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00:09AFL is war without weapons, no padding, your chance of injury is a hundred percent but I've
00:26come this far, I can't just stop. You can tackle from any direction. You don't really know
00:34where the contact's coming from. If you are willing to put your body on the line and go
00:38all in, some great things can happen. This 2025 season is unprecedented by the number of teams
00:49that could win a premiership. There is no doubt over the last four to five years, every single
00:54club across the league have now got star players to a dominant, which are making these teams
00:59really hard and unpredictable. This has to be the biggest game ever played in this state.
01:04We're in a do and die scenario. Pressure starts to rise and the anxiety, you start to get a
01:11little bit more tense. Pressure's good, it's part of the game. As soon as you stop feeling
01:16the pressure, you're probably done. Marcus Bontempelli says signing a new contract
01:20isn't front of mind. As I start to get older, legacy's important, I can't afford to wait.
01:25Every club would love to have a conversation with you.
01:30Every time they speak about you, it's always the number one draft pick.
01:36You know me more than anything, I was blown away by how much it blew up. I was like, I've
01:41let him down.
01:42Eustace, number one pick. Absolute little flop. As a mum that breaks your heart, that someone
01:46could say something about you and we know that it's not true. And I remember I was like,
01:50Jesus, this is taking a real toll on me. Georgia, I always thought that I'd end up with her.
01:55No one will intimidate you. Because all you do is get suspended and fined.
01:59Toby was charged again. No more of it, I'm sick of it.
02:04I do some stuff that some people might not like.
02:08Demi, I wanted that to hit your head.
02:11I've done enough losing. At the end of the day, I want to do everything I possibly can
02:14to help my team win.
02:17The games, the easy part, beyond the field, is obviously when you feel a bit more uncomfortable.
02:23I'm scared about the change. Imagine what the 44 players under me are feeling.
02:27We've lost a winnable game again. We've got to learn how to win.
02:32We play to win premierships. That's just the bottom line.
02:38Stakes are high. The margin for error is so slim.
02:42We've experienced last year what it is like to get to the top of the mountain.
02:47Our final day, that pure euphoria, that final sign, it tasted the ultimate success.
02:55I don't want another team to feel that.
03:23Hey, Tobes, just get a bit of a warm-up done. Get a bit of shadow boxing done.
03:28Um, just get loose and warm. We get moving in about two minutes, right?
03:37I've always been competitive.
03:40Maybe a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.
03:43Good. Just punching straight on.
03:45Bump up.
03:46With those feet.
03:47Always pretty keen to play a physical ground of footy.
03:52Lots of people out there that get highly offended or angry with how I go about it.
03:59I just think, well, if I see you in a boxing ring when I won't, we'll see how you go.
04:04But until then, um, I couldn't give a fuck what you say.
04:08Yeah, it's like that, like that.
04:10Toby Green, Greater Western Sydney Giants.
04:14I'm playing the forward line, trying to create goals.
04:19Off the ground, Toby Green!
04:21And he slots it!
04:24What the football is, man, is!
04:28The higher the stakes of the games, the more emotional you are.
04:32No regard for your safety, really.
04:37And that's why I'm feeling at my best.
04:39They will never surrender!
04:47Carefree was taken.
04:48Let's go and all it.
04:50Yeah, let's go and all it.
04:52Yeah, it was happy to push boundaries.
04:56I thought it would be good fun.
04:58And we are on!
05:01Sometimes step down the lines of what's acceptable.
05:10Get the three! Get the three!
05:12It wasn't doing good.
05:15And they are attacking Green!
05:32Toby plays on the edge.
05:35That's what makes Toby great.
05:37It's also one of the things that gets him in trouble.
05:41There's been multiple incidents over the course of his career.
05:45Toby Green referred directly to the tribunal for making contact with an umpire.
05:50Green has been charged in making unreasonable or unnecessary contact to the eye region.
05:55His rap sheet is as long as anyone in AFL history.
05:59Eye gouging.
05:59Kicking guys in an area where you probably shouldn't be kicked in.
06:03Pulling hair.
06:04Just sort of rat bag behaviour.
06:07He's been the villain.
06:08He's been the guy that you went to barrack against.
06:12Public enemy number one.
06:24All right, so, like, what's the history been like with Toby Green?
06:28Any time there's a bit of a scrap.
06:30Toby Green at Bonterpalli going here.
06:33Toby's somewhere in the thick of it.
06:35They step toe to toe and Bonterpalli didn't take a backward step.
06:38He seemed to always cross paths and it would boil over to the point where we'd end up in a
06:43bit of a Barney.
