View Full Version : Essendon v West Coast, Round 8 1991....
Round 8 1991 Windy Hill,
West Coast 14.10.94
Essendon 13. 9. 87
Remember it like it was yesterday,
"House Full" sign is up, gates locked before match has started.
A narrow loss, but one of the bravest performances i've seen from an Essendon side. Long (ribs), Bewick (concussion.....courtesy of an unbelievably reckless act from Harvs), Heard (knee), and Salmon (groin) all wounded in action, Bombers actually play with 17 men (while Sheeds decided who was 'least injured') on the field for a short time in the 3rd quarter. I can still remember Shane Heard standing in the goalsquare knee bandaged up and unable to run or chase.
Many highlights in this game, some of the old.....Simon Madden playing on from a set shot from a tight angle to slot a great goal, and some of the new, Somerville's speccy,the brilliance of a 17 year old Gavin Wanganeen, and Karl Langdon, well, just being Karl Langdon.
Despite all the injuries and drama, Bombers actually control the majority of the 2nd half. Eagles only getting away in the dying minutes. Magnificent effort from an ordinary and on this day......horribly undermanned....side. The team gets a standing ovation from an emotionally drained crowd.
Very proud of the boys' efforts that day.
where's wally?
windyhill
7 Jul 2002, 17:05
Standing ovation. Mick Long going off the ground with broken ribs, Mick Long coming back on the ground with broken ribs , in obvious discomfort and standing in a pocket. An absolute privlige to be there and watch it as it happened.
Wonderful stuff.
Another memory is of the incredible noise the crowd made. I had a sore throat at the end of the match, cured by large amounts of beer back at The Royal afterwards :p
where's wally?
larrikin
10 Jul 2002, 00:12
I watched this game as a 14 year old in Perth, and vividly remember that we escaped with a win. The Bombers tried so hard but had no-one left.
Boy did you fans give it to the Eagles that day. I remember hearing reports of a West Coast fan my age being beaten up at Windy Hill ( I think it was that day). Of course most of those stories were exaggerated, but I'm sure the old time Don's supporters still love that ground and it's legends.
Look forward to the game on the weekend.
Originally posted by larrikin
I remember hearing reports of a West Coast fan my age being beaten up at Windy Hill ( I think it was that day). Of course most of those stories were exaggerated,
Not as exaggerated as you'd think son, madness at Windy Hill, pure madness. I miss those days.
where's wally?
larrikin
10 Jul 2002, 00:37
Originally posted by Wally
Not as exaggerated as you'd think son, madness at Windy Hill, pure madness. I miss those days.
where's wally?
Were you one of the old boys handing them out?
I'm personally glad those days are gone. I don't reckon there's a place in footy for off-field violence. All it does is drag down the game.
My old man experienced it back it in the 50's and 60's when he travelled around Melbourne as a Footscray supporter. He and his brother used to go to every game they played, and on away games they'd cop the cr@p every week. There was a bit of it over here when I was a kid chasing East Freo around the suburbs, but not to the same extent.
Back to the more important issues, how do you rate your chances tis week?
Originally posted by larrikin
Were you one of the old boys handing them out?
Hey.......early 30's (now) is not "old" pal....but nah, wasn't dishing any out on that particular day....although..as a teenager... i did get into a few scraps out there....had my nose busted in a big stink by a couple of irate Magpies after we narrowly beat 'em at Windy Hill in the early 80's.
Originally posted by larrikin
Back to the more important issues, how do you rate your chances tis week? [/B]
This week?
Dunno.......haven't really seen West Coast play this year, so, i dunno what to expect from 'em. I think we have to improve in the mid-field and our defence looks a little too short without Fletcher for my liking, matching up Wilson could be a problem, but, whatever happens, we should give a good account of ourselves. We need the win to keep in the top 4 and you lot should be pretty desperate to stay in the 8.....so really, it should be a great game.
Cheers.
where's wally?
larrikin
10 Jul 2002, 01:07
And you called me son? geez I hope that was sarcastic.
Looking forward to one of the games of the year. The teams matched up beautifully till Fletcher was out (especailly with Wilson and Gardiner back). Might help us a bit. Still should be a ripper.
Originally posted by larrikin
And you called me son? geez I hope that was sarcastic.
Sarcastic?.....not really...."son" :p .....it's a term of endearment....much the same as calling someone "mate"....
where's wally?
