Essendon 2000 has to be the greatest Team of all Time?

[Milanista28]

Joke question.

Not even the best Essendon side in livjng memory. Essendon 1984 would have beaten them to a pulp and shat the remains in the gutter of Mt Alexander Road.

2000 was a crap year, Essendon a very skilled side head and shoulders above the rest but the lack of any reasonable rival made them look better. Footy got better and Essedon were left behind.

Underperformed? Not really, they were susceptible to the thump, as Carlton and Brisbane showed.

Lloyd was hard and Hird wore hits and still played well but you coukd rattle the Bombers cage and they didn't like it.

Very good, but not even great.

24/25 wins is not great?

 

[Fadge]

Maybe you make a thread with that title ?

As long as The Knack is an option in the poll.

 

[windyhill]

24/25 wins is not great?

+ preseason cup.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

"In a single season" ... very probably.

 

[Ctracks]

Yet you offer up extended periods beyond a single season, hilarious

Oh dear.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Dan 26 already has a long lasting thread on this

 

[Bombfire]

Joke question.

Not even the best Essendon side in livjng memory. Essendon 1984 would have beaten them to a pulp and shat the remains in the gutter of Mt Alexander Road.

2000 was a crap year, Essendon a very skilled side head and shoulders above the rest but the lack of any reasonable rival made them look better. Footy got better and Essedon were left behind.

Underperformed? Not really, they were susceptible to the thump, as Carlton and Brisbane showed.

Lloyd was hard and Hird wore hits and still played well but you coukd rattle the Bombers cage and they didn't like it.

Very good, but not even great.

You may have forgotten these susceptible pansies, M Johnson, J Johnson, D Solomon, D Hardwick, P Barnard, D Wallis...

 

[TheUnicorn]

Our AI overlords have spoken!

When asked "Which AFL team is the greatest over a single season?"

 

[HairyO]

+ preseason cup.

Youre sounding like a Carlton supporter.

 

[Fadge]

Our AI overlords have spoken!

When asked "Which AFL team is the greatest over a single season?"

View attachment 1892164

Geelong won the Grand Final in 2008?

 

[windyhill]

Youre sounding like a Carlton supporter.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Geelong won the Grand Final in 2008?

You dare challenge our AI overlords?

 

[bobs head soup]

The Essendon 2000 team backed up largely unchanged in 2001 and ran into a superior Lions team who beat them easy on their way to 3 flags, 4 GFs in a row.

I'd take those Brissy teams over 2000 Essendon as a stronger outfit.

Those teams were hard, skillful and pretty bombproof;

Key backs - Michael, Leppitsch, White
Other backs - Johnson, Scott, Scott,
Key forwards - Lynch, Brown, Bradshaw
Mids/forwards - Voss, Black, Akermanis, Lappin, Power, Mcrae, Ashcroft, Hart, Notting
Rucks - Charman, Keating, McDonald
Wrecking ball utilities - Pike, Headland

 

[Fadge]

We have the MCG win streak record so yeah. And why do you cut out a lot of my comments. I also mentioned Geelong 08, you think that’s funny too?

Here's how people communicate:

If you make multiple comments in a single post, and I want to respond to one or some, but not all, of the multiple comments, I will cut the comments to which I am responding to make it clear to both you and others following the thread.

In this instance, your additional comment about Geelong was unrelated to your comment about Richmond having Essendon 2000's measure, so why would I not exclude the reference to Geelong from my post?

 

[Milanista28]

The Essendon 2000 team backed up largely unchanged in 2001 and ran into a superior Lions team who beat them easy on their way to 3 flags, 4 GFs in a row.

I'd take those Brissy teams over 2000 Essendon as a stronger outfit.

Those teams were hard, skillful and pretty bombproof;

Key backs - Michael, Leppitsch, White
Other backs - Johnson, Scott, Scott,
Key forwards - Lynch, Brown, Bradshaw
Mids/forwards - Voss, Black, Akermanis, Lappin, Power, Mcrae, Ashcroft, Hart, Notting
Rucks - Charman, Keating, McDonald
Wrecking ball utilities - Pike, Headland

Amazing era they had, never had an amazing stand alone season, lost plenty during that 3 peat and never finished on top of the ladder at the end of the H&A season.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Why do people keep mentioning multiple flags when the question is about a single season?

Thread title says greatest team, but then the discussion is about a single season. "Greatest team" can easily be interpreted differently to "greatest season".

If you're just judging combination between H&A record and premiership success in a single year, and nothing else, then there's no disputing Essendon's 2000 was the greatest single season. But greatest team can have a broader meaning, and much of the side Essendon had in 2000 was also around in 1999 and 2001, and they didn't deliver on those occasions, vastly under-performing on the talent they had.

