Funny thing, I probably respect Essendon more than most enemies. They make finals a lot, they win a lot and they lose a lot.
The supposed "rivalry" with us is mostly bullshit. We pinched a flag off Sheeds in 1990 and later he started the ANZAC thing. He probably had a "littleDickmond" love/hate thing for us, a lot of flogs do.
Even their supposed "thug" sides in the mid 1980's were a Sheedy invention (part actual thuggery, part media hype beaten up by Sheeds himself to rally the players). The drugs in the ASADA scandal came straight from Geelong (now there's a scum side, how the **** are that mob not stripped of their two cheating flags in 07 and 09? What a bunch of campaigners) via Bomber Thompson, OK ex Essendon but we all have bad individuals, and the "real" Bombers actually dobbed themselves in. There were zero positive tests, it was the good character of Evans that brought the matter to light.
The only bit of floggery about Essendon is the Coleman bullshit they love to crap on about. Why they have erections for a flash in the pan flibbertygibbet when they've had exemplary champions like the great Dick Reynolds (mentioned in any serious discussion of GOAT), Albert Thurgood (colonial superstar) and Simon Madden (prince of Ruckmen) is beyond believing. I mean if it was the Swans or Crows the ignorance would be understandable.
Don't get me wrong, apparently Coleman was a nice chap and played a few good seasons (and sadly died young) but frankly Lloyd was better as were at least ten or twenty other full forwards. They put his name on the medal to keep Coventry's off, and now they should change it to the Plugger. I mean "Coleman" on the medal is as irrelevant as "Chas Brownlow" on his.