Pornstar
10 Jul 2002, 09:29
Originally posted by larrikin
I remember hearing reports of a West Coast fan my age being beaten up at Windy Hill ( I think it was that day). I had grown men giving me hell at westen oval when i was about 10!. Wasn't impressed at the time, but i have a chuckle when i think about it these days.
mongrels:p
Hell of a game that 91 effort. Both teams were 6-0 going into it too, which added to the spectacle. Madden's goal was nothing short of brilliant. Unfortunately it was also the game that finished our season. We were never the same after that one.
I hope the team doesn't play "tall" on sunday, the weather here is wet & very windy, it is going to be a scrappy game played at ground level, posession football, no long high kicking.
I'm hoping against all hope we get a fine day of weather- should be a pretty good game.
Hmm, even if the weather is appalling, maybe both clubs should make a pact to pick the tallest, most top heavy team possible, just for the pleasure of watching 36 6'0 plus guys slipping over and fumbling for 4 quarters.
What's the full story behind the jacket-waving?
Oh and have a great game Mantis and all other WA bombers!
windyhill
13 Jul 2002, 19:41
sheedy started it after we won a tight home and away game in mid to late 1993. Fish had been missing all day he was copping his usual s hit off Essendon supporters (who would be now kissing his a rse) and then it came....he got a very dodgy free kick and finished from about 50 out,pressure kick , and the big man stood up......oh dear,suddenly the Essendon supporters love the Fish again. From memory it was harvey`s 150th.
Siren goes and sheedy jumps out of the box and waves his jacket in front of malthouse.
n.b ...i have had more arguements with Essendon supporters over Paul Salmon than any other player,he is a champion,he proved it with us,he proved it while representing Victoria and he rubbed it right in at Hawthorn.He has come home and continued to rub it in with his performances this season.
AND I`M LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
Originally posted by NYMets
What's the full story behind the jacket-waving?
Was after the game John mentioned. He did it cuase he couldn't handle the constant whinging from the weagles box. (Back then they were right next door to each other.)
Now it has become a tradition at Subi after every Bombers/weagles match, hopefully we will be waving our jackets at the end of the game tomorrow. :D
I remember before this game a school kid at my school (heavily in Essendon territory) saying:
“Essendon’ll beat West Coast
Essendon’ll beat West Coast
at Perth”
and that Essendon would go through 1991 undefeated.
Although at the time I had studied neither Essendon’s poor opposition nor the fact that the bone dry weather (http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_display_type=dailyDataFile&p_stn_num=086071&p_startYear=1991&statType=2mm+or+more&p_nccObsCode=136) and rock hard grounds of the first ten and a half rounds had been heavily influencing teams’ fortunes, I never thought it would be Essendon who would go through 1991 undefeated. The way I had watched West Coast’s awesome defence crush forward lines that were kicking huge scores against every other team during the bone dry first half of 1991, it is only natural that one would think they were absolutely unbeatable. This was not realising the infleunce of the weather and the beauty of open roof grounds, because on the slower grounds after the Saturday of Round 11 football was almost another ball game, a fact that actually hit Essendon hard before it did West Coast. In those conditions Essendon’s reliance on marking power and West Coast’s on pure speed were not nearly the assets they were earlier, and the direct style of play of Hawthorn was the way to operate.
Today, if a team played like West Coast did in early 1991 - rivalling or bettering Essendon of 2000 for sheer power against other top sides - one really could be sure they would go through undefeated unless some other team improved beyond belief or radically changed their tactics, but in 1991 that was not so, and it not being so was really no bad thing.
OzBomber
1 Apr 2011, 21:38
This guy loves bumping, using colours, and getting crazy stuff like the weather patterns from 20 years ago.
What on earth is with you bumping these ancient threads?
This guy loves bumping, using colours, and getting crazy stuff like the weather patterns from 20 years ago.I don’t think I’m being crazy linking weather data, it is meant to be really helpful to explain the results observed in a season like 1991 where the fluctuations in southern Australia’s climate from very dry to very wet had a major influence on the course of the season. It is hard for me to believe that if the weather had kept fine over the second half of 1991:
Hawthorn would have stormed home to win the flag
Carlton would have dropped to eleventh
West Coast would have gradually lost their invincibility
Essendon would not have recovered as their numerous injured players came back
OzBomber
1 Apr 2011, 22:37
Easy tiger...
HighettBomber
2 Apr 2011, 09:05
I remember that game well, the Somerville mark was even better live. Dean Bailey also played a really good game in the centre, probably the best of his career.