1984 Grand Final

[demondavey]

Currently on Foxtel on the Fox Footy Channel they are showing the favourite games of guest programmers. Brad Johnson has picked this game.

What a GAME! Nowhere near it all day and then Bang! Quarter 4! One of the best games I've seen and got to be top 3 in my greatest Grand Finals ever seen!

People talk about Hawthorn in the 80's for obvious reasons, but Essendon were pretty bloody good. You got flogged in 83 but 84 & 85 you got revenge. Got to be one of the best back to back efforts ever considering how good Hawthorn were.

 

[CBombers17]

Hawthorne - 1980's Team of the decade.

Essendon 1984/85 - Team of the Century-

Edit; Read that years ago - may have been inside footy.

 

[Doss]

The last quarter of the 1984 grand final is the best quarter in Essendon's history.

 

[Bennett.]

Still remember the commentator with the big MERRETT!! In the 4th when big Rog clunked that mark in the goalsquare

 

[Blind Turn]

Buhagiar was the Kickett of '84. Deserved to be a premiership player did the little Budgie...

Salmon was the other player who deserved to play in that one but of course he was gone for the year with the big knee.

And imagine if Neale Daniher was also available.

Such an incredibly strong squad of players.

I was very lucky to be at the very impressionable age of 11 when we won this. Cemented my love and passion for the club there and then.

 

[DERO]

I was 5 and my Dad leaping out of his chair when Leon Baker went berserk in the final quarter is my first real football memory.

 

[Bombermania]

Currently on Foxtel on the Fox Footy Channel they are showing the favourite games of guest programmers. Brad Johnson has picked this game.

What a GAME! Nowhere near it all day and then Bang! Quarter 4! One of the best games I've seen and got to be top 3 in my greatest Grand Finals ever seen!

People talk about Hawthorn in the 80's for obvious reasons, but Essendon were pretty bloody good. You got flogged in 83 but 84 & 85 you got revenge. Got to be one of the best back to back efforts ever considering how good Hawthorn were.

The Hawks of the 1980s were a great side but the 1984 GF could be viewed as the one that got away, part way through the second quarter the Hawks look like they just needed another two or three goals and its all over but the Bombers just hung tough and then that last quarter, talk abut the stuff of legend.

This will be controversial but I rate it above the 1989 GF because if you watch the 89 GF, for the first three quarters the Hawks were in control and basically 89 just like 84 saw the Hawks run out of legs but for mine the 84 GF was better because it was closer throughout than 89 was. (plus I'm bias)

 

[demondavey]

The Hawks of the 1980s were a great side but the 1984 GF could be viewed as the one that got away, part way through the second quarter the Hawks look like they just needed another two or three goals and its all over but the Bombers just hung tough and then that last quarter, talk abut the stuff of legend.

This will be controversial but I rate it above the 1989 GF because if you watch the 89 GF, for the first three quarters the Hawks were in control and basically 89 just like 84 saw the Hawks run out of legs but for mine the 84 GF was better because it was closer throughout than 89 was. (plus I'm bias)

Whilst Hawthorn led at every change, the Bombers were never really out of it. It's funny, the scorecard can paint a very different picture.

 

[Eleven 38]

I was only 2 at the time but I have watched the game a few times. My memories are we were on top after quarter time but weren't taking our opportunities. Then in the last quarter it all just clicked and bang we ran away with it.

 

[TheBrightSide]

I believe it's still the highest last quarter score in a GF.
Should always be in the discussion for best ever Grand Finals, due mostly to that last quarter comeback.

 

[BERT]

I believe it's still the highest last quarter score in a GF.
Should always be in the discussion for best ever Grand Finals, due mostly to that last quarter comeback.

It was the highest last quarter score in a grand final until the 1985 side beat it.

 

[TheBrightSide]

It was the highest last quarter score in a grand final until the 1985 side beat it.

This also pleases me.

 

[srobbo]

Whilst Hawthorn led at every change, the Bombers were never really out of it. It's funny, the scorecard can paint a very different picture.

We were around the mark all day, Hawks knew they couldn't shake us & by mid to late in the 3rd we were beginning to wrestle back control of the game....and the Hawks knew it!

If you haven't already....check out "The Final Story 1984" which was part of a doc mini series, reliving great GF's that re captured ex players essentially narrating the background to the game, rivalry, fall out etc.

Great viewing!

 

[BackOnOurPerch]

We were around the mark all day, Hawks knew they couldn't shake us & by mid to late in the 3rd we were beginning to wrestle back control of the game....and the Hawks knew it!

I was there sitting in the Western Stand with my mate and our partners. You're right and only inaccurate kicking prevented us from being much closer at 3 quarter time. Said to my mate, I'm so nervous, I can't handle this. He looked at me and said, don't worry we are going to kick 10 goals and win the game. Well he was sort of right. We cried at the final siren,a premiership finally after 19 years. He dined out on his prediction for years after that. Know what's scary for me though, it's now been 17 years since our last premiership. We have been so mediocre for too long. It's time for us to become the powerhouse club we used to be.

 

[NAB777]

I was up in the stand, behind the goals at the Punt Road end. Not a bad spot to be, given the last quarter exploits.

My absolute hero as a kid was Tim Watson, and my second favourite player was Leon Baker... and it's funny that given that they both kicked two goals in the last quarter, my memories of those are blurry at best.

My two most vivid memories of the day are Roger Merrett's mark on the goal line. The other one was something that rarely gets a mention.

In the 3rd quarter, Frank Dunnell was running & bouncing the ball along the outer wing, and Mark Harvey ran about 50 metres to lay a shepherd. To this day, it is my ultimate 1%'er. You only see the end of his run on TV, but I distinctly remember it, and it was at that time that I thought "We are in this!!".. My dad & I were commenting on how a young 19 year old was throwing himself around & showing everyone what it took to win. He also kept telling me...'look at the scoring shots, we're in it!!!'

It's always good when the more recent bomber fans get to see this game - it was the best footy day of my life.

I ended up in the rooms after the game, and got my footy signed by about 10-12 players, which was an absolute dream.

Leon Baker...what a player.

 

[Runk]

I was up in the stand, behind the goals at the Punt Road end. Not a bad spot to be, given the last quarter exploits.

My absolute hero as a kid was Tim Watson, and my second favourite player was Leon Baker... and it's funny that given that they both kicked two goals in the last quarter, my memories of those are blurry at best.

My two most vivid memories of the day are Roger Merrett's mark on the goal line. The other one was something that rarely gets a mention.

In the 3rd quarter, Frank Dunnell was running & bouncing the ball along the outer wing, and Mark Harvey ran about 50 metres to lay a shepherd. To this day, it is my ultimate 1%'er. You only see the end of his run on TV, but I distinctly remember it, and it was at that time that I thought "We are in this!!".. My dad & I were commenting on how a young 19 year old was throwing himself around & showing everyone what it took to win. He also kept telling me...'look at the scoring shots, we're in it!!!'

It's always good when the more recent bomber fans get to see this game - it was the best footy day of my life.

I ended up in the rooms after the game, and got my footy signed by about 10-12 players, which was an absolute dream.

Leon Baker...what a player.

Sounds like you live an 8yr old Runk's dream. Wow. How awesome.

 

[Doss]

Yep. If you told me I could go to one game, just one, in Essendon's history that I wasn't able to be at, it would be the 1984 grand final every single time. Without a moment of hesitation.

 

[NAB777]

Sounds like you live an 8yr old Runk's dream. Wow. How awesome.

I was extremely lucky, a fact I recognise even more as time goes on.