06:44So, yes, he's an antagonist.
06:48Eddie might have called me soft, weak, insipid, or something like that.
06:53Um, to be honest, these days I really don't really care.
07:00So I'm a little stretch.
07:01The heart rate down.
07:03It's the most physical sport on the planet, no doubt about it.
07:06And always sort of tread pretty close to the line of what's acceptable and what's not.
07:11And, um, got to get that balance right and make sure that, you know, you're playing every week.
07:23All right, two kicks each.
07:25Got to stop the ball inside the circle.
07:27So once both players have done it twice, you move down to the goal square and you can have one
07:32kick each.
07:33You're going to take it in turns.
07:34First team, you finish with it, hit the post.
07:36Middle, middle, middle, middle.
07:38DWS Giants have been in incredible form throughout the year and looking for a top four finish.
07:44At their very best, they look like they could be a real premiership threat this year.
07:48Abbey Holmes, host of the AFL on Channel 7 Australia, Survivor alumni.
07:53I'm a premiership player.
07:56For Toby, you look at the evolution of him as a player, as a leader,
08:01but he certainly hasn't changed his approach in the way that he is so wired to win.
08:07He's just relentless in chasing a premiership.
08:11I've been pretty good the last three or four years without getting suspended.
08:15A fair bit of its maturity, a fair bit just understanding, you know, your role in the team,
08:21and especially as captain now, like, that's just not on, not acceptable.
08:25Great pressure, Snoop.
08:27We're in a really good stage in the competition, in a position to win a premiership,
08:32but this season is more even than any season that I can remember.
08:36But someone's going to be really unlucky to miss out, but so if we went out from here, we're in.
08:42Talk to him!
08:44Toby, he's been massively influential every single week.
08:47You want your captain out there with you while we're playing must-win games.
08:52A lot's got to go right to make sure you're a chance to win it.
08:57I don't want to miss big games and big finals.
09:00I'll try and stop getting suspended, but I won't really change the way I go about playing.
09:05Oh, shit!
09:06There's no way to enter it, though!
09:21Here we go, something illegal.
09:24You just shattered my chest.
09:27You literally just shattered my whatever this is.
09:31Georgia and I, we met in high school.
09:35So I played basketball against her as a kid.
09:38And she was always this girl that was pretty much better than all the boys.
09:45And I knew straight away I'd want to marry her and have kids with her.
09:54Jacqueline, Toby, you kind of have an excuse because you didn't make a shot.
09:58She certainly keeps me in line.
09:59She's very good at that.
10:01Next score wins.
10:01Next score wins right as you get it.
10:06Do you want me to say fiancé or partner?
10:08Well, fiancé is right, isn't it?
10:09Is that scary?
10:10No.
10:11Well, is it scary to me?
10:11Yeah, it sounds scary to me, but I don't know.
10:15I guess I am.
10:17Georgia Sturton is my name and I'm Toby Green's Beyoncé.
10:29He is the opposite on the football field to what he is in real life.
10:32I'm not saying he's an angel because he definitely has crossed the line at times
10:36and has deserved some of the backlash.
10:41I even have friends that haven't met him ask me,
10:43what's he like?
10:44Is he angry?
10:45I'm like, he is so far from angry.
10:48I can't do anything to get him angry.
10:53I sometimes just wish people could see there is a lot more to Toby.
10:57Can you say that, my fault?
10:59Our daughter is Isla.
11:01She's 18 months now.
11:03I think for Toby, it's the first time something's come that's bigger than football.
11:10What are you doing?
11:13Are you having a drink?
11:14It just is amazing what little girls can do to tough.
11:19Men.
11:20What?
11:22I always knew Toby would be a great dad,
11:25but I was a little bit worried of how it would be with a little girl
11:28and the backlash when he does cross those lines.
11:40People are saying, I hope your family members die or you should kill yourself or...
11:46I've had a DM saying, you know, I saw him cheating with girls and does he bash you up?
11:54It probably affects me more than Toby.
12:01Hey, mate.
12:02Yep.
12:07Toby's been good for a few years and even though he knows the Swans are a big game,
12:12he knows they're going to get into him, you know,
12:13he will actually either walk away or just, like, not give anything
12:18and that is so different to the Toby of, like, maybe six, seven years ago.
12:22So there is a bit of trust in him that, you know,
12:24he's not put himself in these situations now.
12:33Friday night, bright lights, primetime football.
12:36Greater Western Sydney are looking to cement a spot in the top four.
