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The Mighty West: The Bulldogs' Journey from Daydream Believers to Premiership Heroes
In 2016 the Western Bulldogs stunned the AFL world by winning the Premiership – the club’s first since 1954, and only its second ever. It was an unprecedented rise to success, capped by a stunning Grand Final victory that left players and fans alike shedding tears of joy. Kerrie Soraghan – blogging as the Bulldog Tragician – captured all the passion and drama of the remarkable win.
At the end of the 2014 season the club had been in chaos: the captain had walked out, and the board had given the coach his marching orders. Led by a new captain and coach, Robert Murphy and Luke Beveridge, and boasting a team of talented youngsters, the club came together in spectacular fashion, overcoming serious injuries and storming to the Premiership from seventh on the ladder.
The Bulldogs’ best asset has always been their diehard supporters, and none is more passionate than the Bulldog Tragician. The Mighty West chronicles the experience of the team and of the fans – a tale of family and belonging, western suburbs tribalism, and the romance of sport.
At the end of the 2014 season the club had been in chaos: the captain had walked out, and the board had given the coach his marching orders. Led by a new captain and coach, Robert Murphy and Luke Beveridge, and boasting a team of talented youngsters, the club came together in spectacular fashion, overcoming serious injuries and storming to the Premiership from seventh on the ladder.
The Bulldogs’ best asset has always been their diehard supporters, and none is more passionate than the Bulldog Tragician. The Mighty West chronicles the experience of the team and of the fans – a tale of family and belonging, western suburbs tribalism, and the romance of sport.
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 20, 2017
I have been a passionate Western Bulldogs supporter since the age of 3 – ever since a real-life bulldog stalked my Dad and I on our walk home one day. Being a Western Bulldogs fan is a huge part of my identity, who I am as a person. For most of my life, I have lived and breathed the Bulldog spirit, so it was with excitement, that I discovered Kerrie Soraghan’s The Mighty West had just been released – any excuse to re-live our fairy tale 2016 season!
Kerrie made me fall in love with my footy team all over again. She perfectly encapsulates what it means to be a Western Bulldogs supporter. The book began with accurately transporting me back to the heartbreaking 2014 season and the surrounding turmoil – events not long ago, but which I had conveniently somewhat forgotten courtesy of our 2016 triumphs.
I could relate to everything Kerrie wrote about being a Bulldogs fan; the highs and lows, heartache. As an interstate supporter, Kerrie brought alive the Melbourne atmosphere perfectly – something I often crave and miss! Kerrie has a really great writing style – reading about football has never been so gripping! I was also laughing-out-loud throughout the book (love those player nicknames!); Kerrie possesses a very “Bulldogs-type-humour” that shone through brilliantly! She is the best friend or family member you cheer with at the footy game.
I couldn’t help but want to know Kerrie’s opinions on our recent 2017 games; such was the high level of footy knowledge she demonstrated in the book (thankfully she has a blog!). She described games so well that I felt like I was back sitting in my seat at Etihad Stadium. Her description of a particular North Melbourne gave me goosebumps, making me want to jump off the couch and start up a Bulldogs chant right there in my street; irrelevant of the fact that a game wasn’t currently being played!
It was particularly emotional reading about “Bulldog resilience”, something that all Bulldog fans understand (and important to remember while reading this during a particular sombre period of our 2017 season). Time and time again, I related to everything Kerrie wrote about, often drawing personal parallels to the Bulldogs story; such as the significance of “89” – our Prelim and Grand Final scores, the year the Bulldogs almost ceased to be and my own year of birth.
Kerrie perfectly depicted our fairy tale 2016 finals campaign, that at times I felt my heartbeat increasing, a lump in my throat or mysterious damp eyes. I couldn’t stop smiling reliving our Premiership glory all again!
The Mighty West should be a mandatory part of all Western Bulldogs membership packs and take its place as one of the best sports books of all time. Thank you to Bevo and the boys for creating a journey worth writing about, and thank you Kerrie, for perfectly capturing it all and so much more.
Kerrie made me fall in love with my footy team all over again. She perfectly encapsulates what it means to be a Western Bulldogs supporter. The book began with accurately transporting me back to the heartbreaking 2014 season and the surrounding turmoil – events not long ago, but which I had conveniently somewhat forgotten courtesy of our 2016 triumphs.
I could relate to everything Kerrie wrote about being a Bulldogs fan; the highs and lows, heartache. As an interstate supporter, Kerrie brought alive the Melbourne atmosphere perfectly – something I often crave and miss! Kerrie has a really great writing style – reading about football has never been so gripping! I was also laughing-out-loud throughout the book (love those player nicknames!); Kerrie possesses a very “Bulldogs-type-humour” that shone through brilliantly! She is the best friend or family member you cheer with at the footy game.
I couldn’t help but want to know Kerrie’s opinions on our recent 2017 games; such was the high level of footy knowledge she demonstrated in the book (thankfully she has a blog!). She described games so well that I felt like I was back sitting in my seat at Etihad Stadium. Her description of a particular North Melbourne gave me goosebumps, making me want to jump off the couch and start up a Bulldogs chant right there in my street; irrelevant of the fact that a game wasn’t currently being played!
It was particularly emotional reading about “Bulldog resilience”, something that all Bulldog fans understand (and important to remember while reading this during a particular sombre period of our 2017 season). Time and time again, I related to everything Kerrie wrote about, often drawing personal parallels to the Bulldogs story; such as the significance of “89” – our Prelim and Grand Final scores, the year the Bulldogs almost ceased to be and my own year of birth.
Kerrie perfectly depicted our fairy tale 2016 finals campaign, that at times I felt my heartbeat increasing, a lump in my throat or mysterious damp eyes. I couldn’t stop smiling reliving our Premiership glory all again!
The Mighty West should be a mandatory part of all Western Bulldogs membership packs and take its place as one of the best sports books of all time. Thank you to Bevo and the boys for creating a journey worth writing about, and thank you Kerrie, for perfectly capturing it all and so much more.
November 9, 2019
Thank you so much to the Bulldogs Tragician Kerrie Soraghan for this excellent, emotional return to the Bulldogs fairytale years of late. She writes so beautifully, I was instantly transported back to the time when it was exciting to be a Bulldogs supporter.
I realised I had read some of her writing before in The Footy Almanac and have looked up her blog in preparation for when it all starts again in 2020. We Bulldogs supporters, we endure. And we also don't need to talk about the last three years!
I realised I had read some of her writing before in The Footy Almanac and have looked up her blog in preparation for when it all starts again in 2020. We Bulldogs supporters, we endure. And we also don't need to talk about the last three years!
July 16, 2018
I loved the book. Came across the author on Twitter the week our 2016 finals’ hero Clay Smith retired. It brought back all the emotions of September 2016 like I was living it all over again. A great fan read. In a year like this when we are struggling every week, it is a wonderful reminder of what is possible when belief overcomes obstacles and disappointment
April 18, 2017
I enjoyed how it took me back to the way we felt. I could recognise us in it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews