General Bombers Talk Essendon History

[Tassieboy]

Here's a thread to discuss Essendon's history and for us to post memories and heartache from previous seasons, favourite players and favourite games - especially for those older than I.

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Can anyone recall the 1986 QF loss to Fitzroy? How were we that year? Were we just on the brink of collapsing, sort of like 2002/2003, or were we just not performing to our full potential and robbed by injury in 1987?

 

[fishardansin]

I tell you what I remember about Fitzroy at Windy Hill. It is Michael Long with time and space to steady 30m out from goal. There was two Fitzroy defenders in the square. Longy being Longy, didn't belt it through goal post high he aimed to do just enough to get over them. Well this time he didn't bank on a young Alistar Lynch, who was playing full back, to jump as high as he did and got a finger tip to it. It was hilarious when it was still paid a goal despite the big deviation it took and the vehement protests of Lynch and a more experienced player.

It is funny that we complain about teams not performing well on the road these days. Teams coming to Windy Hill in those days found it harder than travelling to Subi these days.

 

[Tassieboy]

Uncanny resemblance to 93 GF then!

Fishardansin, were you upset about us leaving Windy Hill in 1990?

 

[Bombers36]

93 prelim against Adelaide stands out a bit for me - down 42 points at half time and on the ropes before long, wanga & bewick went nuts to get us into that gfinal which we would go on to win. Fletcher and Bomber Thompson both played in that game also - cant believe its 19 years ago now!
84 grandfinal I remember as a kid and how exited my old man was when we got up and won. The dons certainly have bought me lots of great memories...

 

[Sociopath]

It was the 1986 elimination final. The year was very similar to 2001 in that the team had a lot of injuries going into the finals but had some really good wins during the season. They touched up the Hawks by about 80 points late in the year. I remember some fans thought the team could pull it together for the finals and would be the first team ever to win the grand final from 5th. The close loss was heartbreaking but not unexpected.
After a dominant 1985 premiership people were saying we would win the next few, but after some player departures, injuries and some recruits that didn't make it, things got ugly. Meanwhile Hawthorn drafted guys like Platten and just came back stronger than ever.

 

[fishardansin]

Uncanny resemblance to 93 GF then!

Fishardansin, were you upset about us leaving Windy Hill in 1990?

Yes, at first, but I'm not glad we moved to the MCG. I'm still pissed off about moving to Docklands.

What I miss most was that as a 14 and 15 year old, 89 and 90, I would catch the train from the Eastern Suburbs and stand with the men in front of the members stand, right on the 50m mark. I would be bobbing and weaving to see between their heads and standing on my toes. I often went home as sore as the players. I felt like I got into the footy much more because I wasn't sitting down like I was in a theatre. I also miss running onto the ground as soon as the siren went and then catching up with your mates after that mad dash to tell them who "you got". I still remember getting to Craig O'Brien one days after he'd kicked 4 at at Windy Hill, patting him on the back and saying "great game O'Brien". To which he turned around and said "thanks mate". That really made my week.

Anyhow those days are gone. Personally it is why I think the league should go super professional. Because instead of merging teams like Norf or the doggies they should exist in a state league. It would be great to be a member of a state league team and go to a game most weeks with a crowd of over 10k in a charming old terraced ground. The kids could kick the footy on the ground after the game and meet players. We could also go every now and then to watch a game of the national league, but properly run it would be hard to get a ticket, even at the G. As well as sell out Docklands against interstate sides.

Properly managed I could see a team like Essendon going into the national league and being the team of the west and north west. Norf and Bulldogs in the VFL. Their supporters would follow Essendon in the AFL and our supporters would split between the two in the VFL. Anyhow for better or worse we have what we have now.

 

[Tassieboy]

Great stuff, mate

And thanks sociopath, very interesting.

I ordered the 1990 Prelim final tape and will read Glory and Fame again to gain some more insight in that period - after our 1984/85 success.

 

[ant555]

Fitzroy where an interesting side back then, they had a good enough side to win the flag in 1983 but where screwed by a deliberate out of bounds decision against the Hawks in the qualifying final when they lost by 4 points and then a week later we finished them off with big Rodger taking a few out including Bernie Harris and putting a big hit on Quinlan.

Collingwood knocked them out in the 84 prelim final, the missed the finals in 85 before making a come back in 86 they beat us in the elim final with Conlan kicking the goal to put them in front late with about his 4th kick of the day. The they beat the Swans at the MCG before the Hawks knocked them out in the prelim final.
They beat us 3 times in 86.