12:39Sydney are trying to remain in the finals hunt while their season has a heartbeat,
12:44so the stakes are massive.
12:46This is going to be a beauty, boys.
12:48I mean, they don't like each other.
12:49Let's make no bones about it.
12:51Isaac Keeney's the big guy, isn't he?
12:53He's the energiser for his team.
12:55Obviously, the Giants will be fully aware of that.
13:02They're underway.
13:05And this one's a look to attack.
13:08He needs the man.
13:10Giants will be disappointed with that.
13:15They're going to be free-kicks.
13:17Going to be free-kicks.
13:19Get inside.
13:26He's getting a little nasty now.
13:29Toby Green hasn't seen a lot of it just yet.
13:32Just continuing to struggle.
13:33And there, he's got the man always going and everything.
13:35He's taking bodies on the way through.
13:38And he tries to break through a couple of them.
13:40Oh!
13:41Ready to go!
13:42Right!
13:43Straight to him.
13:52Oh, fuck me.
13:53Like, what has he done?
13:59It was just a rational decision in the moment.
14:02It wasn't personal.
14:05It was just...
14:06It was a bad minute for me.
14:09This looks much more like the Giants.
14:12They're absolutely flying at the moment.
14:17From 35 points down.
14:23Six wins in a row.
14:28This is a huge victory for the club on the eve of the final series.
14:32The only cloud that once again hangs over this football club is what will happen with Toby Green.
14:36And the on-field actions that have reared its head again.
14:40It will be a nervous 24 hours of the Giants waiting to see what happens if Toby is suspended.
14:47And what that might do to the rest of their season.
15:05It was, you know, frustrating.
15:07Yeah, again.
15:09Like, it's happened so many times.
15:10It's just a lapse in control.
15:14But, yeah, obviously, you can't be doing those things.
15:28Good evening, everyone.
15:29Tonight, the Centenary Gala.
15:31We celebrate the greats of this football club.
15:34The top 25 will be named tonight.
15:39Hi, Marcus.
15:40Have you arrived or have you been chatting?
15:41No, I've just walked in.
15:43Not a bad strategy.
15:44Yeah, we are training today.
15:46So I had a few bits and pieces to do.
15:47All right, well, I'll let you go.
15:48Good luck.
15:49Done, thanks.
15:51I was lucky enough to be named as part of the top 25 players of the Western Bulldogs football
15:57club, which is pretty big for me.
15:58We keep saying, everybody, how did we get this guy?
16:01Well, I'm just as lucky.
16:04Would you prefer to be called Marcus, Bond, the Bond?
16:06What is it?
16:07Oh, in this setting, Marcus, because I'm not wearing the kit.
16:09I'm not in the jumper.
16:11Look out, Bontempelli!
16:12But when I'm in the red, white and blue, I do feel like a different person.
16:16I've almost got split personality.
16:19Bontempelli!
16:20The captain!
16:22The finisher!
16:23Oh, there's nothing this man can't do!
16:26Marcus Bontempelli is the Bond.
16:29Bontempelli wipes his kick.
16:31The Bont is like some kind of Marvel superhero.
16:34It's the hair, it's the facial structure.
16:37Look at that, friend.
16:39Marcus Bontempelli, for me, is a unicorn.
16:41He's tall, he's athletic, he's highly skilled, and has leadership qualities that a lot of players
16:46don't possess.
16:47Oh, this is so good!
16:49I mean, like, he's 12 years into his footballing career, and he'll be the best player in the
16:54AFL, and has been for a long time.
16:56They're friends.
17:03When people ask me about dealing with the pressure and the expectation, funnily enough,
17:07I'd look at myself as the kid who'd underachieved or maybe hadn't quite yet reached his potential.
17:17I feel like all the good things you've either done or that have happened to you have either been because
17:22of different circumstances, you know, whether it's been luck.
17:25I'm lucky that early in my career, I had some early success in wanting the Premiership in 2016.
17:3120 at the time, for me, it was sort of like, oh, how good is this?
17:34Like, I want a flag.
17:35Unbelievable.
17:37I mean, winning the next Premiership has been on my mind for the best part of the last five years.
17:47Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs tonight, it's a huge Friday night clash.
17:52Huge away game here for the Dogs.
17:56Just sitting outside, the eight, they would love to find a way to snatch this.
18:02And we are away!
18:06The Dogs' defence haven't been set, you can see there how scattered they are.
18:15In the games where teams have gotten the better of us, they've probably just been a bit tougher in the
18:19contest.
18:21Brisbane on fire!
18:23We're the ones that sort of go to ground, they keep their feet.
