SUCCESS-starved Western Bulldogs fans have flocked to Whitten Oval in their thousands for their team's final training session ahead of the club's first Grand Final appearance in 55 years. 

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Luke Beveridge's brave Bulldogs have captured the imagination of the football world after winning three successive finals against the odds, and now face minor premier the Sydney Swans in the Grand Final on Saturday in their quest to win their first premiership since 1954 and end the competition's longest active flag drought.

This unexpected joy was writ large on the faces of the masses, young and old, at Bulldogs headquarters on Thursday. 

Amid a sea of red, white and blue, a constant hum of excitement and the smell of cooked sausages, the grandstand almost filled to capacity and fans crammed into any space they could find around the ground. 

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When the players finally entered the arena at 10.25am (25 minutes later than scheduled – as though the crowd needed any further revving up!), fans erupted into rapturous applause, whistling and urges of encouragement. 

There was even applause for warm-up run-throughs and regulation kicks and marks. Dogs fans simply couldn't get enough of their heroes.

There were regular chants of "Bulldogs, Bulldogs" and renditions of the club theme song, Sons Of The West.

Rain had threatened but the sun emerged by the time training began and would remain warm on faces for the duration of the session. 

Earlier, club president Peter Gordon took the microphone and thanked the Dogs disciples who'd travelled around the country supporting the team during the finals, and particularly saluted those who'd helped him save the club in October 1989.

"This week is for you," Gordon declared to a collective roar.

Gordon later walked along the boundary line, pumping his fist and waving to fans, some of whom yelled, "Onya Peter!".

For such a proud Bulldog, the grinning Gordon did a great impersonation of a Cheshire cat.

Among the heaving throng was Les Twentyman, a longtime Dogs fan and a crusader for underprivileged and at-risk youth in the western suburbs – causes he credits the Bulldogs with helping. 

"This is more than a footy game, given where this club has come from," Twentyman said.

"I think this is the start of an era that will erode some of the negative attitudes towards the west." 

The club's cafe and merchandise store, and the food vans outside, were doing a roaring – actually, snaaarling – trade.

At the club of free hugs, there were also plenty of other free things: pancakes, face painting (some adults even took up the offer) and five-minute massages from Victoria University employees to relieve big-game nerves stress and ease stress of parents during the school holidays.

Getting a carpark within cooee of the ground had been nigh on impossible for many fans, and most wisely went there by train – trips that were abuzz with Dogs chatter. 

And they came from everywhere. AFL.com.au spoke to fans who'd travelled from as far afield as Adelaide and Sydney (enemy territory this week) to soak up a week they'd never experienced.

The Whitten Oval stands were packed as the Bulldogs trained. Picture: AFL Photos

Wyndham Vale resident Henk Stegehuis, 76, had migrated with his large family from Holland to Australia as a teenager, moving to Melbourne in 1965, when he adopted the local Footscray side. 

"I've dreamed about this," said Stegehuis, who attended training with one of his daughters and three granddaughters. "I doubted it would ever happen in my lifetime – maybe in my kids' and grandkids' lifetimes, but not mine."

It was even a dozen-deep on the outer side of the ground, the famous Doug Hawkins Wing. 

Behind them, traffic crawled along Gordon Street after exiting Geelong Road. Many drivers tooted their horns, and some wound down their windows and screamed: "Go Dogs!" and "Woof! Woof!" 

As the Dogs did a keepings-off handball drill on Dancing Dougie's wing, a fan called out: "Handball Club rules!" – a reference to the team's emphasis on handballing in confined spaces. 

"The first rule about Handball Club is: don't talk about Handball Club," the wag continued.

Every vantage point was taken as the Bulldog faithful soaked up the moment. Picture: AFL Photos

Skipper Bob Murphy, on the comeback trail from a season-ending knee injury, joined in training and at one point jogged laps. As he did, there was a progressive swell of applause that followed him around Whitten Oval like a Mexican Wave.

The entire squad later went on a lap of honour – one they'd love to repeat on Saturday – and the noise again surged like a wave. The fans clapped the players, and the players returned the gesture. 

It was spine-tingling stuff.

Imagine the reaction if the Bulldogs can achieve the impossible dream.

Luke Beveridge waves to the crowd at Whitten Oval. Picture: AFL Photos

Bulldogs fans get in the spirit of Grand Final week at Whitten Oval. Picture: AFL Photos