City embraces Bulldogs' winning ways

The prospect of the AFL premiership cup coming to Ballarat on Monday is still too much to comprehend for many Western Bulldogs fans and lifetime supporter “Bulldog Ray” Neville is no exception.

But that’s exactly what will happen in the aftermath of Saturday’s grand final victory over Sydney, with the 2016 premier to unveil the cup outside Town Hall between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

It’s been a week of emotional turmoil for Dogs fans and Mr Neville, his voice still and brimming with the elation that only a flag can bring, is yet to sit back and absorb the magnitude of the drought-breaking premiership.

“I knew they were going to come up here, I knew they were going to bring players and coaches were going to come to Ballarat (and bring the cup), because this is the home away from home,” he said on Sunday.

“But to have it up here two days after the grand final… It’s going to be huge up here in Ballarat. 

“You couldn’t write this, the story behind it. We’ll have the premiers, the reigning premiers playing in Ballarat.”

Like many of the local Bulldogs supporters, Mr Neville watched the match live from the MCG, while thousands more spent Saturday at the spiritual home of Whitten Oval.

However, one look around Ballarat’s pubs on grand final day and it was easy to see that locals had a lot riding on the game

It was clear that even the neutral fans had a vested interest in a Dogs win that extended beyond that of standard Victorian patriotism.

Every bump, goal, free kick, mark, handball and error was booed or cheered in the knowledge that it was a final that will forever go down in history.

The atmosphere was still infectious in Ballarat the day after. As Mr Neville speaks from the middle of Sturt Street, decked out in red, white and blue, car horns blare in appreciation as drivers recognise a brother in arms – one of their own.

“There were a lot of tears (after the game),” he said.

“I looked around and it wasn’t just me, it was the bloke next to me as well. It was just something that Bulldogs supporters have never experienced before. It’s hard to describe, really.”

Speaking to The Courier on grand final morning, legendary coach David Parkin said regardless of the result, the club’s push to Ballarat was huge.

“Even if it doesn't happen today, they have shown themselves as a terrific club in a developmental sense and that will be great for Ballarat. No doubt about it,” he said.

Parkin was right in that it didn’t matter if the Dogs won or lost, but the fact is that they did win and it is enormous.

Ballarat is now and will forever be – a Bulldogs town.