VelvetSledge
Moderator
- May 24, 2007
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- #1
ESSENDON BOMBERS
You'd take a 50 point win in WA any day of the week.
It wasn't the greatest performance from us, but considering the blowtorch on the severely undermanned Eagles all week, it was enough to get the job done and done well.
Not that the Fox Footy commentary team would know, considering their collective mouths were full of West Coast balls in a seriously bizarre commentary performance.
Kyle Langford added to his already impressive goal tally for 2023 with 3 more goals, whilst the small patrol in Hobbs, Snelling and Menzie added two each.
Nic Martin continued the now annual tradition of teaching the Eagles how dumb they are for passing on him, with a clear best on ground performance in his home state.
Mason Redman is absolutely crucial and we, under no circumstances, should ever let him leave.
Two wins on the trot, back in the eight, and we have the easiest run home from now on.
Professional, concise, got the job done.
Go Planes.
WEST COAST EAGLES 6.10 46
def. by
ESSENDON BOMBERS 14.12 96
BEST: Martin, Merrett, Redman, Ridley, Langford
GOALS: Langford 3, Hobbs, Snelling, Menzie 2, Redman, Stringer, Perkins, Draper, Guelfi
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NORTH MELBOURNE KANGA KANGA KANGA
As per the standard with the new coach bounce, Norf have looked much improved under Brett Ratten since Clarko flew the coop.
Whilst this was a much better game than the previous week against the Swans, where their own bench defeated them, they were simply outclassed and outgunned by the Pies, who looked to be running at about 70%.
Former Pick 3 played arguably his best game for the club, ending up with 29 touches and 5 clearances, whilst Nick Larkey finished with 5 goals. He will most likely be a problem for us today.
The Pies turned off in the fourth to let Norf boot 6 in the term, but the damage was done and the margin stayed respectable.
Bailey Scott is starting to show a bit with two 30+ disposal games in as many weeks.
COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES 16.9 105
def.
LOL NORF 10.10 70
BEST: Greenwood, Larkey, Scott, Phillips
GOALS: Larkey 5, Stephenson 2, Howe, Zurhaar, Scott
ESSENDON EMERGENCIES: Nick Bryan, Alwyn Davey Jnr, Andrew Phillips, Rhett Montgomerie
NORF EMERGENCIES: Curtis Taylor, Daniel Howe, Tom Powell, Aidan Corr
ESSENDON OUTS: McDonald-Tipungwuti, Bryan (Omitted)
ESSENDON INS: Shiel
NORF OUTS: Lazzaro, Howe, Powell (Omitted), Curtis (Sub)
NORF INS: Tucker, Shiels, Thomas
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Sub to be chosen from the emergency list one hour prior to bounce.
Wrote this back in 2019. Worth a revisit to get some understanding as to why this rivalry is so one-sided.
The annual match against Norf is one of mixed feelings. It often riles us, makes us excited for the weekend’s action, but with no more eagerness than usual - the bitterness and malice from the BigFooty population of Norf fans is an outlier and the thirteen of them that go to games all show up. It’s a bit of an event, isn’t it? Where did all this animosity start?
Let me take you back.
The year was 1920. The Titanic had sank some 8 years prior, and the League of Nations was established. Italian Anarchists bombed Wall Street with a horse-drawn cart. Women gained the right to vote in the USA. Brent Harvey turned 13, and the North Melbourne Football Club had been rejected for a licence into the VFL over and over. The Victorian Railways Commission declared that the East Melbourne Cricket Ground was to be closed at the end of 1921, and the Flinders Street Railyard was going to be expanded. This was an issue for Essendon, as East Melbourne was our home ground at the time, and we would need to find a new ground from 1922 onwards. Their attention turned to the North Melbourne Rec Reserve, nowadays known as Arden Street. The Bombers most successful recruiting zones were the surrounding suburbs, so the move made sense. The only issue? This was where Norf played.
