Melbourne and Western Bulldogs players narrowly avoided coming to blows just days after the AFL grand final due to a “peace treaty” between two players from the respective sides who are best mates.
As both sides partied heavily in the days after Melbourne’s 74-point grand final win, they found themselves at the same venue in Perth, according to Hawthorn premiership player Campbell Brown.
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Speaking on his podcast alongside Brisbane Lions great Jonathan Brown, the ex-Hawk explained how the ill-feeling between the two camps had stemmed from the Bulldogs’ Round 19 win over the Demons where banter between the two camps had gotten “heated and a bit personal” throughout the match.
“On the Monday night or Tuesday night after they’d celebrated for a few days, the Doggies players had gone to this nightclub. There was three levels to this nightclub: The ground floor was for the public, [the Bulldogs] had booked Level 2 and Level 3 was not open,” Brown said on Browny’s Podcast.
“The Melbourne boys had had a few and they decided ‘we’re feeling OK’ … so the boys gather the troops and go to this club … Management say: ‘It’s great to have you guys here and we’ll accommodate you, but the Dogs have got Level 2, so you’re going to have to just meander here with the GA.
“So one of the players took some initiative … took some cash out, a big lot of cash like $10,000, and went up to management and said: ‘Mate, here’s 10K, you open the top level.’ Security escort them straight up.
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“Now they’re at this club, Level 3, the Doggies are on Level 2 – remember they hate each other – they’re hanging over the rails and giving it to the Doggies boys. It’s getting real heated, real personal.
“It didn’t come to blows because a player from Melbourne and a player from the Western Bulldogs that are best mates and used to live together … they met halfway between Level 2 and Level 3 – safe ground – and negotiated a peace treaty … Saved these two clubs coming to blows.
“That’s my mail on the ground in Perth and it’s factually correct.”
Brown also explained how Bulldogs players had been left frustrated after Melbourne players seemingly mocked the Dogs by linking arms in the middle of Optus Stadium and sang ‘Freed From Desire’, the same song the Dogs sang after their preliminary final win over Port Adelaide.
The two teams might not have to wait long to meet again, with Melbourne requesting a grand final rematch in Round 1 next year at the MCG.
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“I called the AFL straight after the Grand Final to say: ‘Let’s look at creating a Grand Final replay at the MCG (in the) first round.’ Channel 7 is really open to it, the MCC is keen,” Melbourne CEO Gary Pert told The Age.
“It would be very much about, for both clubs’ supporters, a chance to say: ‘your amazing support for the whole year when you couldn’t get to games was incredible … and this is the closest we can do’.”