History of the Essendon football club

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In 1981 Barry Davis was replaced as coach by ex-Richmond back pocket Kevin Sheedy. Sheedy, who has claimed that as a kid he was a fierce Essendon supporter and "only missed four games in ten years" would be the spark that the young bombers needed to bring out the best in them. The success was immediate, as Sheedy took the 'Baby Bombers" to the night grand final and flag defeating Carlton in the mid-season competition. Success in the real season proved to be more difficult, with Sheedy even contemplating dragging on the boots again to try and lift the team from the poor performances it was showing. But after Round 7 the Dons went on a winning spree, racking up 15 straight victories to set a new club record that has only been bettered by the 2000 team, Despite the fact that Carlton would go on to become eventual premiers, Essendon beat them three times during the year, once in the night final, once by 35 points and once by a single point when Neale Danniher kicked three goals during time-on at Princess Park to snatch the game. With all the momentum behind them, only the poor start to the season held Essendon back. Neale had also injured his knee badly during the final moments of the one-point win over Carlton and and this proved to be Essendon's undoing. In the last round Essendon's streak came to a halt which meant yet another elimination final, one that yet again the Bombers failed to win. 1982 proved to be a copy of 1981 in many ways; Carlton would become premiers without ever beating Essendon, slumps followed by long streaks were the norm for Essendon's season and once again the Bombers would lose an elimination final in what was becoming a major worry to Essendon supporters the way the 'Collywobbles" were to Woodsmen.

1983 proved to be a stepping stone, with the recruiting staff securing Paul Weston, Paul Salmon, Alan Ezard and Darren Williams all during the same year. While Rene Kink was also bought during this time, one bad decision shouldn't be viewed as souring the efforts of the staff. With the mix of young new players and experienced heads, the bombers went all the way to the Grand Final. After another poor start to the year once again Essendon faced an elimination final, but with the Blues as the opponent this time, the Bombers made it through in style. The next game against the Robert Walls coached Fitzroy sparked what may be behind Wall's palpable dislike of Kevin Sheedy and all things Red & Black. As the players went to the rooms at half time, Robert Walls moved towards Roger Merritt, hurling abuse at him as he came. Walls claimed that Merritt was involved in an incident that saw Fitzroy rover Harris go down just before the break. With Walls shouting abuse and moving towards Merritt, Essendon players and officials were quick to come to his defense and many thought the "Battle of Windy Hill" was about to be replayed on the MCG in September. Perhaps Robert still hasn't gotten over that day and the fact that the Dons won the game and moved a step closer to the grand prize. The next game was a walk over with North Melbourne beaten by more than 14 goals. Essendon was in its first day Grand Final since 1968. The club and its supporters were on a high, but the game against Hawthorn proved to be the largest belting in a Grand Final up until that point. The margin of 83 points devastated the supporters, but from it the bombers would rise anew.

There is a story that has gone around about the 'after party' that Essendon had at the Southern Cross hotel after the 1983 loss. It concerns a number of players who were letting their hair down after the match, openly laughing and generally having a goof time. It is said that Sheedy took to the stage and let fly with a torrid speech that basically told the players that this night should be the worst in their lives, that they had been beaten as no other team ever had, that they had let themselves down, that they had embarrassed themselves and the club. By all reports, the party pretty much stopped then and then, but it had the desired effect as in 1984 and 1985 the bombers would go on to take the ultimate prize, exacting revenge over the team that had delivered the punishment in 1983, Hawthorn, in both Grand Finals. The Dons and Hawks had built a fierce rivalry over recent years and despite the one-sided nature of the 1983 and 1985 finals, they are widely remember as some of the toughest games played. During this period, Sheedy and Alan Jeans, the two coaches of the sides, revolutionized football into the running, athletic game that we know today.

Most fans felt the future would remain bright at Windy Hill, but in 1986 injuries, retirements and players moving on for greater money all cut deep into Essendon's list. It wasn't until 1990 that Essendon would once again make it to a Grand Final, going down to Collingwood in the very first AFL grand final. As has often been the case, a fight that included players and officials broke out after the quarter time siren during the biggest game of the year, and while Essendon had control up until that point, The Pies came out with renewed vigor and preceded to blow the Bombers away. Sitting in the Sun in the old Southern Stand that was roofless due to the construction of the new Great Southern Stand that had just begun, and losing to Collingwood to give them their first flag in living memory was about as hard a day as I've ever had at the football.

