The Bulldogs will play in their 35th consecutive WAFL season in 2007. Our lineage dates back to the original WAFL season played in 1973.
Initially we were called the Karori Wombats playing in a white jersey with a black vee. The 6 O’Donnell brothers were the base of the team whose players were mainly drawn from the Karori, Kelburn and University areas. In 1976 sponsorship was arranged through TAA and we played in the Geelong colours of blue and white hoops.

During the 70’s our Club won 4 Premierships, 2 WAFL Best and Fairests, provided 4 members to the NZ team that toured Australia in 1978 and always had above average representation in the Wellington Provincial side, a trait that continues to this day!
The 80’s saw the team change its name to the Western Suburbs and in 1986 received substantial sponsorship from National Mutual enabling us to purchase a new set of jerseys, this time in the Western Bulldogs colours of red, white and blue. This year we commence our 21st season in these colours.
During the early 80’s, to boost the competition, our Club agreed to split and formed an Eastern Suburbs Club as well. This move was not successful and two years later the teams were merged again.

The late 80’s /early 90’s were a period when the Bulldogs once again dominated the competition, sharing most of the spoils with their arch rivals over the preceding decades, the Wellington Central Tigers under the leadership of the indomitable Frank Weddle, with the Malcolm clan often supporting in huge numbers.

In 1993 there was once again a need to add a fourth team to the competition. Unfortunately prior lessons were ignored and the Bulldogs once again split. This time many of the younger members, lead by now Saints legend Gregor Kempt and recent Bulldog Life Member Greg Duncan, formed the Wellington City Saints. This caused the collapse of the Doggies part way through season 1994 though the Saints went on to win the Premiership in a peculiar 3 game GF sequence awarded on a points for and against basis, with members of the then Doggies and Upper Hutt Magpies making up numbers in the Saints and Tigers teams.
The Bulldogs in early 1995 launched a massive recruiting drive lead by the legendary Mike O’Donnell, ably assisted by club stalwarts Neil Hargreaves and Marty Angliss. The team since then has played off in 9 of the next 11 Grand Finals to date, snaring 5 Premierships, going back to back in 2000 and 2001.

Modern legends of the NZ game lead by Al Hunter, John Jackson, Vince Serci and Mike Severinsen have lifted the Club to match the deeds of the earlier generations under the guidance of the mighty brothers Mike and Bernie O’Donnell.

In 1997 the Club was renamed the Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs repeating history! This calculated move was to take advantage of the number of secondary schools, rugby and soccer Clubs located in the area which was largely untapped. It has proved to be a highly successful move.
In 2001 current patron Mike O’Donnell ceased playing after 28 consecutive seasons at the age of 50, but not before gracing the field with his three sons in a Bulldogs Reserves’ team. He is a Club, League and NZAFL Life Member and a significant benefactor of all that has been achieved in NZ, and particularly Wellington footy.

The Club, during the past decade, has provided many NZ players at all levels, the majority of Wellington Representative teams and been a force to be reckoned with on and off the field. Premierships, WAFL Best and Fairests and Leading Goalkickers were ours most years.
The 2005 season saw us once again reclaim the mantle of Wellington’s premier team under the coaching of John Jackson, with support from Dave Plumb, and with a fresh administration who are keen to improve things on and off-field it seems we may be destined for further success.

Get involved!

Rod Shaw
Life Member