It might be April Fools’ Day, but the Bulldogs who made their debuts on April 1 were certainly no fools.
On this day in 1978, a fresh-faced 17-year-old kid from Braybrook — Doug Hawkins — ran out onto Whitten Oval (then Western Oval) for the first time. The Dogs copped a hiding from North Melbourne, but young Dougie had seven disposals and kicked a goal to give fans a glimpse of the great player he would become.
Hawkins would go on to become a Footscray great, have a wing named after him, and break the games record of the man after whom the home of the Bulldogs is named, Ted Whitten.
Twelve years to the day after Hawkins first graced the field in the hoops, the man who would break his games record made his debut on the same hallowed turf.
Like Hawkins, Chris Grant was 17 years old when he played his first game and, just like Doug, Grant's first game would unfortunately also be a hefty loss, but one in which he too would show glimpses of the champion he would become.
Grant kicked 2.3 on debut, and went on to become the youngest player in V/AFL player to win 50 goals in a season. The man whose games record he eclipsed, Doug Hawkins, described Grant as a "Rolls Royce" player. Few who saw Chris Grant ply his trade would disagree.
On April 1, 2012, two other very important Bulldogs pulled on the red, white and blue jumper for the first time. Neither would go on to attain the individual accolades of Hawkins and Grant, but they would play critical roles in helping the Dogs break a 62-year premiership drought.
In a familiar tale, the debuts of Clay Smith and Tory Dickson came in a hefty loss at home (this time at Marvel Stadium), but both players showed signs of the fine Bulldogs they would become.
18-year-old Smith demonstrated the crash-and-bash fearlessness that would become his trademark, and showed he had footy smarts and skill as well, kicking four goals against the Eagles before he ran out of puff and was subbed off with what he later described as a "full body cramp".
Six years older than Smith, Dickson debuted as a mature-ager who exemplified the value of persistence. He had 12 touches in his first AFL match, and although he didn't kick a goal, he would go on to forge a reputation as a dead-eye dick in front of goal.
Smith and Dickson both went on to play pivotal roles in the Bulldogs' spectacular 2016 finals series, culminating in premiership win that will live in the memories of Doggies fans forever.
Exactly a year before Chris Grant's debut, another mature-age debutant took the VFL by storm. 23-year-old John Georgiades from Subiaco in the WAFL almost single-handedly took Carlton apart at Princes Park, kicking eight goals in his Footscray debut.
Georgiades' star faded all too quickly, and his V/AFL career ended after just 15 games and 27 goals. Though he would not achieve the legendary status of Hawkins, Grant, Smith and Dickson, John Georgiades is remembered with fondness by Bulldogs fans who saw his brilliant debut on April 1, 1989.
