Which has nothing to do with 2000.
You won't get a tougher, skilled and cohesive footy team, than 2000.
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Essendon 2000 has to be the greatest Team of all Time?
- Thread starter PowerfulPies2023
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You won't get a tougher, skilled and cohesive footy team, than 2000.
The saints were the best team of 2009. And they were also the better team on GF day.
Unlucky not to win it. And if we had won 2008 they, probably would have beaten us.
But then again they had a chance the following year for redemption. Twice. And still blew it.
Cats stiff in ‘93, Bombers dodged a bullet there.
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Yep and all those teams have question marks playing by the rules.
Bombers Salary
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Cats dank charters Thompson
Lions extra salary rehydration IV
PowerfulPies2023
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West Coast 92 nowhere near them. A great, great side. A great finals side that were battled hardened. They needed those hard lessons of the season before to triumph in 1992. That 23 point beat down at Subi in week 1 of the finals in 91 made them strong and prepared for the Elimination Final in 1992. They just, just won that game and were down at every change before getting home late on. The Hawks did what they did in the earlier meeting that year, kicked inaccurate in the first quarter. 4.6 to 1.0 out at Waverley and 4.6 to 1.3 in the first out at Subi. But they won so credit to them. But just. Hawthorn would have won it that year if they got past The Eagles. Beat Geelong 2 from 2 that year and they would have got them again just like in 89 and 91 finals.
The Eagles lost at home to Collingwood after leading by 31 points in a bogged down Subi. And The Eagles scored a miserly 3 goals in both away games to the Saints and Bulldogs getting bruised, battered, bashed and smashed. Poor start to the year too losing to Sydney, Fitzroy ( who were decent actually in 92 ) and drawing to Brisbane. Beat Richmond by a point too. Fair enough they had injuries and started the season slow. But comparing what they did to Essendon is beyond belief.
No way. Dons>>>Eagles. Not even close.
PowerfulPies2023
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Hawks were awesome on Grand Final Day 2008 and throughout the whole season. Geelong missed some chances but a lot of those points were rushed.
The best side won on the day and during the finals.
The best side won on the day and during the finals.
I'm pretty confident Geelong of the late 00's seasons would defeat the Essendon 2000.
When coming to this conclusion I'm looking at who their competition was during that time. I think Geelong had harder competition with the likes of St Kilda, Collingwood and to a lesser degree Bulldogs. Essendon of 2000 really only had an over the hill Kangaroos side as any sort of threat and when a very good side did come along in 2001 (Brisbane) Essendon was shown up.
In short Geelong were the best in tougher seasons, while Essendon were the best in a comparatively weaker season.
When coming to this conclusion I'm looking at who their competition was during that time. I think Geelong had harder competition with the likes of St Kilda, Collingwood and to a lesser degree Bulldogs. Essendon of 2000 really only had an over the hill Kangaroos side as any sort of threat and when a very good side did come along in 2001 (Brisbane) Essendon was shown up.
In short Geelong were the best in tougher seasons, while Essendon were the best in a comparatively weaker season.
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I still remember how banged up Essendon was on grand final day in '01. If they'd played Brisbane at full strength the result could well be different and we'd form a completely different retrospective view of the 2000 side. Also, Mercuri, Moorcroft, Heffernan, Blumfield, Rioli and Ramanauskas all fell off a cliff after 2001 form-wise due to injury, illness and family issues (the salary cap debacle didn't help either) all hastening the decline of what was an incredibly dominant team and perhaps diluting its legacy.
I think we also forget that the retirement of Bewick in 2000 (and injury to Long the following year) meant the side Essendon fielded in '01 was unquestionably weaker (in: Jacobs, Rioli, McVeigh out: Wallis, Long, Bewick).
I think we also forget that the retirement of Bewick in 2000 (and injury to Long the following year) meant the side Essendon fielded in '01 was unquestionably weaker (in: Jacobs, Rioli, McVeigh out: Wallis, Long, Bewick).
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2001. 1984. 1988. 1989. All tougher and more skilled, and at least as cohesive, proved it by beating harder rivals. That's just the ones I've seen.