But if the point of the thread is to ask "did Essendon have the best single season?" and your criteria for judging are number of H&A wins and finals success, then you might as well answer that in the OP and close the thread. What's the point of discussing it?

 

[Arr0w]

Oh dear.

These are the comebacks of people that struggle to articulate a response

 

[BarryMorgan]

Given the Dogs were the only team to beat them that year, I’m going to say 2000 Bulldogs, and then hope that no-one thinks I’m being serious

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The Essendon 2000 team backed up largely unchanged in 2001 and ran into a superior Lions team who beat them easy on their way to 3 flags, 4 GFs in a row.

I'd take those Brissy teams over 2000 Essendon as a stronger outfit.

Those teams were hard, skillful and pretty bombproof;

Key backs - Michael, Leppitsch, White
Other backs - Johnson, Scott, Scott,
Key forwards - Lynch, Brown, Bradshaw
Mids/forwards - Voss, Black, Akermanis, Lappin, Power, Mcrae, Ashcroft, Hart, Notting
Rucks - Charman, Keating, McDonald
Wrecking ball utilities - Pike, Headland

2000 Essendon beats any of those Brisbane teams. There’s intangibles beyond the list. They were psychopathic in 2000… were the best team in 1999, lost the prelim by a point and were driven like no team I’ve seen before or since. They absolutely battered anybody in their path (of course adding Hird and Lucas to the 1999 team helped).

2001 wasn’t the same. Obviously still had the talent and were a very good side, but the edge wasn’t there. Call that a failure of motivation, sure, but 2000 was different gravy.

In terms of performance in one season there is no peer.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Geelong had a better team from 07-11 winning 3 times and even though their 2008 side was probably their best they didn't win the flag. Essendon from 1999 -2001 are more remembered as an under performing side failing in 99 and 01 when they should've won. Essendon in 2000 were very good, but blew all chances of a dynasty era.

Hence I said the best team in a single season.

I do agree with you in terms of dynsties, but not in a single season. And The Dons weren't better and more deserving than the Lions in 2001 no way. They got smashed on the day after dominating somewhat in the first half and the Lions won their last 16 games of the season. Not to mention they made the next 3 Grannies and arguably would have won in 2004 if not for that bogus MCG rule in the prelims.

 

[TheUnicorn]

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Maybe the title should read, Best one hit wonders of all time.

Jealous.

 

[The 747]

Best single season I have seen from a team. Geelong 2007 and Carlton 1995 were also very strong.

 

[Darealrath]

Thread title says greatest team, but then the discussion is about a single season. "Greatest team" can easily be interpreted differently to "greatest season".

If you're just judging combination between H&A record and premiership success in a single year, and nothing else, then there's no disputing Essendon's 2000 was the greatest single season. But greatest team can have a broader meaning, and much of the side Essendon had in 2000 was also around in 1999 and 2001, and they didn't deliver on those occasions, vastly under-performing on the talent they had.

But if the point of the thread is to ask "did Essendon have the best single season?" and your criteria for judging are number of H&A wins and finals success, then you might as well answer that in the OP and close the thread. What's the point of discussing it?

'99 Essendon didn't have Hird, Lucas and Jason Johnson due to injury. Added Barnes. Massive injection of talent between seasons.

'01 Essendon was running on fumes. Hird played the GF with a torn groin, Fletcher on a leg fracture, Barnes couldn't kick on his favoured side due a heel injury, Misiti and Mercuri half fit, Long and Wallis pretty much miss the whole season.

2000 Essendon beats the 99 and 2001 Essendon sides by 5-10 goals in a GF.

Back to the thread the only sides I've seen that would make me nervous vs Essendon in 2000 would be Geelong 07 and 08, Carlton 95, St Kilda 09 and maybe Geelong & Collingwood 2011. Would still back them though.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

'99 Essendon didn't have Hird, Lucas and Jason Johnson due to injury. Added Barnes. Massive injection of talent between seasons.

'01 Essendon was running on fumes. Hird played the GF with a torn groin, Fletcher on a leg fracture, Barnes couldn't kick on his favoured side due a heel injury, Misiti and Mercuri half fit, Long and Wallis pretty much miss the whole season.

2000 Essendon beats the 99 and 2001 Essendon sides by 5-10 goals in a GF.

Back to the thread the only sides I've seen that would make me nervous vs Essendon in 2000 would be Geelong 07 and 08, Carlton 95, St Kilda 09 and maybe Geelong & Collingwood 2011. Would still back them though.

Saints 09 wouldn't get close to the Dons. 5 goal minimum victory.