The Western Bulldogs have been hit with a bizarre complaint from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protest group, urging the club to change their name and do away with their beloved mascot.
The club has been known as the Bulldogs since 1921, and since 2009 a real-life Bulldog has made appearances at all home games; the current mascots are known as Caesar and Sunny, while previous mascot Sid was retired in 2017 and died in 2019.
However, PETA believe the Bulldogs’ name and promotion of their mascot ‘support[s] the intentional breeding of dogs with painful and debilitating deformities’, which can lead to severe respiratory problems for bulldogs and other breeding impaired breeds.
In a letter to Bulldogs president Kylie Watson-Wheeler, PETA Australian campaign advisor Mimi Bekhechi urged the club to retire their mascot – and rename the team the ‘Western Mutts’.
“Extremely short snouts spell suffering,” Bekhechi wrote, according to a Herald Sun report.
“By showcasing Caesar and Sunny at games and events and promoting their breeder, the team is – however unwittingly – supporting the intentional breeding of dogs with painful and debilitating deformities.”
“We have a suggestion that’ll modernise Western Bulldogs’ image: retire Caesar and Sunny and rename the club the ‘Western Mutts’.
“By not promoting breathing impaired dog breeds… you’d avoid normalising their suffering and instead help champion loveable and unique mixed-breed dogs, who typically live longer and are healthier than their flat-faced cousins.
“By relinquishing Caesar and Sunny’s mascot duties to your willing human costumed mascots and renaming the team the ‘Western Mutts’, you’d be taking a stand against the ‘pedigree’ dog-breeding industry while championing the adoption of wonderful mixed breeds and other homeless animals.”
The Bulldogs are yet to respond to the request, with a spokesperson telling the Herald Sun they aren’t aware of the letter.
Collingwood have emerged as the likeliest new home for GWS free agent Harry Perryman, with the in-demand Giant touring the Magpies facilities.
Perryman, a Magpies diehard growing up, has played 129 games for the Giants since making his debut in 2017, and had been heavily courted by a number of clubs, with Port Adelaide reportedly offering a six-year contract worth up to $850,000 per season.
Desperate for extra midfielders to support Nick Daicos, the Pies have made a strong late push for Perryman, who has been reported to be seeking more midfield time after playing much of the 2024 season in defence for the Giants.
Hawthorn and Adelaide were among the leading contenders, but the Magpies have surged into favouritism for the versatile 25-year old, with Power football general manager Chris Davies admitting Port are likely no longer ‘at the front of the queue’ for his services.
“I’m not necessarily sure that we’re at the front of the queue there,” Davies said.
“It’s not to say that we haven’t tried… but you know, we’re happy to put ourselves out there and give it a crack.
“If we end up at the front of the queue, then great. Harry’s a good player. But equally, we get a few of our guys back that we didn’t have at the end of the last year.”
Perryman is set to be the second wantaway Giant to reject the Power’s advances, with defender Isaac Cumming also expressing his desire to join crosstown rivals Adelaide as a free agent.
If Callum Mills needs an understanding shoulder to lean on after falling heartbreakingly short in his bid to play in the AFL grand final, former Sydney captain Stuart Maxfield will be there.
But he expects the sidelined Swans skipper to put his own devastation aside for the sake of helping his teammates.
Mills, 27, was on Wednesday ruled out of Saturday’s decider against the Brisbane Lions after attempting to prove his fitness to return from a hamstring injury.
He strained the muscle on September 10 and would have needed to play just 18 days later, prompting coach John Longmire to scratch him.
The quick decision allows Sydney to focus firmly on the game, without the distraction of Mills’ fitness as an ongoing narrative in the background.
But their captain, who played just seven games this year, will have to process his own personal heartbreak while supporting his teammates through to the finish line.
It is something Maxfield, who missed out on Sydney’s drought-breaking 2005 flag after his season was ruined by injury, can relate to.
“I obviously feel for Callum, it’s disappointing,” he said on Thursday.
Callum Mills. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“But knowing Callum reasonably well, he’s a strong character and he’s a fantastic leader, a player who always puts the team first.
“He hasn’t played a lot of footy this year but he’s had a huge impact on the entire club and particularly the players.
“No doubt the next couple of days he’ll be providing the support that they need.”
Maxfield plans to reach out to Mills after the decider.
“I won’t reach out to him prior to the game, I will after the game,” he said.
“I’m sure he’s got enough on his plate at the moment.”
If Sydney win, Maxfield will present the premiership cup to the Swans’ stand-in captain, likely Dane Rampe, and coach John Longmire.
He believed disruptions through the week wouldn’t stop the Swans from triumphing.
The Swans took a charter flight to Melbourne on Thursday, with Mills joining his teammates.
“It depends which way you look at it,” Maxfield said.
“I think sometimes you have some of your greatest wins when your planning isn’t always that great.
“So you just take that on board, it is what it is, and you move forward.”
Speaking after their arrival in Melbourne, assistant coach Dean Cox said Mills had done all that was asked of him at Wednesday training.
But a meeting involving the Swans medical and coaching staff then decided Mills’ fate.
“There was always a risk with the timeframe,” Cox said.
“So the training session was a certain amount of that and game loads are a lot different. The decision was made by everyone.”
Cox praised Mills for his attitude throughout a tough season for the skipper.
“He’s always put the team first. His approach, certainly through the year and also over the last few days, has been unbelievable through a really tough time,” he said.
Cox added the Mills decision was not influenced by their decision to play Sam Reid in the grand final two years ago – a selection that backfired badly.
“You just have to play everything on its merits. Sam was a little bit different to Callum,” Cox said.
The Swans have named an unchanged line-up, meaning utility Robbie Fox has held his place.
Dane Rampe has been named skipper in the absence of Mills.
(AAP)
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