18:26And what a moment, what an opportunity they swathe up.
18:29When the intensity goes up, I don't reckon we do things well enough.
18:38That's now for the Western Bulldogs.
18:40Eight losses this season to sides in the top eight.
18:45We've struggled to consistently perform at a really high standard for a whole sort of season and a period of
18:51time.
18:53You know, on the brink of 30, and as I start to get older, closer to the end than I
18:58am to the start, legacy's important.
19:00I can't afford to wait.
19:04Following the Brisbane loss, if you're Marcus Bontempelli, you're thinking, in the back end of my career, are we going
19:10to be a serious contender?
19:14Missing finals.
19:15It'll feel like another season wasted for Marcus Bontempelli.
19:20Maybe that's a key reason why the contract decision's been pushed down the road.
19:24Marcus Bontempelli says signing a new contract is in front of mind as he enters the last year of his
19:30four-year deal.
19:32Here we go, lads!
19:35Stay out there, stay out there!
19:37At this stage, he hasn't put pen to paper.
19:39When are we expecting that to happen?
19:41It's just such an intriguing situation, Tim, because conversations haven't begun yet to extend him.
19:47The media has been just fascinated that Marcus, the best player in the game, and he still hasn't signed.
19:54One more straight out, one more straight out.
19:56Nice, well taken.
19:57Who hasn't started?
19:58The Bontempelli camp or the dogs?
20:00It couldn't be the dogs.
20:00No, no, the dogs are keen to start.
20:02It's up to Bontempelli's manager, Tom Perferro, to reach out.
20:06It would be the biggest player to move.
20:09How the transaction would look, we'd break records.
20:14Oh, yes!
20:15It's on straight away, Lobby.
20:17You've just got to be ready.
20:18It's not good enough, is it, Arch?
20:21It's not good enough, that.
20:23When he's ready, we'll talk about it.
20:28You know, I've played my whole career, 250-odd games.
20:33That's like half your life, which is a long time to spend in one place.
20:37Mentally and emotionally get harder and harder to find new ways to invigorate yourself to go back to the trough.
20:46I would assume if Marcus looked at the club and understood that his next premiership wouldn't be coming from that
20:55side,
20:55that you would have to genuinely ask yourself, am I better off elsewhere?
21:11Hey, Joel, how are you, mate?
21:12Can I please get me normal porridge, please, to take away?
21:16Thanks, mate.
21:16I'm going to go make a coffee and I'll be around.
21:21You are in the game for a short time.
21:24I mean, you've still got to process what your life looks like after football.
21:27So we purchased the coffee shop.
21:30Morning, mates, how are you?
21:31What are you after?
21:32Some takeaway or what do you normally have?
21:33What's your coffee?
21:34What do you normally have?
21:35Small almond latte, is it?
21:37Yeah.
21:37There you go, Stu.
21:38All good, mate.
21:40I just thought it was a great opportunity to invest in, you know, potentially,
21:44but then secondly, to explore my own ideas and creativity in a business sense.
21:50Oh, here he is.
21:51How are you, mates?
21:52I'm good.
21:53How are you?
21:53What's that?
21:54What was that?
21:55I grew up a family of six, three sisters, probably bullied and pushed around a bit
22:00and dominated.
22:01If there was any sense of arrogance or confidence starting to see it in, they were pretty quick
22:06to squash it, which I lean into as a way to sort of drive you a little bit more rather
22:12than get a bit complacent.
22:14See you, Archie.
22:15See you, mate.
22:16You too.
22:17Let's rock and roll.
22:24The next game, I've got the Giants.
22:27They're a bit of an old foe, the Giants, you know.
22:29It is one headache to have to think about when Toby Green's the new opposition team.
22:33There's always been something that has boiled over in games between us and the Giants.
22:38So, it's in the calendar you want to win, you know.
22:42Certainly it is for me anyway.
22:45For the best part of ten years, the Giants and the Dogs have absolutely hated each other.
22:57There's certainly no love lost between those two.
23:00It's one of the biggest rivalries in the game.
23:03Oh, my goodness gracious me!
23:06Oh!
23:08Watson probably has been targeted all day.
23:11Green grabs Bont by the hair and slams his head into the ground.
23:17The rivalry is played.
23:21There have been a few things sort of leading up to that.
23:24Marcus, dumb tackled, direct to Lydia.
23:26And then I just wasn't happy with that.
23:29So, he decided to pull his hair.
23:33I was trying to set a bit of an example as well and be physical at different points,
23:37which had boiled over into another moment where everyone ended up on top of each other.
