Remove this Banner Ad

Hawthorn and Essendon rivalry

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

L

LeBronco

Senior List
Nov 10, 2025
255
330
AFL Club
GWS
Is the rivalry between Hawthorn and Essendon the most bitter rivalry in the AFL when it comes to two clubs that equally despise and have no respect for one another? There are bigger rivalries in the AFL such as Carlton and Collingwood along with Geelong and Hawthorn but there is an element of respect between the two sides while the rivalry between North and Essendon is mostly one way in terms of bitterness. Many people would have thought the Hawthorn and Essendon rivalry would die out due to Essendon's 20 year irrelevance similar to how the Melbourne and Collingwood rivalry died out because of Melbourne being irrelevant for decades but the Zach Merrett fiasco showed the rivalry between the clubs is still as bitter as ever.
 
LeBronco said:
Is the rivalry between Hawthorn and Essendon the most bitter rivalry in the AFL when it comes to two clubs that equally despise and have no respect for one another? There are bigger rivalries in the AFL such as Carlton and Collingwood along with Geelong and Hawthorn but there is an element of respect between the two sides while the rivalry between North and Essendon is mostly one way in terms of bitterness. Many people would have thought the Hawthorn and Essendon rivalry would die out due to Essendon's 20 year irrelevance similar to how the Melbourne and Collingwood rivalry died out because of Melbourne being irrelevant for decades but the Zach Merrett fiasco showed the rivalry between the clubs is still as bitter as ever.
Click to expand...
No
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

Well the Blues and Bombers rivalry, was spiteful enough in the days when John Elliott was our president and Sheeds was coaching the Bombers.

Most Essendon fans would probably hate Carlton more than any other club as well. Hawthorn and Collingwood in that order wouldn't be too far behind though!

As for the Hawthorn side of things, it's probably 50/50 between Essendon and Geelong in regards to hate and dislike etc.
 
I hate Essendon with a passion feelings are mutual but the Essendon v Hawthorn rivalry is nasty some of the on field incidents between the two do not happen between the Bombers and the Blues.
 
With Essendon its a case of making hay while the sun shines, i.e., I have enjoyed their lack of relevance / non-success over the past 20+ years because I know eventually they will come good and their supporters will be insufferable

The Hawks / Bombers rivalry was last century
 
LeBronco said:
Is the rivalry between Hawthorn and Essendon the most bitter rivalry in the AFL when it comes to two clubs that equally despise and have no respect for one another? There are bigger rivalries in the AFL such as Carlton and Collingwood along with Geelong and Hawthorn but there is an element of respect between the two sides while the rivalry between North and Essendon is mostly one way in terms of bitterness. Many people would have thought the Hawthorn and Essendon rivalry would die out due to Essendon's 20 year irrelevance similar to how the Melbourne and Collingwood rivalry died out because of Melbourne being irrelevant for decades but the Zach Merrett fiasco showed the rivalry between the clubs is still as bitter as ever.
Click to expand...
There's no real rivalry between the clubs or playing group from what I can tell. Certainly from a Hawthorn perspective, at least.
Essendon have been shit for decades, so it's more from supporters than anything, and the media have tried to pump it up into something for clicks since Merrett attempted to flee.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

windyhill said:
100% this.
83 started it, 84/85 ended it.
.Its carl then coll, hawthorn dearly want it to be them. (Much like dear old nth.melbourne)
Click to expand...
Someone said to me here before that the Hawks are just a wanabee club.

In a way despite all the premierships they've won since 1961 that assesement of them was kind of correct.

Does anyone other than Hawthorn supporters themselves actually care about Hawthorn?:think:
 
Yoda_ said:
It's the lack of dignity from Hawthorns supporters that grinds the gears of most Essendon (and non Essendon) supporters imho.
Click to expand...

It's interesting you say this - cos it seems Essendon is hated by most supporter groups in the league - and it certainly hasn't got much to do with being successful, given Essendon hasn't even won a final in multiple decades.

I think there's just something about the way the club has operated for much of its existence.

From it actively preventing North Melbourne from joining the competition at outset, setting that club back 30 years (igniting a rivalry that still remains).

To the match fixing scandals of the 1910's and 1920's...(Essendon playing dead and not trying for monetary gain).

To systematic, widespread salary cap breaches and contract manipulations in the 90's including their period of success.

Right through to actively cheating through the doping/supplements scandal - far and away the worst thing to happen in our code.

It's just been a long history of not only Essendon taking the absolute piss with the integrity of the competition but the whole club constantly defending and trying to pretend they didn't do anything wrong. Mix in an almost constant state of hubris and arrogance*, constantly believing they win every trade, every draft and are at the forefront of everyone's worries every pre-season, they're just a pretty insufferable lot to supporters of most, if not all clubs.