The 86 Elim final was a crappy wet day at Waverly and a scramble all day. Not a great day out when you lose
We had a problem with fitzroy and elim finals back then as they had beaten us in 79 and 81 as well.

 

[Tassieboy]

Thanks Ant. Quite insightful.

Really have limited knowledge of the Roys.

 

[yaco55]

Essendonn came into the 1986 Elimination with mixed form - One or two big wins against the top teams, interspersed with losses to average teams.

It was a shocker of a day with continual rain during the day.

Think we were the better team on the day and went into the last quarter a few points ahead and the advantage of the wind - which was nearly cancelled out by the rain.

Had the ball in our forward line at least 80 to 90% of the quarter - Conlan's goal came from one of Fitzroy's few forays forward - Conlan slipped out the back ( in other words - didn't chase his opponent Micheal Thompson ) turnover on the wing, ball passed to Conlan about 40m out ( all alone ) on a 45 degree angle - he ran and slotted the goal from about 25-30 metres. It was a cool finish considering the conditions.

 

[Tassieboy]

Of course this is all in hindsight, but you reckon we would have been a solid shot at Sydney the following week? It's surprising reading reports following 85 how we just crumbled fairly quickly before 89/90.

 

[SirJimi05]

93 prelim against Adelaide stands out a bit for me - down 42 points at half time and on the ropes before long, wanga & bewick went nuts to get us into that gfinal which we would go on to win. Fletcher and Bomber Thompson both played in that game also - cant believe its 19 years ago now!

I was at that game. Long was absolutely brilliant. He pretty much put us into the GF. What a finals series he had.

 

[fishardansin]

Of course this is all in hindsight, but you reckon we would have been a solid shot at Sydney the following week? It's surprising reading reports following 85 how we just crumbled fairly quickly before 89/90.

It is funny you mention this. My aunty and uncle live just around the corner from Windy Hill (and gave up their memberships when we moved from Windy Hill, but that is another story). She recalls the family day after the 85 premiership and the way the fans were. She said the crowd sounded very demanding of the team to win more flags than being grateful of the two they have won. Could be karma that we did fall over like that.

The other point to make is that it takes a lot of luck to win a flag and sometimes you have to burn your future in the process, like not developing younger players and shortening players careers by playing them injured in finals. We have seen Brisbane, Geelong and Hawthorn in our life times absolutely dominate the comp for extended periods but that is obviously rare.

 

[fishardansin]

I was at that game. Long was absolutely brilliant. He pretty much put us into the GF. What a finals series he had.

He was the difference between us winning the flag or having a season like West Coast did last year. They had a few future stars click in their first year while a few veterans were having a last hurrah, not to mention a dream injury run. While Essendon had a few injuries to cost us that final against Carlton we still had a pretty good run with injuries that year.


I still claim that Longy had the best final series I've ever seen. It is rare to see a non-KPP basically win a few finals off his own boot. I actually get emotional watching him in that final series because I just think "what could have been". The amazing thing is how he came back and contributed so well in 99 and 2000 when his body was basically shot.

Another good memory I have of Longy is absolutely smashing Stynes with a hip and shoulder in front of the bowling green at Windy Hill. I know Stynes had just kicked the ball, but to see such a skinny little thing put a ruckman on his arse was hilarious.

I would have called my first born Michael if we won the flag in 99.

 

[SirJimi05]

I agree mate. I reckon Longy was our best player in all of those finals except for the qualifying final. He played great that night also but I think Wanganeen was better. Wanganeen was brilliant that night.

 

[bombre-boy]

Here are the games that stick in my head, aside from the GF's......

Round 13 1981 - Essendon v Richmond
Our 7th win in a row we won this by 4 points, beating the previous years premier.
The thing that stood out to me was after the win the whole crowd was chanting "Kevin Sheedy" for what seemed like 10 minutes after the game.

1993 Preliminary Final - Essendon V Adelaide
I remember the cheer when Mercuri kicked that goal in the last quarter after the play was transferred from the back line across the ground. It is still the loudest cheer i have ever heard at a bombers game.

1995 Anzac Day - Essendon v Collingwood
My first live drawn game...

Round 3 1998 - Essendon v Carlton
We came back from 5 goals down in the last quarter...the whole of the section we were in was going absolutely ape droppings. This one mattered most as we hate carlton so much.

