Mural

Great players watching over the boys

The Essendon football club has a very proud heritage, with many of the league's greatest players wearing the Red & Black. Towards the end of 2001, Essendon commissioned a mural depicting 16 players who exemplified the sorts of values that have taken the club to it's current position of strength. Artist Jenny Steiner took around eight months to create the mural which now surrounds the new club gymnasium facilities, almost enclosing the 'mini oval' where the current crop of players work through set plays and general game tactics. Each player depicted was chosen by Kevin Sheedy with input from assistant coach Robert Shaw.

The start of the Mural has Roger Merritt under the banner of "Aggression". Merritt was one of the toughest men in VFL footy during the mid eighties. Notice the gym equipment and 'boundary line' from the mini oval in the foreground. The Mural is certainly fine art, but the new gym isn't the Louvre and is in regular use by the players.

Terry Danniher and Ian 'Bluey' Shelton encompass the "Passion" and "Strength" attributes. TD was a player who often played on passion alone, with Sheedy once commenting that he was the only player whom he would fine for turning up to training. Bluey Shelton was one of Essendon's great half backs, with his physical presence likened to that of the rock of Gibraltar.

A while ago it was thought that Sheedy was less impressed than the rest of the football world with James Hird due to him being nothing like a 'back pocket plumber'. Those days are well and truly gone, and the dedication of "Inspiration" to the current skipper shows that Sheedy, like almost everyone else, is well aware of just how amazing Hird's contribution is to Essendon when we need him most.

Bill Hutchison is one of the greatest players ever to play the game, let alone just with Essendon. His efforts rank him in the top few players to have ever pulled on a pair of footy boots, including 7 EFC B&F's , 2 Brownlows and countless other honors. During the golden 40's and 50's he was the "Soul" of the club.

Reg Burgess, Mark Harvey and Michael Long were chosen as the perfect examples of "Touch", "Warrior" and "Vision". Burgess is another of the 1950's era players that Sheedy would have supported as a kid, watching him play many brilliant games on the wings at Windy Hill. Mark Harvey's toughness is legendary, never willing to allow his countless injuries stop him from diving under a pack to win the hard ball. Michael Long exemplifies vision in a way that often made supporters sit simply in awe, able to run, sidestep and deliver the ball with a level of skill that saw him take the Norm Smith medal in 1993 when he put it all on show for the biggest day of the year: the Grand Final in the year of the Indigenous People.

Richard 'Dick' Reynolds is one of the AFL's Legends as well as being a Hall of Fame inductee. One of only two players to ever win three Brownlow medals, King Richard is easily one of the greatest players to ever grace an Aussie Rules oval. His record of 320 games included 224 as captain and during the 10 years from 1941 to 1950 he led Essendon to 8 Grand Finals, in four of which he held the Premiership cup aloft. Without a doubt, he was "Brilliance" personified.

Tim Watson and Norm McDonald were given the honors of depicting "Versatility" and "Speed". Watson, who is still the second youngest player to ever play league footy had all the skills, and his flair was evident no matter if it was scoring goals on the run, dodging opponents or delivering a pinpoint pass from a back pocket. McDonald was a brilliant winger, where he used his pace to make the opposition look decidedly flat-footed. McDonald was the first Aboriginal to play for the Bombers back in 1947 and showed his pace by coming second in the Stawell Gift one year.

The greatest full forward ever to play the game, John Coleman, is depicted taking one of his trademark leaping marks beside the caption of "Leadership". Coleman's raw talent was only part of what made him the greatest, with his determination and charisma allowing him to take the players around him to new heights with back to back flags in 1949 and 1950 when he kicked 100 and 120 goals in the two seasons. Even as a coach Coleman's drive to succeed brought out the best in his team as he brought the club two more flags in 1962 and 65 from the coaches box.

Simon Madden's "Courage" was never doubted, with it taking him to an Essendon record 378 games over 19 years. Madden showed exactly what he was made of early in his career, filling the gap left by the departure of Brownlow medallist Graeme Moss impeccably after only years as a regular in the seniors as the Sandgroper's understudy. Perhaps his best example of courage came after being dropped due to poor form linked to his immune system attacking his Kidneys. After two poor games in the Reseves Simon was given a lifeline by Sheedy and showed his metal by kicking 8 goals in his senior comeback - the one he regards as his greatest game ever.

Jack Clarke, Ken Fraser and Don McKenzie were chosen to represent "Athleticism", "Loyalty" and "Pride". Clarke was a lightly built centreman and rover, but used his athleticism to great effect, repeatedly clearing the ball from packs. Fraser was the ideal centre half forward, with brilliant marking skills. In his first year as Essendon captain, Fraser led the Dons to their 11th flag. McKenzie was one of the best ruckman to play for the Bombers behind Simon Madden, but relied on his nature and skill rather than his height, which was modest for a ruckman, to win him the ball. His aggression, stamina and big leaps all ensured that his teammates got first use of the ball more often than not. All three players in this section of the mural are depicted in a scene taken from the 1965 premiership victory.

While the Gym is not regularly opened to the public, I strongly urge anyone who is presented with the opportunity to visit it do so without hesitation. The sheer size of the mural combined with the great portrayal of some of Essendon's finest players ensure that any true Essendon fan will struggle to keep their jaw from dropping while gazing upon it.

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.