Some liken the Hawthorn - Essendong rivalry to the Hawthorn - Geelong one, but Hawthorn supporters mostly have begrudging respect for Geelong and the way they go about it. The same cannot be said of Essendon - it's more disgust and little respect, with a strange feeling of pity mixed in over the last 20 years.

*(The worst part is - the arrogance mostly stems from "16 flags", despite the fact that those came decades before these people were born, with many 'earnt' during and in the immediate aftermath of a World War, where many clubs didn't/couldn't participate or were more focussed on serving/saving/rebuilding the nation).

Save for the odd individual, just a gross club really ;):p
 
Irish BlueBagger said:
Someone said to me here before that the Hawks are just a wanabee club.

In a way despite all the premierships they've won since 1961 that assesement of them was kind of correct.

Does anyone other than Hawthorn supporters themselves actually care about Hawthorn?:think:
Click to expand...

Not sure what it is you think we 'want to be'?

We certainly don't want to be anything like Essendon or Carlton - clubs that live in the distant past, constantly scamming their supporters by selling false hope and pretend victories, only to let the down over and over and over again. Instead of making hard calls and taking meaningful action to improve, these clubs are constantly looking for short cuts, ways to cheat the system and bragging about meaningless victories that do nothing for the betterment of their clubs.

We're fine with who we are - a club that effectively and consistently builds toward success, with everyone you know having seen more Hawthorn flags that that of any other club.

Why would we care about how much time you spend thinking about us? (We're too busy enjoying the way our club goes about it).
 
Guardian Hawk said:
It's interesting you say this - cos it seems Essendon is hated by most supporter groups in the league - and it certainly hasn't got much to do with being successful, given Essendon hasn't even won a final in multiple decades.

I think there's just something about the way the club has operated for much of its existence.

From it actively preventing North Melbourne from joining the competition at outset, setting that club back 30 years (igniting a rivalry that still remains).

To the match fixing scandals of the 1910's and 1920's...(Essendon playing dead and not trying for monetary gain).

To systematic, widespread salary cap breaches and contract manipulations in the 90's including their period of success.

Right through to actively cheating through the doping/supplements scandal - far and away the worst thing to happen in our code.

It's just been a long history of not only Essendon taking the absolute piss with the integrity of the competition but the whole club constantly defending and trying to pretend they didn't do anything wrong. Mix in an almost constant state of hubris and arrogance*, constantly believing they win every trade, every draft and are at the forefront of everyone's worries every pre-season, they're just a pretty insufferable lot to supporters of most, if not all clubs.

Some liken the Hawthorn - Essendong rivalry to the Hawthorn - Geelong one, but Hawthorn supporters mostly have begrudging respect for Geelong and the way they go about it. The same cannot be said of Essendon - it's more disgust and little respect, with a strange feeling of pity mixed in over the last 20 years.

*(The worst part is - the arrogance mostly stems from "16 flags", despite the fact that those came decades before these people were born, with many 'earnt' during and in the immediate aftermath of a World War, where many clubs didn't/couldn't participate or were more focussed on serving/saving/rebuilding the nation).

Save for the odd individual, just a gross club really ;):p
Click to expand...
In regards to the North Melbourne refusal of entry to the VFL part of your post, a Carlton history book covered that in detail.

Carlton and a few of the other clubs were opposed to the Roos entry to the VFL as well. Arden Street had a reputation that time for being a rowdy venue, and apparently the Roos were a dirty nasty and physical side as well hence the Shinboners nickname.

I don't mean to sound like i'm defending Essendon because they're the club i hate more than any other along with Collingwood, but Essendon particularly when Sheeds became coach have probably given more indigenous players a chance at playing AFL footy than any other club.

Wasn't there salary cap cheating allegations about your own club during that run of success in the late 80's, and i seem to recall that the "family" club was embroiled in a racism scandal fairly recently as well.
 
Last edited:
Guardian Hawk said:
Not sure what it is you think we 'want to be'?

We certainly don't want to be anything like Essendon or Carlton - clubs that live in the distant past, constantly scamming their supporters by selling false hope and pretend victories, only to let the down over and over and over again. Instead of making hard calls and taking meaningful action to improve, these clubs are constantly looking for short cuts, ways to cheat the system and bragging about meaningless victories that do nothing for the betterment of their clubs.

We're fine with who we are - a club that effectively and consistently builds toward success, with everyone you know having seen more Hawthorn flags that that of any other club.