Round 16 2001 - Essendon v North
Biggest comeback from 69 points. North's first quarter and first 10 minutes of the second was the most pristine footy i have seen played. But 1.5 quarters don't make a game.

Best things the club has done -
Move to the MCG
2000 season
Recruit Hirdy
The first to adopt the internet and go it alone with their own website.
Anzac day
Welcomed indigenous players

Worst things -
Move to docklands
Being forced to go with the AFL in regards to the web site

 

[raskolnikov]

93 prelim against Adelaide stands out a bit for me - down 42 points at half time and on the ropes before long, wanga & bewick went nuts to get us into that gfinal which we would go on to win. Fletcher and Bomber Thompson both played in that game also - cant believe its 19 years ago now!
84 grandfinal I remember as a kid and how exited my old man was when we got up and won. The dons certainly have bought me lots of great memories...

I was at the 1993 prelim. I was a bit despondent at halftime. I however had the feeling that we weren't out of it. The second half was magical. When Mercuri goaled it was the loudest roar I had ever heard, even louder than Zak's goal on ANZAC Day.

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I was very confident for the Grand Final, feeling that after that match the gods were with us.

 

[Tassieboy]

Spine-tingling stuff.

The crowd during that '93 Finals campaign seemed to much more passionate than 2000/01, for whatever reason.

 

[doug85]

The link has the details for the first ever bombers game I attended.

It was against Richmond in 1992 and we won by 51 points.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=3857

The most memorable bombers games I have been to would be the 93' GF, the lights out game against the saints, the Carey Lloyd shoot-out in 99', the 2001 comeback game and the draw against Carlton last season.

 

[Howard Moon]

93 was the first year i had a membership, I was 15 and went to every Melbourne game for the year with a mate, saw some crackers! a draw against Carlton when sticks kicked out on the full, Ablett kick 14 and Salmon 10 in 'that' game, Hirds coming of age against the hawks at Waverly (bruce "oh youre a little champion you are...jimmy boyyy!") Kickett kicking 8 or 9 vs the bulldogs at the 'g'. Wanganeen marking everything against wce and salmon finally kicking the winner after a bag full of misses...was a great season really....

I recall it being a really awesome finals series, they gave out a whole load of bombers signs and foam hands - everyone in the crowd had them, we were all as one. The First final at night v Carlton we were decimated by injury.. i think even Ridley and Ezard got a game! Ezard hadn't played for years! We were infront at stages and i recall symons getting a 100m penalty at a crucial time but missing from 30 out to make it tough...went down by under a kick when Watson kicked one on the siren.

To be honest the next game against WCE has faded away, i cant recall a thing about it! Obviously i remember the next week against Adelaide... Longy just running away from people like they were standing still... he was awesome! busting out of packs and finally shedding the shy man image.. he was all fist pumps and ego.. egging the team on. Bewick is often forgotten but he got us back into it also..kicked 5 or 6 i think?

Went straight from the game to windy hill to line up for tickets with my uncle.. was an awesome few nights! just talking with bomber fans all night, exploring the stands and the old club rooms and scoreboard .... playing games on the ground. watched Wanganeen win the brownlow in the social club.... they put drinks on the bar so i snuck a few for a 15 year old . Watched final training before the game.. about 15000 at windy hill.... beats crowds at norf games!

The GF was weird.... i wasnt even nervous.. i just thought we had it won... it seemed like we just needed to go through the motions. How good to beat that mob! Mil Hanna copped it right in front of us.

i hope as i get older my memories of that year never fade away because it was just the best year!

i bought bomber blitz on video and played it to death, over and over again. Might need to invest in the dvd

 

[Tassieboy]

Decent first year HM!

Was there any expectations from any supporter before '93? Most I speak to honestly would have been happy with a finals birth.

 

[Howard Moon]

realistically we were bang in the rebuilding phase, the hawks had beaten us by 100pts halfway through 92, we had gotten rid of TD, Madden and co and were blooding the kids. I remember misiti coming in late and having a dozen or so handballs in the last quarter of a game with his big kramer hair style... i didnt really see much from mercuri or hird that would suggest superstars....

but we did win the reserves gf in 92 which showed there was some talent there. Then we won the 93 pre-season cup.... and there was a bit of what if? being thought... but then we only had a draw from the first 3 rounds and it didnt look great to be honest.

as you say a finals spot would have been the best to hope for...

but as the season went on it showed that there was no really outstanding team, it was anyones flag... I remember at waverly against the hawks bruce said "sometimes you get a feeling about a side....." he was so right!

but this is all from my memory, some of it may be wrong or others may have thought different. Anyone else remember the time and what your expectations were?

