Duck, duck goose: Duck the Goose makes his final preparations before Saturday evening’s AFL grand final at Rochester’s Criterion Hotel.
Criterion hotelier and Western Bulldogs tragic Craig Mann wore the red, white and blue of his beloved team proudly on Saturday night at his Rochester hotel.
But it was the Melbourne Demons who had a last laugh when they broke a 57-year premiership drought to claim the 2021 AFL grand final win at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
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Craig’s dedication to his team was obvious when a phone call interrupted our brief Saturday evening chat, a ring tone belting out the words “who let the dogs out” to inform him of the call.
If that was not a big enough indication of his support ― the red, white and blue “mohawk” hair coloring atop his almost two metre tall frame put an exclamation point on his passion for the Bulldogs.
All the way back in the tiny Campaspe shire hamlet of Rochester, publican Craig decided to open his doors to the maximum allowed audience in a Victorian hotel ― 10 inside and 20 outside.
Many hotels on the Victorian side of the border decided against opening, the cost of staff, time involved in organising a grand final function for such a small patronage and potential to lose money on the day all factors contributing to their decision.
It was strange to see the limited patronage on one of the biggest days on the calendar, something that frustrated many hospitality venue operators in Victoria as just across the border in Moama pubs and clubs welcomed hundreds of guests.
Feathered friend: It wasn’t quite a case of dinner for two as Duck the Goose and “Sos” Ross, one of the hotel patrons, enjoyed the festivity of the Criterion’s grand final celebrations.
But at Rochester’s Criterion Hotel Craig and his guests were not holding back in their celebration of the event.
His passion for the Bulldogs was plain to see prior to Saturday’s season ending game, a wall of the beer garden already dedicated to the Western suburbs of the Melbourne-based team and several less emphatic statements made in various rooms of the historic hotel.
These was even a mascot, of sorts, on the premises for the event ― Duck, the goose.
Duck was adorned in the red and blue of the Bulldogs, his natural white feathering allowing for the completion of the tri-colored grand final participant.
Bulldog through and through: Nobody at the Criterion Hotel on Saturday night was left in any doubt of who publican Craig Mann was supporting, red, white and blue adoring not only the wall, but also his hair.
But for Craig, Duck and anyone else at the venue supporting the Bulldogs it was a rather inauspicious end to the grand final as the Demons posted a 74-point win.
At the Rochester Hotel wearing the red, white and blue of the Bulldogs was nothing new for staff member Mel Scarcella.
Mel has a long family history with the Merrigum Football Club, who carry the Bulldogs mantle in the Kyabram District Football League.
“My grandfather was president of the club,” she said.
As like every hotel in the region there were no huge roars of excitement and no massive buzz expectation prior to the first bounce.
Passionate fan: Bulldogs fan and Rochester Hotel staff member Mel Scarcella before the bounce of Saturday’s AFL grand final. She and a handful of patrons supporting the team were left disappointed at the night’s end.
But those at the Rochester Hotel were happy enough to be able to enjoy watching the game at their “local” after many weeks of frustration and disappointment with COVID-19 restrictions on the industry.
