The 100 Greatest Footscray/Western Bulldogs Players of All Time: 80-61

As we move into Day Two of our countdown of the top 100 players for ever play for the Footscray/Western Bulldogs Football Club, it's becoming quite clear that competition for spots is starting to heat up.

80. Gary Merrington

Games: 174

Goals: 48

Achievements: x2 Night Premiership Player (1967, 1970)

Unearthed from Braybrook - home of some of the Bulldogs best ever players - Merrington served as an effective utility for Footscray throughout the 60s and 70s. Used primarily as a full-back with occasional stints on the wing, Merrington was one of Footscray’s most consistent players in an era where on-field success often eluded the club (Merrington played in just one final). Despite the lack of success during the regular season, Merrington did play in two night Premierships for the club.

79. Ian Bryant

Games: 160 (1960-69)

Goals: 21

Achievements: State Representative (Victoria), x1 All Australian (1966)

A versatile role-player who put Kevin Bartlett to shame with his reluctance to handpass (he recorded just two handpasses in 16 matches during the 1966 season), Ian Bryant was a constant fixture in the Bulldogs’ lineup during the 1960s, used both as a back-pocket player and on the wing. He was named on the wing in the 1961 Grand Final, but it was in 1966 where he enjoyed his best football, with his ninth-place finish in the Brownlow impressing enough to selected for Victoria in the State Carnival, where his performances earned All-Australian honours.

78. Steven Kretiuk

Games: 170 (1992-2003)

Goals: 11

Achievements: N/A

A gritty, old-fashioned back-pocket player, Kretiuk’s career stats greatly belie both his ability as a defender and his importance to a Bulldogs side that came close to Premiership success so often during the 1990s. Persistent injuries regularly prevented him from progressing throughout his career, meaning that only twice did he play more than 18 matches in a season, but he proved his value to the team in one of those campaigns, finishing runner-up in the club’s best-and-fairest in 1994 after managing 22 games for the year.

77. Harvey Stevens

Games: 72 (1953-57)

Goals: 71

Achievements: 1954 Premiership Player, Captain (1957), x1 Best and Fairest (1953)

Harvey Stevens only had a brief stay at Footscray, but it was more than enough time to establish a reputation as a club great. Arriving from Collingwood, Stevens immediately assumed the mantle of the club’s No.1 ruckman, and dominated enough to win the club’s best and fairest award in his first season. One year later, he played a crucial role in securing the club’s first Premiership. He was also appointed captain of the club in 1957, although left at the end of the year.

76. Andrew Purser

Games: 112 (1983-87)

Goals: 16

Achievements: x1 Best and Fairest, State Representative (WA)

Arriving fresh off seeing Footscray clinch the dreaded wooden spoon in 1982, Andrew Purser immediately changed the club’s fortunes in the midfield, as the Bulldogs went from cellar-dwellers to a mid-table team in 1983. Purser was core to most of that change, with 13 Brownlow votes in his debut season seeing him manage a top-10 finish in the count. From there, he continued to be a staple of the Bulldogs best team, missing just one match in his five seasons at the club. Purser was crucial in the club’s run to the 1985 Preliminary Final, and also represented West Australia on three occasions.

75. Barry Hall

Games: 39 (2010-11)

Goals: 135

Achievements: x1 Night Premiership Player (2010), x1 All Australian (2010), x2 Leading Goalkicker (2010-11)

With just 39 games to his name, no Bulldog on this list has played fewer matches for the club than Barry Hall, but so profound was his impact that he simply couldn’t be ignored on a list like this. Arriving at the club following a tumultuous exit from Sydney, Hall dominated straight away, booting 17 goals in three pre-season matches as the Bulldogs secured the Pre-Season Premiership. His form maintained right throughout 2010, booting 80 goals to finish runner-up in the Coleman Medal and secure All-Australian honours. Injuries curtailed his second season, but he still led the club’s goalkicking thanks to a 45-goal run in his final 10 matches for the Bulldogs, before announcing his retirement.

Barry Hall was a goal machine in his two-season stay at the Bulldogs, averaging nearly 3.5 goals a goal. Source: Getty Images

74. Don Ross

Games: 129 (1952-58)

Goals: 20

Achievements: 1954 Premiership Player, x1 Best and Fairest (1956), Western Bulldogs Hall of Fame Member

Versatile and hard-working, Don Ross barely missed a game during his seven-year career at the Bulldogs, often used to great effect through the middle of the ground. He was a crucial component of the Bulldogs’ engine room, missing just four games after making his debut (three of them coming in his first season), and was named in the centre in the 1954 Grand Final, going on to be one of Footscray’s best players on the day. He also went on to win the club’s best and fairest award in 1956 - winning out against teammate and that year’s Brownlow Medalist Peter Box.