The early 1990's proved tough, but once again it would prove to be the blooding of new players that would bring eventual success. In 1992 and 1993 Essendon would pick up Steve Alessio, Mark Mecuri, James Hird, Gavin Wanganeen, Joe Misiti and Dustin Fletcher in the recruiting drive. Wanganeen and Hird would both go on to win Brownlow's for the Dons, Gavin during the 1993 premiership year. In fact 1993 was one of the years where practically every major trophy or award went Essendon's way; the pre-season cup, the McClelland trophy, the Brownlow medal, the Michael Tuck medal, the Norm Smith medal, The Premiership cup and even father of the year to the redrafted Tim Watson. The bombers were never considered by the 'experts' to be a major threat in 1993, with too many young players to be taken seriously. Yet they surprised every one by making it to the Grand Final by defeating Adelaide in a thrilling comeback to claw their way from 44 points down at the half to finish the game 11 points clear of the Crows. The Grand Final against Carlton proved to be a cakewalk, with the dons cruising to a 44 point win, with Michael Long and Gary O'Donnell staring through the middle of the ground.

Financially the club had gone from one of the pack, to being a modern corporate entity. The move from Windy Hill to the MCG in 1992 proved to be a success and the onfield efforts saw the balance sheet comfortably in the black while other Melbourne based clubs were on the brink of financial ruin. Despite all the positives, the Bombers would once again fall back from the upper levels of the ladder. 1994 through to the late nineties proved a tough time, despite a list that seemed as strong as any in the AFL. Many times the internal power struggles spilled out of the board room and effected the players, while injuries to key players also took a heavy toll. In 1997 the gulf between the Dons and the best in the league was shown when the Bombers slipped into the finals courtesy of the new final eight format, only to be comfortably beaten by the eventual runners-up, North Melbourne,

Just as the change between player/coach was a tough one, the move between the all-powerful coach and a coaching panel proved to be one that Essendon needed to embrace if they wanted to return to the highest level. By 1999 Sheedy had survived many pushes to oust him from the coaching position, but seemingly he took to heart some of the reasons why people had suggested he be removed. The addition of ex-players and outsiders to his coaching box brought results that few could doubt. John Quinn, an athletics coach who new next to nothing about Aussie Rules was contracted and saw the injury list drop and the player fitness levels rise dramatically. Sheedy had always been regarded as an innovator, yet he had often resisted any help in the box, once the load was shared the results started to become much more positive. The addition of Terry Daniher to the inner sanctum was also a turning point, silencing many of the factions that had divided the club both on and off field. With the lesson learnt, the coaching box these days often looks more like a meeting of Essendon Best & Fairest winners rather than the emperor's private box that it resembled in the past.

The 1999 season is well documented, with the Blues downing the Dons in a preliminary final that Essendon were hot favorites to win. The one-point loss burnt deep into the souls of the players, obviously feeling that the Cup that North Melbourne held aloft that year was rightfully theirs.

As a motivation it created the greatest single season that has ever been seen. The Dons swept all before them, winning the first 20 games of the 2000 home & away season, only losing one game for the entire year, won all its preseason games, won all it's finals appearances including a 125 victory over the reigning premiers in the biggest finals win ever, and of course took the flag by defeating Melbourne in the Grand Final. With Matthew Lloyd up in the goal square, the Bombers had also managed to unearth the first player to kick 100 goals in a single season for the club since Geoff Blethyn did it in 1972. The Bombers were rightly hailed as one of the best sides ever to take the field, yet questions remained. The loss in 1999 was still brought up by many, and some said that to be considered truly great they needed to achieve more than just one flag from this awesome group of players.

2001 proved to be a year of bad timing, with injuries to key players all coming at the wrong time. The fact that Essendon were considered the benchmark meant that every week each opponent went after the Dons to try and knock them off. The pressure eventually took its tool, with the Bombers going down fighting in the Grand Final to Brisbane. The stress fractures to Dustin Fletcher, the best full-back in the league as well as the general injuries to Hird and other meant that the Dons were unable to match a Brisbane side that had had a relatively easy run to the Grand Final, with little pressure and no expectation. The one real highlight was the round ? against the Kangaroos at the MCG. The Roos came out firing and by early in the second quarter led the Dons by an unbelievable 65 points. It looked like they would inflict some revenge for the 125 point loss they had suffered the previous finals series. But the Dons weren't spent completely and spurred by Jason Johnson in the midfield clawed back the deficit goal by goal until hitting the front. It would go down in the history books as the greatest comeback n AFL/VFL history, but may have been the high water mark for the team as injuries and salary cap forced trades robbed them of any chance to recreate the success of 2000.