23:42And with Toby, you know, he's probably keen to just get away with a little bit more.
23:46He probably wasn't happy with me pulling his hair.
23:49But I couldn't really care these days.
23:52At any point, was it personal with Toby?
23:55Yeah.
23:56Yeah.
23:57Seemed to always cross paths and butt heads.
23:59So, it's just one of those things that you do take personally.
24:04Please welcome your host.
24:05I actually observed the year we went to the All-Australian Awards.
24:08Then I saw Bont and Pally move his name tag so that he didn't have to sit next to Toby
24:13Green.
24:15Now or later, they're having an All-Australian photo on stage.
24:18And there's a lot of camaraderie.
24:20And Bont and Pally and Toby Green are standing next to each other.
24:23They hardly say anything to each other and don't really look at each other.
24:29No, we're not mates.
24:31Do you guys get along?
24:33Oh, I've never had a beer with him.
24:46What a way to kick off right now, 21.
24:49The ninth place dogs, precarious ground.
24:52Win and stay alive, lose and fall off the cliff.
24:54The sixth place Giants, they're just outside the four.
24:58But any missteps and they're in trouble.
25:04Hi, mate. How are you?
25:08Last Friday night, Toby chose to push his forearm into the back of Isaac Haynie's head.
25:15The Giants have accepted his one-match ban for striking.
25:23He's the one guy that he probably couldn't afford to lose.
25:32And now they're going to be without their captain in a very important game.
25:40Yeah, our record against the Bulldogs is not great.
25:43The last time we beat them was two years ago.
25:46Toby kicked four goals in a quarter and was really the difference between us winning and losing.
25:52Both teams trying to make finals.
25:54And also being captain, you've got to lead by example.
25:57So it was disappointing.
26:00Toby in trouble again.
26:03Probably not the first time.
26:05He's sort of, yeah, an elbow's ended up where it shouldn't.
26:09He's actually performed quite well against the Bulldogs in the past.
26:12So if you don't have to worry about that, that's a good thing.
26:21All of our contests and pressure, let's fucking go.
26:24Come on, boys.
26:25Dogs looking to survive.
26:28Giants looking for a top-four finish.
26:53Slides it long.
26:54Norton at the back, setting himself.
26:58For his third goal, you bet.
27:08The Bulldogs are on fire and Giants can't do anything to stop it.
27:12How much are they missing a player like Toby Green right now?
27:19The hardest place for an AFL player or a sportsman to be generally sitting in the stands watching
27:23because you're helpless.
27:24And usually, you're sitting there because you're injured.
27:28When you're sitting there because of your own mistake, that's even harder.
27:32Back to Bontem Kelly.
27:36Wow.
27:37Oh, my God.
27:39He made that look so easy.
27:43Richards towards Darcy.
27:44Might just bounce on through.
27:45It does!
27:48This is a massive 88-point win to the Western Bulldogs over one of the highly-fancy teams in the
27:56competition.
27:5988 fucking points.
28:07For the Western Bulldogs, winning convincingly against a top-eight side, that's gold.
28:13It's the difference between making finals or packing your bags.
28:16You can't be the boys of the Bulldog Green with a team of the mighty West.
28:19Woo!
28:24And then a devastating loss for the Giants.
28:28One horror performance can certainly mean that you are no longer spoken about as premiership contenders.
28:34You are now back with the pack.
28:50What's that?
28:53Hello.
28:54What's going on?
28:55The suspension was more than fair.
28:58Probably letting some anger or frustration out with maybe missing a tackle.
29:03And it just happened to be Isaac.
29:05Like, I wish I sort of had that time back.
29:08Hello, my beautiful girl.
29:11Oreo, come here, bud.
29:12Hello.
29:13Come here, bud.
29:13Oreo, Oreo.
29:14Come here.
29:17Hello, my beautiful girl.
29:21What?
29:22What's happening?
29:23I'm a bunny bunny.
29:24Oh, really?
29:25Is that right?
29:29Hi, Mum.
29:30Oh, she's been a rock throughout my life.
29:34She's been amazing with Ola as well.
29:36Very clever.
29:37Hey.
29:38What did you have to her?
29:40Um, not much.
29:42Went to the gym.
29:46She's not happy about the suspension because of the backlash that I cop, the media, what
29:52they say, she takes it all in.
29:56How's Georgia?
29:58Same.
30:05I don't think you'd like that, don't you?
30:11Growing up, she's had a huge role in my life.
30:17She's had to be hard and stern.
30:20Because with my dad, I could do whatever I wanted with him as a kid.