Why would we care about how much time you spend thinking about us? (We're too busy enjoying the way our club goes about it).
Click to expand...
Yeah but you still don't have 16 flags though.;) Your club has no real history to speak of until John Kennedy rocked up as coach.

It was actually a former Carlton premiership player Jack Hale, who thought the then downhill Hawks what was required to win when he was coach.

So yeah sure well done more flags than anyone else since the early 60's etc, but just get back into your lane for the love of god.;)
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Irish BlueBagger said:
In regards to the North Melbourne refusal of entry to the VFL part of your post, a Carlton history book covered that in detail.

Carlton and a few of the other clubs were opposed to the Roos entry to the VFL as well. Arden Street had a reputation that time for being a rowdy venue, and apparently the Roos were a dirty nasty and physical side as well hence the Shinboners nickname.

I don't mean to sound like i'm defending Essendon because they're the club i hate more than any other along with Collingwood, but Essendon particularly when Sheeds became coach have probably given more indigenous players a chance at playing AFL footy than any other club.

Wasn't there salary cap cheating allegations about your own club during that run of success in the late 80's, and i seem to recall that the "family" club was embroiled in a racism scandal fairly recently as well.
Click to expand...

Essendon were the primary blocker of the North Melbourne entry - and it was only because they wanted the whole northern area to themselves. They even admit so on their website: https://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/...don-vs-north-melbourne?utm_source=copilot.com. Bribery was reportedly involved.

In terms of Hawthorn breaching the salary cap, given their success - it was investigated carefully at the time (all the good clubs were but especially Hawthorn) and no wrongdoing was ever found. The only allegation came in 2020 - from Don Scott- a notorious loose cannon after (another) falling out with our president at the time. IT was reinvestigated independently and again no wrongdoing was found. That's certainly not the same as 6 years of systematic and deliberate breaches and contract manipulations, as per Essendon '91 - '96.

It terms of the racism scandal - unfortunately a shameful part of our clubs past. It's worth noting, however, that it arose after we decided to undertake an independent, historical investigation of the club's dealings with Aboriginal players and were upfront about the ugliness of its findings. Without any hint of excusing, I dare say if most clubs did the same, they too would unearth less than favourable comments, attitudes, etc to indigenous players in their history.
 
Guardian Hawk said:
It's interesting you say this - cos it seems Essendon is hated by most supporter groups in the league - and it certainly hasn't got much to do with being successful, given Essendon hasn't even won a final in multiple decades.

I think there's just something about the way the club has operated for much of its existence.

From it actively preventing North Melbourne from joining the competition at outset, setting that club back 30 years (igniting a rivalry that still remains).

To the match fixing scandals of the 1910's and 1920's...(Essendon playing dead and not trying for monetary gain).

To systematic, widespread salary cap breaches and contract manipulations in the 90's including their period of success.

Right through to actively cheating through the doping/supplements scandal - far and away the worst thing to happen in our code.

It's just been a long history of not only Essendon taking the absolute piss with the integrity of the competition but the whole club constantly defending and trying to pretend they didn't do anything wrong. Mix in an almost constant state of hubris and arrogance*, constantly believing they win every trade, every draft and are at the forefront of everyone's worries every pre-season, they're just a pretty insufferable lot to supporters of most, if not all clubs.

Some liken the Hawthorn - Essendong rivalry to the Hawthorn - Geelong one, but Hawthorn supporters mostly have begrudging respect for Geelong and the way they go about it. The same cannot be said of Essendon - it's more disgust and little respect, with a strange feeling of pity mixed in over the last 20 years.

*(The worst part is - the arrogance mostly stems from "16 flags", despite the fact that those came decades before these people were born, with many 'earnt' during and in the immediate aftermath of a World War, where many clubs didn't/couldn't participate or were more focussed on serving/saving/rebuilding the nation).

Save for the odd individual, just a gross club really ;):p
Click to expand...
you pretend like we are the only club with skeletons in the closest
 
Irish BlueBagger said:
Yeah but you still don't have 16 flags though.;) Your club has no real history to speak of until John Kennedy rocked up as coach.

It was actually a former Carlton premiership player Jack Hale, who thought the then downhill Hawks what was required to win when he was coach.

So yeah sure well done more flags than anyone else since the early 60's etc, but just get back into your lane for the love of god.;)
Click to expand...

Stay in my/our lane?

This is a discussion forum on the Essendon - Hawthorn rivalry (a topic I directly addressed). You, a Carlton supporter, are here telling me Hawthorn are a "wannabe" club, have no history and are bringing Carlton into it.

The only person who needs to stay in their lane is you ;)
 

Remove this Banner Ad

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top