If 2001 proved to be a year of bad luck, the side must have questioned who was breaking the mirrors as 2002 started out in the worst possible fashion. After losing Damien Hardwick to the salary cap pressures and the retirement of Dean Wallis, the last thing Essendon needed was to lose another hard man from the back-line, but that's exactly what happened when Dean Solomon went down with a season ending knee injury before round one. In Round 8 a trip to Perth practically put an end to the Don's chances, with both James Hird and Matthew Lloyd sidelined for more than 8 weeks each. While Lloyd's injury to a tendon in his hand was fairly simple, if not common, it would make it difficult for the spearhead to compete at his best even after his return. Hird's, on the other hand, was a devasting injury that could have killed the superstar. In an accidental collision with teammate Mark McVeigh's knee, Hird's skull was so badly fractured that doctors likened the injury to that of a car accident victim. With many suggesting that Hird should never play again, the drive that has made him one of the greatest players ever for the Dons meant that Hird would be back, no matter what. His return, complete with a face mask designed to limit any re-injuring of the damaged area, was as stunning a comback as has ever been seen, with him running at will through the middle of the ground and picking up 30 odd touches to three quarter time against the Bulldogs before the lack of match fitness finally caught him - something his opponents hadn't managed to do until then. The game was set to be stolen in the final moments, when Lloyd, who was also in his comeback from the tendon injury and wearing a glove that earned him the nick-name "Penguin", was dragged down and awarded a free kick just as the siren sounded. The resulting shot went wide of the mark and the game was drawn. The rest of the season went along as if that let down had infected the team. By finals time the Dons had missed a top four spot and would rely on other results for a favourable draw, something that didn't happen. Despite accounting for West Coast in the first final, the Dons lost Lloyd to a concussion and Fletcher to suspension and went to Adelaide to play Port in a sudden death game. Without the big guns, and with Hird looking once again as if he was no more than 75% fit, the Dons did their best but were eventually overhauled by the Power. Paul Salmon, who had been drawn out of retirement by Sheedy in the hope of securing a flag gave supporters the best memories of the year, with his return putting to rest the dark days when our own supporters had booed the champion off the field an into the Hawthown rooms where he had proven them all wrong.

Unfortunately, 2003 seemed to be all too similar to 2002, despite hopes to the contrary. Once agin Hird would miss more than half a dozen games with injury and by the end of the season Essendon were outside the top four and so had to face an elimination final against a Western Australian team. Once again Dustin Fletcher, so often the key to the rebounding game the Dons used to such stunning effect in 2000, was cited on video evidence and found guilty during the first final against Freo. Essendon went to Adelaide to meet Port Power after it had once again lost an un-loseable final the previous week despite finishing on-top of the ladder after the home and away season. James Hird was the key and Port knew it. They did everything within the laws, and quiet a few things that to most media commentators were outside them as well, to keep Hird out of the match. His season was stellar despite having missed six weeks with a blood clot in his calf. He would miss out on a second brownlow by only three votes desite playing practically eight fewer games than Buckley, Riccutto and Goodes who jointly took out the medal. In the end the result was the same as 2002, the Bombers bowed out to Port Power in the second week of the finals. Yet the spirits looked better. The youngsters that had joined the club in Cupido, McPhee, Jobe Watson and others look set to usher in a new liveliness to the club and help make the future an exciting one. The Anzac day match against the 2002 runner's up Collingwood proved to be the real highlight of the year with Hird showing why he is so highly regarded and Cupido showing his love for the big stage. The Dons thumped the Pies and showed that given half a chance they would trouble every team.

Relive the great games and inspiring stories behind the greatest Australian football club.

1984 Grand Final - DVD or VHS available
The Dons had suffered a humiliating loss to the Hawks in 83, but finally overcame the yellow and brown foe. After almost 20 years wait, the Dons had their 13th Flag. Leon Baker's running goal and celebration signalled the end of the wilderness years.

1985 Grand Final - DVD or VHS available
The memories of the 83 loss wer put to bed as the Terry Daniher led bombers crushed the Hawks in a powerhouse performance. Simon Madden underlined exactly why he was regarded as the best big man in the league with a Norm Smith medal.

1993 Grand Final - DVD or VHS available
The baby bombers weren't expected to make much of an impact but with players like Hird, Mercuri, Fletcher and Misiti they went all the way. Michael Long's run through the middle of the G sealed his Norm Smith medal while Gary O'Donnell was at his hard working best.
also available: 1993 Finals Pack VHS

2000 Grand Final DVD or VHS
The best single season EVER. The best side to ever grace a football field? Certainly the Dons made up for the horrid preliminary final loss to Carlton by producing the best season ever by a football team. It all culminated in September 2000 with the grand final victory we had to have.
also available: 2000 Finals pack VHS

2000 preseason GF VHS
The Dons set about erasing the 99 horrors by trouncing the premiers, North Melbourne, in style.

The Comeback - Essendon V The Kangaroos DVD or VHS
Rd 16 2001: The biggest comeback in AFL/VFL history. See Jason Johnson bust his way through the middle time and time again to help the Don's come back from a 69 point deficit in a game that showed exactly why Don's should never be written off.

Anzac Day 2003 - Essendon V Collingwood DVD or VHS
Hird (27 possesions and the anzac medalist for the day), Lloyd (6 goals) and Cupido (5 goals) turn it on as they destroy the Pies on what has become the biggest day in football that a fan actually stands a chance of getting a ticket to.

All original images on this site remain the property of Danny Bishop and cannot be used without prior approval. Any tradmarks remain the property of their respective owners. It doesn't look like the AFL have the best interests of fans at heart, so make sure you're a member of your club so you can have a say. Go Bombers. ©2004-2005.