30:25That probably wasn't great for me.
30:27Being a risk taker and was a recipe for trouble.
30:32The last, you know, 10, 15 years, drinking and alcohol and drugs probably taken a fair
30:38toll on his body and brain.
30:41You know, the way he functions now is not how he functioned 20 years ago.
30:45The father of GWS star Toby Green is facing jail time.
30:50Police allege that he headbutted one of their own who was trying to kick him out of the MCG
30:55after he was allegedly found drunk in one of the bathrooms.
31:00When we made the grand final, I'd just lost a granny by a lot and hadn't slept much.
31:08And found out the next morning at 6am and there's reporters out the front.
31:12Yeah, that was, um, that was hard.
31:17Three or four years before that, I think I, um, I think I knocked him out in the change rooms
31:22because he was drunk and carrying on, um, so, yeah.
31:25Tell me through that, what happened?
31:28He's just like, yeah, it came into the change.
31:30He's pretty loud and boisterous and he's extremely drunk.
31:34And I was just embarrassed and just told him to fuck off and, yeah, punched him, so.
31:40Yeah, it's hard.
31:41Like, the reason I love footy is because of him and got into it.
31:46That's what I'll take with me.
31:47And then you learn your lessons from some things that he's done that you can't do.
32:02Yeah.
32:10Round 24.
32:11One to go, boys.
32:12One to go.
32:13Are you excited?
32:13One to go.
32:13Absolutely, I'm excited.
32:14There's so much to play for.
32:16This is it.
32:16You've got to get yourself into the eight.
32:18You've got to qualify.
32:19And then who knows from there.
32:20All balls go in the air.
32:24We're in a pretty precarious situation the minute we were sitting outside the top eight.
32:31I guess you're intrigued to see, all right, how are we going to, you know, how are we going
32:34to deal with this current challenge?
32:36And more or less intrigued to see which of the guys that can really, I guess, step up,
32:40you know, and step up to the plate.
32:43For us and Frio, playing for our season, really, that's the position we find ourselves in and
32:48everything's on the line.
32:50It's a tough position to be in, you know, there's pressure on.
32:53If we don't win this game, you're into an off-season.
32:56So, yeah, it's a big week.
33:00Fremantle.
33:00And they're playing some very good football, so we've got to expect that and be ready for
33:04that, you know, as a whole.
33:12It always comes down to the last round of who's going to make it.
33:15So, Fremantle, Western Bulldogs, who's going to get there?
33:19Who's able to capitalise on a whole year's worth of work to make up the eight?
33:28Well, pretty simply put, the Bulldogs, they win, they're in the top eight, they're in a
33:34final series, they lose, they're out.
33:38A season definer.
33:41This does feel like a final.
33:44Let's go.
33:47Dreyer kicks a goal and he's got three.
33:50Fremantle pouncing on every opportunity.
33:53Dogs are fighting for their lives at Marvel.
33:56Fremantle.
33:58Walter Pelley on his left.
34:00Does he go himself?
34:01He does.
34:03Sublime.
34:05Dogs hanging on.
34:08Walter Pelley again.
34:09Season on the line.
34:11Back in touch for Dogs.
34:13Got to be perfect from here.
34:15Dreyer, left foot snap.
34:17Got him up.
34:1915 points, two and a half to play.
34:22Is it enough time for the Dogs?
34:24You lose momentum here and you let it get out of control.
34:27Your season's over.
34:28That's your fucking ball.
34:30Quick handball to Bolton.
34:32Spills the ball long.
34:34Slides up.
34:37Exaltus.
34:38The final run.
34:40They acknowledge the Dogs.
34:51Initially after the game, the raw emotion is coulda, woulda, shoulda, almost, like we should've been in there, in my
34:57opinion.
34:59We gave ourselves a look, but left for too little, too late.
35:11Bulldogs are now out.
35:13They missed the opportunity to play finals.
35:16And for 2025, that's all she wrote.
35:22Righto, lads.
35:23Head straight in.
35:25You boys come as well, if you want.
35:29Yeah, I think overall, you know, like everyone will have different ways of processing and dealing and, you know, there'll
35:35be frustration, there'll be disappointment.
35:37But, yeah, you've got to be honest, you know, another probably couple of goal margin, we feel like, oh, we're
35:42not that far away.
35:43So, we've got to think of this as just a chapter as opposed to, like, the end of the book.
35:50It's clearly a big decision for your life and your future.
35:53The players in the game are getting more fluid with moving and open to moving.
35:58Like, I think the loyalty aspect of football, is it diminishing maybe a little bit?