73. Josh Dunkley

Games: 116 (2016-22)

Goals: 65

Achievements: 2016 Premiership Player, x1 Best and Fairest (2022)

While his eventual exit left a sour taste in the mouths of many Bulldogs fans, there’s no denying the impact that Josh Dunkley had on the club when he was here. He made an instant impact in his first year, playing 17 matches, including playing a role in the Bulldogs 2016 Premiership success. Over the following seasons, he continue to evolve into one of the best midfielders in the competition, prior to moving to Brisbane at the end of the 2022 season. He did save his best season for last, however, winning the club’s best and fairest award in his final season at the Bulldogs.

72. Peter Welsh

Games: 165

Goals: 69

Achievements: x1 Best and Fairest (1972), State Representative (Victoria)

Tall enough to used in defence, attack, or in the ruck, Peter Welsh was an aggressive member of the Bulldogs lineup during the 70s, rarely missing a game and being an effective player wherever he was used. He had a stellar season in 1972, taking out the club’s best and fairest, and beating the likes of Gary Dempsey, Bernie Quinlan, George Bissett and Barry Round to do so, and in 1974 turned himself into the focal point of the Bulldogs attack, booting 44 goals to finish runner-up in the club’s goalkicking.

71. Lachie Hunter

Games: 173 (2013-22)

Goals: 73

Achievements: 2016 Premiership Player, x1 Best and Fairest (2018)

Having arrived at the club as a flashy small forward, Lachie Hunter spent the first few years of his career struggling to establish himself as a regular member of the Bulldogs best team. But the arrival of Luke Beveridge saw him make a move into the midfield, and Hunter never looked back, becoming an important cog in the Bulldogs’ system overnight, to the point where it was a bad performance when he wasn’t collecting over 30 disposals. In 2016 he was one of four Bulldogs to play every game as the club broke a 62-year Premiership drought, and two seasons later collected the club’s best and fairest award.

70. Stephen Power

Games: 177 (1969-79)

Goals: 25

Achievements: N/A

A skilful player, Power was often utilised between wing and half-back during his 11-year career with the Bulldogs, but was occasionally used as a key position defender when required. For all his skills, he was a player who possessed the bravery to back up his flair, and in 1974 enjoyed a career-best season, finishing runner-up to Gary Dempsey in the club’s best and fairest as Footscray enjoyed a return to finals. 

69. Matthew Croft

Games: 186 (1991-2004)

Goals: 72

Achievements: N/A

A reliable full-back at the Bulldogs for over a decade, Croft’s tally of 186 games would have been much higher had it not been for persistent injuries, particularly in the first half of his career. But when he did play, he was an important part of the Bulldogs back six, and was even thrown forward on occasion to great effect. His strong form continued right until the end of his career, where selectors were forced to overlook Croft’s strong form in the reserves during his final season, until they eventually acquiesced and awarded him a farewell match in Round 21, 2004. Croft signed off in the best possible fashion, booting a career-high five goals in a match-winning effort against North Melbourne. 

68. Leo Ryan

Games: 119 (1934-41)

Goals: 3

Achievements: N/A

A talented back-pocket player, Leo Ryan was comfortably one of the Bulldogs best players across the decade, impressive with both his defensive abilities and his skill when in possession. He was a reliable, ever-present figure in the Bulldogs defence, and represented the club in its first-ever final in 1938. His career came to an abrupt end in the final rounds of the 1941 season, suffering a severe injury following a collision against Melbourne.

67. Jose Romero

Games: 122 (1995-2001)

Goals: 71

Achievements: x1 Best and Fairest (1996)

Tenacious and hard-working, Jose Romero quickly became a fan favourite at the Bulldogs, slotting effortlessly into the midfield following a solid career at North Melbourne. The impact he had on the club was almost instant, taking out the club’s best and fairest award in just his second season, tying with Chris Grant for the award. His attack on the ball was always second-to-none, and regularly set the tone as the Bulldogs made successive Preliminary Finals in the late 1990s. Persistent injuries began to take their toll at the turn of the century, and Romero was forced into retirement at just 29 years of age.

66. Peter Foster

Games: 163 (1983-93)

Goals: 56

Achievements: x1 Best and Fairest (1990), x2 International Rules Representative

Following an unsuccessful stint at Fitzroy, Peter Foster’s struggles looked to be continuing into his time at Footscray during the early stages of his career. But his fortunes changed when new coach Mick Malthouse made the decision to play him at centre-half back; a position that he went on to succeed in for nearly a decade. He played a key role in the club’s 1985 Preliminary Final finish, but his personal performances also received just reward as the decade progressed; after representing Australia against Ireland in the 1987 International Rules Series, he finished fifth in the 1988 Brownlow Medal count with 14 votes, before claiming his maiden best and fairest award in 1990.

