IN ONE of the AFL's toughest grand final hard luck stories, Western Bulldogs mascot Caesar remains sidelined to watch the game from his Ross Creek home.
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This comes after the Ballarat star has endured the city's tough lockdown and time in isolation with his human family have prevented him from a big part of his role - activating the community to be more Bulldog.
Still able to do an at-home photo shoot for his sponsor Pedigree, Caesar has otherwise had a quiet AFL Grand Final week with his team based in Perth.
It has been a rollercoaster two years for the Ballarat Bulldog.
Caesar's owner Tanya Templeton said Caesar had been noticeably sad to be missing so much football.
Ms Templeton had been taking him to Bunnings and dog parks in a bid to cheer him up with COVID-safe adulation and attention.
Caesar was anointed the Bulldogs' new puppy king at four months old in May 2017, a year after the club's 62-year drought-breaking premiership win.
Taking over from long-time Bulldog Sid, who entered retirement, Caesar was trained up ahead of the first AFL premiership season match on Ballarat soil in late August 2017.
Caesar's key match-day duty is to do a lap of the field before Bulldogs' home games. A player is usually nominated to give him a pre-game pat.
After last year on the sidelines, Caesar debuted a new personal theme song, AC/DC's Hail Caesar, in a comeback to football only to face a stop-star season.
Caesar will still wear his Bulldogs jumper for the big dance and Ms Templeton guessed he might take a customary nap during play in front of the television.
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