Goodes' excitement not enough for Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs defender Brett Goodes has been dropped for the indigenous round hours after talking about how excited he was to be representing the club in its specially designed guernsey.
Goodes has struggled this season, playing just two matches in his second year at the club.
He returned from the VFL last week but a quiet performance against Gold Coast cost him his place in the squad to play Fremantle on Sunday.
With Goodes dropped and Liam Jones suspended, the club will have only one indigenous player - former Eagle Koby Stevens - playing against the Dockers.
Jones played a key role in designing the club's indigenous round jumper, phoning every Aboriginal player to have represented the Dogs and asking their permission to have their name printed on the guernsey.
The Dogs have had 18 indigenous representatives including WA's Nicky Winmar, Phil Krak- ouer, Steven Koops, Zephaniah Skinner, Brennan Stack and Josh Hill.
Goodes said it was important for the club to recognise their achievements.
"Liam Jones came up with the idea and called up every past indigenous player to make sure he had their permission," Goodes said.
"They were all thrilled to be on it. To speak to the guys and get their permission and to see how thrilled they were for us to put them on the jumper, it's great."
The jumper retains the Bulldogs' red-and-white hoops but has several designs added which connect to a football ground at the base.
"It means the freshwater people, the saltwater people and the desert people," Goodes said.
"All different forms of Aboriginal people, all coming to the footy. It's how important football is to us as a people."
·Ruckman Ivan Maric is set to play his first game of a season that is fast slipping away for Richmond.
Maric has been out since he had ankle surgery in February, but has been named to return in tomorrow's Dreamtime at the 'G clash with Essendon. The Bombers recalled veteran pair Jason Winderlich and Paul Chapman.
Collingwood midfielder Luke Ball (calf), Hawthorn ruckman Ben McEvoy (corked hamstring) and Port Adelaide veteran Dom Cassisi (knee) were among yesterday's surprise omissions.