As posted out ITT the 2000 midfield is "even" rather than GOAT material. The defence was seriously good, arguably Essendons best ever (bit not IMHO) and the forwards likewise are brilliant and under rated, Lloyd especially. The ruck division is likeable at best.
I feel some young Essendon people are disrespecting Sheedys greatest side here.
Richmond won three in 1973.
boncer34
Formerly "Dos23"
Cute.
boncer34
Formerly "Dos23"
Wait till you find out who Brisbane played in the grand final.
Sorry, but even on some basic stats like games won, percentage etc, 2000 has Lions and Hawks covered.
The Dons outfit in 2000 put it all together for all to witness.
They were just overwhelming.
Essendon 2000 are really hard to evaluate because, IMO, the league just got a heap weaker.
Carlton, for example, were an aging team that finished 6th the year before (and lucked into a grand final after getting belted in the first week of finals). Rolled out essentially the same team in 2000, and were clearly second best and miles ahead of the pack until Koutoufides injured his knee (and a bunch of other older guys hit the wall). That was an ordinary team, yet the only team in touching distance.
Melbourne ended up in the GF after going 14-8. They had a good year, but had been 14th the year before, and dropped to 11th the year after.
It was just a weird transition season in between two eras. North, Adelaide, the Bulldogs, even St Kilda had all been very good over the previous 4-5 years but were just coming to the end of their run. The next era of good teams: Brisbane, Port, Collingwood - were all a year or two away.
There's no doubt that Essendon team were exceptional, and would have been competitive, if not premiership favourites, in any season before or since. Their dominance was definitely a reflection of the state of the competition, though.
Carlton, for example, were an aging team that finished 6th the year before (and lucked into a grand final after getting belted in the first week of finals). Rolled out essentially the same team in 2000, and were clearly second best and miles ahead of the pack until Koutoufides injured his knee (and a bunch of other older guys hit the wall). That was an ordinary team, yet the only team in touching distance.
Melbourne ended up in the GF after going 14-8. They had a good year, but had been 14th the year before, and dropped to 11th the year after.
It was just a weird transition season in between two eras. North, Adelaide, the Bulldogs, even St Kilda had all been very good over the previous 4-5 years but were just coming to the end of their run. The next era of good teams: Brisbane, Port, Collingwood - were all a year or two away.
There's no doubt that Essendon team were exceptional, and would have been competitive, if not premiership favourites, in any season before or since. Their dominance was definitely a reflection of the state of the competition, though.
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Brisbane of 01 and 03 absolutely smashes Essendon out of the sky.
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They were good, but Brisbane were better in their halcyon days
boncer34
Formerly "Dos23"
2nd on the ladder with 17-5 and 3rd on the ladder with 15-7 smashes first on the ladder with 21-1?
Interesting.
boncer34
Formerly "Dos23"
It's very simple. Yes that team is the greatest single season team we've ever seen.
Really? I think they were the furthest ahead of the competition, but there have been other single season teams that I think equally strong overall. From what I've seen, a Mount Rushmore would be:
- Essendon 2000
- Hawthorn 1988
- Carlton 1995
- Geelong 2007
Those 4 teams playing against each other in a round robin would be very interesting to watch. Essendon might start favourites but I think both Carlton 95 and Geelong '07 had the defence to slow them down, and both those teams would handle them well in the midfield I think.
Yep, they were all great teams, but none had the full season record of Essendon 2000.
Lost a single home and away match by less than a kick and won their three finals by a combined margin of 230 points.
They were unbelievable.
Another interesting bit - Lions in 03 put to the sword by the Dons round 16 with the likes of Cupido, Bullen, Bolton, Henneman, young Teddy Richards etc
The greatest side of all time would not get beaten by a team with that lot wearing red and black.
Lions in 03 pretty good but not at the pinnacle.
I suspect you’re still haunted by Longy taking out your big fellow.
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But wait I thought you said the strength of the opposition determines how good a team is? Dees 00 weren’t very good. Make up your mind
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