36:05And could that be good for the game?
36:07Maybe.
36:14You know, mate, I might have to get it after.
36:18Are you going in here?
36:19I'll see you up there in a bit.
36:20All right.
36:21Thanks, boss.
36:22All right, we'll get this going.
36:24Sure.
36:25Well, Marcus, you've put the pen to paper.
36:27How much for relief is that that it's all done and dusted?
36:30It's nice now that, especially with all that's been sort of going on in my life, to obviously get to
36:35it, get it sorted with the football club.
36:38The Bulldogs has always sort of been my home.
36:39And obviously, I'm hugely grateful to be going on, you know, for another few years.
36:45Awesome, mate.
36:46All good.
36:47Appreciate it.
36:47The most important thing is the people that I want to do it with.
36:51In a full circle moment, it was a big decision, you know, but to me, it was sort of just
36:56something that was inevitable.
37:01From an outside perspective of an AFL lover, there's no dogs without Bont and Pally.
37:06There's no Bont and Pally without the dogs.
37:07And all he wants to be doing is holding up a premiership cut for him.
37:11So short.
37:15He often talks about how he's grown up at the Bulldogs.
37:18And it's an extension of his family.
37:21But through that period, he's had highs and lows.
37:24But he's grown and he's developed.
37:26And in his eyes, he owes that to the club.
37:30It's the place, really, that I've spent most of my adult years.
37:34And then you walk in the door, you feel connected to the place, to the suburb, you know, to the
37:39people, to all the things you've been a part of and achieved.
37:42But also the things that, you know, you haven't achieved.
37:46I still feel like there's more to do.
37:59First elimination final Saturday is going to be awesome.
38:01Win or go home is the situation here.
38:04Giants, Hawks, one of these team seasons have to come to an end.
38:08One arm, one arm!
38:09Toby Green, we know he's one of the all-time greats.
38:12But he's still suffering from this white line fever, which is costing his club.
38:16It is.
38:17And that's a fact.
38:18That is true.
38:18It's frustrating, but it's not going to change now.
38:27In the final, I certainly wind myself up.
38:30Once I'm in that sort of competitive mode, probably not controlling my emotions as well as what I should.
38:36So I've got to, yeah, be aware of it and make sure it doesn't happen.
38:55In those big games, big moments, finals, I'm just nervous.
39:00He just has this white line fever that sometimes no-one can control.
39:05I'm just not sure why we're 15 years in and you're still having brain farts.
39:12Before that game, you said not to get in trouble, so I didn't listen.
39:15No, you did not listen.
39:17Yeah, no.
39:18No, I shouldn't have got suspended.
39:22To be honest, it does get tiring defending him.
39:26It's acceptable if you're younger and not experienced, but if you've been playing for 15 years, you've got to have
39:32a bit more self-control.
39:35Lessons learnt.
39:36Is it?
39:37Yeah, it was a bad game, that one, but that's fine.
39:39But it's not fine because all you do is get suspended and fines.
39:42That won't happen again, especially with big games coming up where there's a lot more on the line.
39:48Okay.
39:48When you go to forearm someone's head, you didn't actually think about all the DMs come flooding back, all the
39:54media.
39:55Your parents are going to get dragged through the mud.
39:57Yeah, I don't care about them as much as they affect everyone else.
40:01Yeah, but no-one will intimidate you.
40:03No-one will scare you.
40:04I was.
40:07Yeah, you just...
40:09No more of it.
40:10I'm sick of it.
40:11We're sick of it.
40:12I know.
40:17There you have it.
40:18NG Stadium.
40:19The scene for this elimination final.
40:24Hawthorne and the Giants.
40:30Come on!
40:31In these big games, Toby can go one of two ways.
40:38Brilliant performance, match winner, stands out as the best player on the ground.
40:43Or does he become the villain and do something stupid?
40:47That will be the challenge, I think, for Toby.
40:53I actually don't think I can watch her if we go to see her.
40:59Just turn on your aggression, yeah?
41:01Yeah.
41:01Make it productive.
41:04Followers is all amplified and you've sort of got a few more emotions going through you than what you usually
41:10do during the season.
41:13This first quarter's going to be fucking electric.
41:15Good luck trying to get a chain of handballs through us.
41:17It's going to be on.
41:18I can't wait, boys.
41:19Hey, and we're going to make mistakes with the footy without it.
41:21Who gives a fuck?
41:22Just respond next contest like we have all year.
41:24Let's go.
41:25Go, go, go, go!
41:26We've been in this situation for the last few weeks.
