Australian Football

Footscray

Footscray began fielding a reserves team in the VFL in 2014 and enjoyed immediate success. Second after the minor round the Bulldogs captured the premiership with finals wins against Williamstown, by 20 points, Port Melbourne (32 points) and, in the grand final, Box Hill Hawks, 16.13 (109) to 13.9 (87). Best afield in the grand final, and recipient of the Norm Goss Medal, was Brett Goodes, younger brother of Sydney dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes.

In 2015 Footscray again qualified for the finals, this time in fourth place. However, they then bowed out of the finals race with straight sets losses to Box Hill Hawks and Essendon reserves.

The 2016 season brought further success the Bulldogs' way but not before they suffered a hefty qualifying final defeat at the hands of Casey Scorpions. The Scorpions won 20.8 (128) to 8.10 (58), and looked superior in every way. Appearances can be deceptive though.

Their qualifying final loss meant that the Bulldogs had to play in a sudden death semi final against Essendon reserves. After a fiercely fought game, Footscray emerged victorious by 19 points, 13.16 (94) to 10.15 (75). This was followed by a 119 point annihilation of Collingwood reserves in a preliminary final and the Bulldogs continued their imposing form in the grand final re-match with Casey Scorpions, particularly after half time. At the main break the Scorpions led by 6 points but thereafter Footscray shifted up several gears to add 9.10 to 4.3 and win convincingly. Final scores were Footscray reserves 13.19 (97) defeated Casey Scorpions 10.6 (66). The Norm Goss Medal for best afield was won by Lin Jong who seventeen days earlier had sustained a cracked collarbone whilst helping the Western Bulldogs to an AFL elimination final victory over West Coast in Perth. In a successful move aimed at deflecting attention from his injury, Jong emulated Footscray's 1954 premiership captain Charlie Sutton by taping his uninjured shoulder.

In 2017 Footscray again qualified for major round footy and got as far as a semi final loss to eventual premiers Port Melbourne. The following season saw them drop down the premiership table to ninth before an improved 2019 campaign sw them qualify for the finals and ultimately come fifth. The VFL competition did not run in 2020 because of the global coronavirus pandemic.