PowerfulPies2023
Club Legend
- Oct 5, 2023
- 1,443
- 1,188
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
I think the '' Baby Bombers '' overachieved to some degree in 1993. No finals the year before, somewhat unexpected. That being said they were on fire in that Fosters Cup beating the reigning premiers West Coast to get to the Granny in what was a sign of things to come. That game was pretty serious on the field and played at a high intensity. The Eagles wanted to win. So did the Bombers. The Dons would get them a further two times that year and played them very well in a shootout at Subi when the Eagles unveiled their premiership flag in their season opener. Paul Salmons '' One Goal wonder '' kick started Sheedy's jacket waving exploits and Salmon and the Dons would repeat it in 94 in the first home and away game of the season. Only dawned on me until now that in 93 WCE played round 1 at home as the reigning premiers against Essendon. Won the game, Bombers won the flag. 1994 Essendon played West Coast at home as the reigning premiers, won the game. Eagles won the flag. Essendon fresh off that famous, agonising 2 point defeat to the Blues in the qualifying final bounced back with a vengeance knocking out the Champions by 32 points in a semi final. West Coast had no answer for a slick, well oiled, frenetic Essendon freight train. That there alone is a pretty big and bold statement. Down 7 goals at half time in a prelim to a Crows side boasting the Likes of Modra, McDermott, McGuiness, Smart, Rehn, Hart, Anderson, Bickley, Riccuito, Tregenza, Jarman, Hodges etc. Well enough said. They came back and won where as most would have got swept aside. Beating the Blues in a rematch and beating them convincingly is the Trifecta. I don't need to mention the names that that team Donned. But I will because they're that good. Silvagni, Kernahan, Bradley, Brown, Madden, Christou, Dean, Diesel, McKay, Alvin, Sexton. So 3 huge, huge wins in a row when it mattered most against top quality opposition. The best in the finals.
During the home and away season they beat West Coast as mentioned and lost narrowly. Drew with 2nd placed Carlton and beat them in the return fixture. Won and lost vs the Cats in what provided us that epic, epic game where Salmon bagged 10 and Ablett kicked 14 in a losing side. Beat The Hawks, Fitzroy in a Friday night classic where Timmy Watson put his class on display and smacked the Adelaide Crows. The announcement of James Hird at the SCG as the Dons kicked 28.13 to 14.11, Jimmy Hird bagging 6.
Overachieved perhaps in the fact most wouldn't have foreseen this coming. But on the evidence above, it was thoroughly deserved. Look at the names and the coach they had at their disposal. Young blood in Mercuri, Misit, Alessio,Wanganeen, Olarenshaw, Fletcher, Symons, Paul Hills cracking the ranks with the likes of Salmon, Long, O'Donnell, Watson, Daniher, Bewick, Thompson, Harvey, Somerville, Denham. Kickett who was infamously left out on Grand Final day and there were more names to mention too. The Bombers did make the GF in 90, finals in 91 and more quality was to come later on in the decade. A near miss in prelims both by a point to Sydney and Carlton and another choke job in 95 to the Tigers. 2000, 2001 well look at what they achieved. 2000 side imo has to be the greatest of all time.
I couldn't help myself writing about this great club and the great accolades they achieved during this time and looking back on it it does deserve a lot of respect. The question still stands though. Which sides to you believe overachieved even to some degree?
During the home and away season they beat West Coast as mentioned and lost narrowly. Drew with 2nd placed Carlton and beat them in the return fixture. Won and lost vs the Cats in what provided us that epic, epic game where Salmon bagged 10 and Ablett kicked 14 in a losing side. Beat The Hawks, Fitzroy in a Friday night classic where Timmy Watson put his class on display and smacked the Adelaide Crows. The announcement of James Hird at the SCG as the Dons kicked 28.13 to 14.11, Jimmy Hird bagging 6.
Overachieved perhaps in the fact most wouldn't have foreseen this coming. But on the evidence above, it was thoroughly deserved. Look at the names and the coach they had at their disposal. Young blood in Mercuri, Misit, Alessio,Wanganeen, Olarenshaw, Fletcher, Symons, Paul Hills cracking the ranks with the likes of Salmon, Long, O'Donnell, Watson, Daniher, Bewick, Thompson, Harvey, Somerville, Denham. Kickett who was infamously left out on Grand Final day and there were more names to mention too. The Bombers did make the GF in 90, finals in 91 and more quality was to come later on in the decade. A near miss in prelims both by a point to Sydney and Carlton and another choke job in 95 to the Tigers. 2000, 2001 well look at what they achieved. 2000 side imo has to be the greatest of all time.
I couldn't help myself writing about this great club and the great accolades they achieved during this time and looking back on it it does deserve a lot of respect. The question still stands though. Which sides to you believe overachieved even to some degree?
