A Long Gully man and professional painter has celebrated his beloved Western Bulldogs making the grand final for the first time in his life – the only way he knows how.
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"I've been a Doggies supporter forever...I didn't no what else to do, so I just painted the house,” Darren Jones said.
"It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
And the with the paint not yet dry, the tricolour Bolt Street house is already proving a hit.
“Yeah, it come up all right, considering it was raining all day, I was pretty happy with it,” Mr Jones said.
The 35-year-old has been a Doggies fan since the age of seven, when his uncle began taking him to games.
And though the club has not delivered silverware in that time, the Long Gully man never gave up hope.
"It's been a great season, I tipped 'em all season and, well, they prevailed for me in the end,” he said.
To celebrate, the small-business owner invited his friends and workers over for a barbecue and house painting day on the grand final eve public holiday. But his celebrations won’t stop there.
“Tomorrow, I’ll be 12 rows back from the fence, right behind the Doggies cheer squad,” said the proud owner of a grand final ticket.
True to form, Mr Jones is tipping a Doggies triumph tomorrow.
"A four goal win,” he said.
"Should be a good game, but I think we'll get there in the end."
And while there is a lot at stake tomorrow, not least will be the length of time the Bolt St home remains a must-see for Doggies fans travelling through Bendigo.
"The paint will stay up three months if we lose,” Mr Jones said.
“And it’ll stay up until the end of next season if we win.”