One year later, in June 1921, Essendon and Norf made footy headlines. The Bombers announced that they were moving to Arden Street. The North Melbourne Footy Club, desperate to get into the VFL, came to the conclusion that they were to seek a merge with Essendon for 1922 onwards. On June 30, the North Melbourne Football Club was disbanded as a senior club. Did it pay off? In a word, lol no Jesus christ what a **** up.
The two clubs had not reached any formal agreement on a merger. The basic plan behind the disbanding was to allow players to transfer to Essendon prior to the July 1st deadline. If all went well, the newly merged team would be fine to play from the start of the 1922 season. Champions of North, Syd Barker and Charlie Hardy, both ended up in the red and black of Essendon.
One thing North hadn’t accounted for was how keen the VFA was for them to stay in their competition. Since the VFL was brought to life in 1897, the league maintained strong control over inner city Melbourne. Clubs such as Collingwood, Carlton, and a myriad of others were able to command high numbers and ticket sales due to their location, and the result was the VFA slowly fading into irrelevance as it was pushed to the outskirts of the city. This situation got significantly worse when Richmond moved to the VFL in 1908.
This left Norf as the VFA’s most central club to the city, and the Association had no intention of letting this switch happen quietly. The VFA launched an official protest to the State Minister of Lands, requesting that the Bombers’ move to Arden St be vetoed. The Minister upheld the protest and refused the Bombers permission to move to the ground. Reasoning behind it? With no Norf, the VFA would fold due to the VFL dominating the city.
See Norfies? You were important once!
An appeal from Essendon was dismissed and left Norf in a sticky spot. No club. No team. The ultimate spit in the face came when the Bombers signed a deal to play games at the Essendon Recreation Reserve. Syd Barker, Norf champion, stayed with the Bombers for three years and was made captain-coach in 1922. He led the Bombers to back-to-back premierships in 1923 and 1924, before retiring.
What happened to North? Seeing as the VFA pushed so hard for them to remain in the Association, they were certain to be re-admitted. The only condition? The committee had to be wiped and started fresh. The North players who moved to VFL clubs in 1921 remained disqualified from playing VFA, and the result was a crippled North.
The big boys in Essendon had flexed their muscle over North, who, unfortunately for them, were barred from a merge by the VFA. The timing worked out poorly for the Arden St lads, who lost two of their best-ever players to their neighbors. The Bombers? It worked out well for them. Two flags resulted from the VFA’s stubbornness over the North situation, and no one in red and black lost a wink of sleep.
For a lot of North fans to hold malice over Essendon for something that happened nearly 100 years ago makes little to no sense, especially when you see the facts. They’re mad that their club was bullied by the Association they dealt with? Fair enough. The Bombers simply started the snowball, however. The rolling and subsequent gathering of s**t was all on the VFA, which eventually fizzled out anyways.
The more you know.
ROUND 20, 2022
Marvel Stadium
31/7/22
ESSENDON BOMBERS 17.12 114
def.
LOL NORF 9.12 66
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ESSENDON GOALS: Stringer 5, Stewart 3, Wright, Langford, Jones 2, Merrett, Redman, Guelfi
NORF GOALS: Zurhaar 4, Goldstein, Anderson, Turner, Coleman-Jones, Scott
ESSENDON BEST: Merrett, Stringer, Redman, Laverde, Heppell
NORF BEST: Simpkin, Stephenson, Zurhaar, Horne-Francis, McDonald
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CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:
ESSENDON OUTS: Kelly, Stewart, Wright, Jones
ESSENDON INS: Weideman, Shiel, Hobbs
NORF OUTS: Davies-Uniacke, Horne-Francis, Anderson, Powell, Turner, Dawson, Bonar, Lazzaro, Archer, Walker
NORF INS: Ford, Shiels, Sheezel, Tucker, Bergman, Logue, Wardlaw, Hall, Phillips, Thomas
Norf is looking much improved since the angry racist midget bailed, but I don't think they're on our level yet. I expect a solid fight for most of the game, but we should be able to put the little cousin away to take the streak to 9 consecutive wins against the lads from Arden Street.
Lol Norf.
Essendon by 49.
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