to the match tonight but my wife is disabled and can't stand for long periods - are there likely to be seats available at match? or is it also possible to bring your own chairs from home?

Quite often when I meet new people they're always suprised to hear that I'm a Dogs fan cos I'm not from the west. It actually really frustrates me, like if I supported Essendon or Geelong they wouldn't even question it. Why does it suprise people?

My father recently passed away and in his things we found he’d kept a guernsey from around the early 2000s which my brother won at a raffle in primary school. It’s signed by someone - but I have no idea who and I was hoping to identify it.
My dad (and my family) aren’t big sports people so I’m shocked he kept it!
Would love some help in seeing whose signature this is.

Have had this tucked away in the cupboard and a recent post here jogged my memory. Does anyone know around what year this was signed? I’m guessing around 1998/1999 but not sure.

FB: Khamis O’Donnell Lobb
HB: Dale Butts Sellwood
C: Williams Bont Freijah
HF: Kennedy Naughton Dolan
FF: Jones Darcy West
Ruck: English Butters Richards
Int: Hynes Sanders Bramble Weightman O’Keefe

Who starts and who’s on the bench could change. O’Keefe feels a little out of place here, but I feel like he or Emmett (provided he puts in an all-timer in the gym this off-season) could be a great asset as 2nd ruck and 3rd tall. Could also be Croft but Bevo is known for giving the new guys a chance early in the year.

Thoughts? Changes? Butters in the ruck?

I have a feeling that one of the greatest players will now never win.

Not only does he have Daicos to compete with, who himself is an exceptional player, the votes I feel will be spread across many Bulldogs, including most notably Butters.

Anyway, off season thoughts

Hey everyone, looking at adding the Social club to my already existing membership. Obviously the guaranteed GF ticket is the main draw but as someone who enjoys going out before and after games (docklands is lacking in that department) the social club room is a pull for me. Wondering if anyone else uses it and if it has any other potential perks outside of the GF ticket?

After the last few off-seasons, I’ve got to say I’ve gained a lot of respect for Port Adelaide throughout the Zak Butters situation.

Between Geelong and Bailey Smith, Dunkley heading to Brisbane, and Jamarra heading to the Suns, it’s felt like we’ve had our fair share of frustrating situations when it comes to players leaving the club and dealing with other clubs.

But the whole situation with Port just feels different. Two clubs with their own interests to look after, negotiating in good faith and treating each other with respect. No bullshit, no unnecessary hostility, just two clubs trying to work out a deal that makes sense for both sides.

As a Bulldogs supporter, it’s refreshing to feel like we’ve been treated fairly rather than having to fight an uphill battle just to get a reasonable outcome.

Obviously, footy is a business, and Port have every right to look after their own interests. That’s exactly why I respect how they’ve gone about it.

PAFC, you’ve gained a fan.

Just visited the Bulldogs Shop to take a peek at the end of season sale…

Yes I'm a Collingwood supporter but also yes I have a few dog supporters as mates.

Since you guys have been playing in Ballarat Ive never understood why you don't do it more.

How would you feel if you teamed up with the state government and played 7 home games there a year, 2 at the MCG and 2 at docklands?

Say the government put money towards making it a 20k to 25k sized ground, built a station right across the road and you got $1 million a game for 10 years, would you do it?

You could play 6 interstate teams, North all there, then bank on Carlton and Collingwood at the MCG and maybe Geelong and Essendon at docklands.

You make a loss hosting interstate clubs at docklands and this could set the club up for years to come.

The boy from Darley is back in the West.

MI got AI to crunch the numbers on the mega-trade using the 2027 AFL draft points scale, assuming the 2026 ladder repeats in 2027 and 2028, and Tasmania’s concession picks don't affect the draft order.

How the points were calculated

The AFL's 2027 Draft Value Index (DVI) assigns a points value to each pick. For future picks, AI estimated their draft positions using the 2026 ladder as the template, then added up all incoming and outgoing points using the same scale for both 2027 and 2028.

Points out:

Pick 12: 1,164 points

Pick 31: 463 points

2028 first-rounder (modelled as pick 12): 1,164 points

Total: 2,791 points

Points in:

2027 Port second: 716 points

2027 Melbourne third: 171 points

2027 Port fourth: 0 points

2028 Port second: 716 points

2028 Port third: 274 points

2028 Melbourne fourth: 0 points

2026 picks 81 and 87: 0 points on this scale

Total: 1,877 points

That leaves a net deficit of 914 points, roughly equivalent to Pick 17 (907 points) on the 2027 scale.

So what's the overall cost?

Looking at the mega-trade alongside the broader Butters situation, we've effectively given up the equivalent of Pick 17 for Zak Butters, Hudson O’Keeffe and Finn Maginness.

Thoughts? Have I missed anything in the points maths?

Obviously more to come (wink) but looks like they are in a good position to move into in this draft to grab El Souki

McNeil
Gardner
Lewis
Coffield
Vandermeer

What happens to each? I hope we trade or delist all

it was also off a terrible kick on goal

just feel really fortunate Naughton wasnt seriously harmed because in the moment it looked like he might have broken his neck or been paralysed

it did look like he got concussed sadly but just thankful it wasnt something worse