 

[fishardansin]

I'm still dark on my mother for choosing to take my sister to the PF and GF that year. She only went because she wanted to shag Wanganeen.

All I remember of the prelim was listening to it on the radio at home, then deciding that the footy season was over at half time and went with a bunch of mates to some local cricket nets. I asked a mate if I could go check the scores, as a matter of interest, well to my surprise Watson was lining up to bring us within a kick. I couldn't belive my ears. The rest is history.

Mum has a lot of work to do to make up for me not going to those two games!!!

 

[fishardansin]

realistically we were bang in the rebuilding phase, the hawks had beaten us by 100pts halfway through 92, we had gotten rid of TD, Madden and co and were blooding the kids. I remember misiti coming in late and having a dozen or so handballs in the last quarter of a game with his big kramer hair style... i didnt really see much from mercuri or hird that would suggest superstars....

but we did win the reserves gf in 92 which showed there was some talent there. Then we won the 93 pre-season cup.... and there was a bit of what if? being thought... but then we only had a draw from the first 3 rounds and it didnt look great to be honest.

as you say a finals spot would have been the best to hope for...

but as the season went on it showed that there was no really outstanding team, it was anyones flag... I remember at waverly against the hawks bruce said "sometimes you get a feeling about a side....." he was so right!

but this is all from my memory, some of it may be wrong or others may have thought different. Anyone else remember the time and what your expectations were?

I remember going to see TD, Madden .... and someone else who's name escapes me play their last game. I think it was the last round but it was definitely at VFL park. It really felt like an end of an era and there is no way that even the most optimistic supporter would have rated Essendon to have any chance the next year.

Of course back in those days the internet was a few years away from turning on and if you wanted to see the teams and think about it you'd get the paper, discussion was done on the radio by the experts and fans would have some input by making arses of themselves on talk back (rather than here!).

Each week I'd look at our team and the opposition and just think to myself "how are we going to win against this mob". Each team looked better than us on paper. Sure we won the night premiership, I really have no memory of that, but it didn't mean anything coming into the real season. We started in a losing fashion not building up any confidence at all. It was great they were playing the kids but they wouldn't win many games for a few years!!

I enjoyed the draw against Carlton. I was sitting with my best mates and girlfriend who were Carlton supporters, except for one other Essendon supporter, and Kernahan's miss at the end nearly landed on my head.

Round 6 was a second win for the year!!! It was also a memorable game with the shoot out between Salmon and Ablett. Of course Salmon did a hammy with the Essendon injury curse continuing!! However, the winning kept going with 11 out of the last 14 games.

Each week I got more and more confident and I had had a complete transformation from "how are we going to beat these guys" to "these jokers don't stand a chance against us". I was very confident that we were the best team in the league come finals time. We were unlucky to lose to Carlton, through injury, and nearly threw it away against Adelaide. Then we shitted it in on GF day.

To top it off we won nearly everything only Gablet's freaky season nabbing both the Coleman and the MVP. Though the fact that Coleman was an Essendon man it sort of made us feel like it was ours too!!! Also by winning everything it wasn't just the night series, Michael Tuck award, Brownlow, Norm Smith, minor premiership and the actual premiership, Timmy Watson also won father of the year that year, despite persisting rumours of him and Jenifer Keyte, and some of that fathering continues to serve us!!! I'd also say that the Brownlow and Norm Smith were extra special that year as it was the international year of indigenous people.

On a side note can anyone tell me about North that year? They were one of the few to beat us in the back half of the season and looking at the results on wiki now they should have finished on top. They lost to Footscray who ended up 9th as a result of that win but would have finished 12th. Also Carlton only won against the wooden spooner, Sydney, by 1 point in the last round.

So tell me about the North side please. Obviously Carey was a young man. Did anyone, other than Old Skool, rate them as a big chance come finals?

 

[yaco55]

1993 was Pagan's first year as coach.

Kangaroos got off to a flying start and were in the Top 3 for most of the season.

Form dropped off in the last quarter of the season - Think they finished 4th or 5th and faced WC in a knockout final.

Were comprehensively defeated in that game - But it was a sign of good things to follow.