The Western Bulldogs couldn’t believe what they were hearing when they learned that Prince Harry will visit them on Wednesday – with the royal picking the club because of their ties to a charity that’s close to his heart.
The Duke of Sussex will front up at the club’s headquarters at the decidedly unglamorous Whitten Oval in Melbourne’s west because of the Dogs’ ties to the Movember charity, which raises funds for men’s health.
Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains revealed the club initially thought there might have been a mistake when they learned about the royal visit.
‘Our first reaction was one of disbelief and needing to double-check that we had the facts right,’ he told Nine Newspapers.
‘Like, have we got the right person here?
‘When we had a staff meeting to inform everyone of the Duke’s arrival, there were a few gasps in the audience.
‘They all know who he is. There’s definitely a level of intrigue in some quarters and excitement in others.’
Harry’s wife Meghan will not be attending the event, which sent a ripple of disappointment through the team.
‘I think a lot of our staff watch Suits, so that would have been fun,’ Bains said, referring to the TV show Meghan used to star in.
Harry is well known for his advocacy for men’s health, and his visit will coincide with the release of Movember’s new national research report.
‘Our community foundation does a lot in the men’s health space, primarily through Sons of the West, and we’ve had a partnership with Movember for a few years now,’ Bains explained.
‘It’s a private, invitation-only event where that report will be launched with Prince Harry as part of the launch.’
Footy fans who are unaware of the Dogs’ ties to the charity would be surprised by the royal’s choice of club for the visit.
Many would assume he’d be more likely to visit one of the more glamorous teams in the league while he’s in Melbourne, like Collingwood.
The Dogs are solidly working-class, and they like to trumpet it.
‘We are proud and protective of our history as a club that’s championed the west of Melbourne and have that blue-collar history and heritage,’ Bains said.
‘But we are also a club that’s very ambitious in what we do, and the ability to show off Whitten Oval is also pretty exciting.’
The trip to Dogs headquarters isn’t the only footy-based outing the Duke has planned for this tour.
He and Meghan are also scheduled to attend the NSW Waratahs vs Pasifika Moana rugby union clash at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on Friday night.
In stark contrast to the trip to Melbourne’s west, they’ll be entertained in a private box at the nearly brand-new boutique stadium in Sydney’s flashy east, where they’ll sit with Rugby Australia CEO and former Wallabies star Phil Waugh.
The visit marks Harry and Meghan’s first trip Down Under since 2018, when they spent nine days travelling across Australia.
Excited crowds gathered to greet the pair on Tuesday, meeting families and youngsters packed inside the foyer at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
After the hospital, the duke and duchess toured a centre delivering support to women and children experiencing family violence and homelessness, before visiting the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum.