65. John Kerr

Games: 81 (1953-58)

Goals: 24

Achievements: 1954 Premiership Player

John Kerr’s record may not have the accolades of some of those around him on this list, but his impact on the club during his brief stint at the Bulldogs will forever be immortalised. Arriving at the club in 1953, he quickly entrenched himself in the Bulldogs midfield group as a brave but talented rover. He secured a top-10 finish in the 1955 Brownlow Medal, but it was his performance in the 1954 Grand Final that will forever go down in Bulldog folklore. On the day, Kerr collected 32 possessions and kicked a goal, and while the Norm Smith Medal for best-on-ground in a Grand Final wasn’t introduced until 1979, many believe that Kerr was among Footscray’s best on that famous day.

64. Simon Atkins

Games: 127 (1987-94)

Goals: 76

Achievements: State Representative (Tasmania)

A prolific ball-winner who possessed exceptional skill by hand, Simon Atkins was one of Footscray’s best midfielders during the early 1990s, regularly leading the Bulldogs’ disposals rankings and regularly hitting the scoreboard, too. While he didn’t walk away from the game with a filled trophy cabinet, he did twice finish runner-up in the Bulldogs best-and-fairest award, and his mammoth 46-disposal effort against Fitzroy in 1992 was a club record that held for over 30 years.

63. Brad Hardie

Games: 47 (1985-86)

Goals: 28

Achievements: Brownlow Medal (1985), x1 Best and Fairest (1986), x1 All-Australian (1986)< State Representative (WA), International Rules Series Representative

There’s no doubt Brad Hardie’s inclusion will be a controversial one, particularly given how he left the club, but there’s no denying his impact in the brief time he was a Bulldogs warrants an inclusion on this list. After a stellar debut season in 1985, Hardie became just the second player in league history to win a Brownlow Medal in his first season, as the Bulldogs came within a whisker of playing in a Grand Final. His following season was also impressive, taking up the club’s best and fairest award and winning All-Australian honours, but a falling out between he and coach Mick Malthouse brought up Hardie’s defection to Brisbane at the end of 1986.

Brad Hardie's stay at Footscray was brief and his exit was controversial, but his impact was undeniable. Source: Travis King

62. Terry Wallace

Games: 69 (1988-91)

Goals: 20

Achievements: x2 Best and Fairest (1988-89), x1 All Australian (1988)

Prior to coaching the Bulldogs, Terry Wallace spent the last four seasons of his playing career at Footscray, and even in just a short period of time, left a profound impact as a player. Following a largely successful career at Hawthorn (and a brief, ill-fated stint at Richmond), Wallace immediately left his mark at the Bulldogs, collecting successive best and fairest awards in his first two seasons at the club, while also winning All-Australian honours in 1988. While his skill was undeniable, his durability was also a highlight of his game, missing just one match in his first three seasons at the club.

61. Laurie Sandilands

Games: 160 (1966-77)

Goals: 228

Achievements: Club Captain (1974-76), x4 Leading Goalkicker (1972-75), x1 Night Premiership Player (1970)

After playing just 35 games in his first five seasons at the club, it took Laurie Sandilands a long time to establish himself at the Bulldogs, but once he did, he became one of its best players during the 1970s, announcing himself as the Bulldogs No.1 forward. Leading the club’s goalkicking for four successive seasons, his best individual campaign arrived in 1974, where, after taking over as captain, he booted 50 goals for the first time in his career to finish sixth in the Coleman Medal, and led Footscray to its first finals campaign in over a decade. 

Matthew Donald's Top 100 Footscray/Western Bulldogs Players of All Time:

100. Alan Martin

99. Stuart Magee

98. Michael McLean

97. Geoff Jennings

96. Tory Dickson

95. Ryan Hargrave

94. Ross Abbey

93. Roger Duffy

92. Tony McGuinness

91. Bailey Dale

90. Ted Whitten

89. Will Minson

88. Mitch Hahn

87. Barry Round

86. Aaron Naughton

85. Terry Wheeler

84. Rick Kennedy

83. Luke Dahlhaus

82. Danny Del-Re

81. Paul Hudson

80. Gary Merrington

79. Ian Bryant

78. Steven Kretiuk

77. Harvey Stevens

76. Andrew Purser

75. Barry Hall

74. Don Ross

73. Josh Dunkley

72. Peter Welsh

71. Lachie Hunter

70. Stephen Power

69. Matthew Croft

68. Leo Ryan

67. Jose Romero

66. Peter Foster

65. John Kerr

64. Simon Atkins

63. Brad Hardie

62. Terry Wallace

61. Laurie Sandilands