The Western Bulldogs are heading out into Melbourne’s western suburbs this week as part of the second annual ‘Bulldogs blitz’.

The Bulldogs blitz is a unique initiative for the Club to connect with its local community and paint the west of Melbourne red, white and blue in its support.

Senior player Will Minson said the Bulldogs blitz is aligned with our 2014 membership strategy to ‘gather the pack’, as the Club continues to win over members and fans in their own heartland.

“We are hitting the streets, it’s our second year in a row that we have done the community blitz,” Minson told SEN radio today.

“It is part of winning the west… it’s about connecting with community – we have been involved in the western suburbs for about 130 years as the Footscray football club and the Western Bulldogs.

“So it is about getting out on the streets and meeting the operators and all the fans.”

Getting out into the community also allows over 150 Bulldogs affiliated players and staff to say thank you to their dedicated members and fans, while also introducing new people to AFL.

Players and staff will also give away tickets to the Bulldogs’ first home game against North Melbourne in round two.

“We will be handing out return postal address post cards where all the people have to do is put their name on it… and send it back to the footy Club and we will give them two free tickets to our first home game,” he said.

“It was quite successful last year.

“It’s just about gathering the pack and getting as many people as we can to our first home game in Melbourne.”

The Blitz will target local shopping strips, centres and markets, schools, local businesses and trains stations in the Bulldogs’ heartland.

The Bulldogs blitz will commence on Monday 10 February 2014 until Friday 14 February 2014 across the four local government areas in the west.