41:28We have to win in order to progress.
41:31We are ready to go.
41:35Hawks are launching again.
41:37Clever finisher.
41:40Hawks are rolling.
41:42Oh, my God.
41:44Within the space of two minutes, they pretty much kicked four goals on us.
41:49Hawthorne just flipping the elimination final on its head.
41:59Get a goal.
42:00Come on.
42:01I'm just on edge.
42:03I'm waiting almost for something to happen.
42:06But you just hope and pray that he's not going to do something.
42:11Rick, Rick, Rick.
42:15Get off.
42:33We're just a bit panicky.
42:34It's all right.
42:35We know what to do.
42:36We haven't got it going yet.
42:37We fucking will.
42:39Edge, get closer.
42:42Here we go.
42:58I think a bit of a trademark of our team is we'll play to the last minute and we'll keep
43:02fighting and we can score quickly.
43:04And that's exactly what happened.
43:14Yes, there's...
43:15Yes, there's...
43:17Yes, there's...
43:17Yes, there's...
43:23Green offers to hit up at halfback.
43:25Oh, please.
43:27Edda.
43:27Dad.
43:28Dadda.
43:29Go, Dadda.
43:33Tobey Green stepping to the plate to put them in front.
43:42Fuck, Toby.
43:43Fucking shit.
43:50As soon as I marked it, I thought this is a goal.
43:52So it wasn't like nerves or anything.
43:54I just kicked it horribly.
43:56Things starting to go the Hawks way.
44:00This one is in the Hawks way.
44:03Fancy, no, Fancy.
44:04Now through to a semi-final.
44:06They don't like it.
44:09Fuck.
44:18People talk about, you know, this growth in your game and all that type of stuff.
44:23Like, I don't give a fuck.
44:25You either win a premiership or you may as well finish last.
44:29There's no in-between for me.
44:31I know it's too simplistic to say, like, that's a wasted year, but it just feels like a waste of
44:35a year.
44:37Yeah.
44:43Incredibly disappointing, isn't it, Mark?
44:44Like, they're a really good team.
44:50Just felt like we were a better team.
44:53But history will say we weren't.
44:57Like, been in the last four finals in winning positions and haven't got it done, so...
45:03A bit of local, a couple of stitches, and that way you know it ain't going to come apart until
45:09the stitches come out for a week.
45:10Yeah, I don't care.
45:11You sure?
45:12Yeah.
45:16No guarantees, you know, like, footy's bloody hard and...
45:19Yeah, that's why you've got to take opportunities when you get them and that's why you're bloody flat when you
45:25walk off the ground.
45:31Do you want to go play?
45:34You can go play.
45:37There's Daddy, look.
45:38Do you want to go to Daddy?
45:40Make Daddy feel better.
45:42Come on, hug.
45:46Hold on.
45:49Daddy was fucking shit tonight.
45:52Sorry.
45:54You know, the exterior, he's tough and strong and all that, but this little girl fully breaks him down.
46:02He's soft as anything with her, yeah.
46:07You wrong?
46:08Are you a good dad?
46:12Yeah, I'd like to think so, yeah.
46:14I think I'm a lot of likes me, so...
46:16Um, I think I'm a pretty good dad at the moment, yeah.
46:19I'd like to think I will be forever.
46:22He's not this idiot that everyone thinks he is.
46:26I mean, he's had his moments of being an idiot.
46:28I'm not saying he's an angel all the time, but, um, he's so committed to the sport.
46:33And if everyone could see how he goes about it, everyone would think differently about him.
46:38But, you know, I wouldn't put money on it that he never will get suspended again.
46:42And I definitely wouldn't put money on it that he won't get a fine again.
46:45So, we'll be still forking out money.
46:49Um, it's just kind of what comes with him.
46:53Yeah, I won't. I won't get suspended again.
46:55100%.
46:56Yeah, I'm done.
46:58Yep.
46:58Just had to get that.
46:59Yep, last one the other way, and now I'm done.
47:09The GWS Hawthorne game wasn't the only cutthroat final going on that day.
47:15Over in Perth, Fremantle were getting ready to host the Gold Coast Suns.
47:20What's the real one?
47:22Nat Fyfe's one of the greatest ever midfielders the game has seen.
47:26He's a two-time Brownlow medalist.
47:28He's a superstar.
47:30And he's at the end of his career.
47:32He's right at the end.
47:34And he's trying to get one last crack at a premiership.
47:40But little did we know the extraordinary lengths that Nat Fyfe had to go through
47:46just to get up for the game.
48:20We'll see you next time.
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