Every so often I nearly get over this game.
Then somebody brings it up.
Oh yeah i might have to rethink, that was gutting and drew ■■■■■■■ petrie doing nothing all night only to kick the winning goal and his stupid chest thimp strut arrrgghhh that night was a nightmare
You get a partial credit. 90 was also shitful.
Legitimately considered this one. But the loss pushed it out.
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FFS, how did this one escape me. Absolutely.
Best 5:
- The James Hird “hug” game
- Anzac Day 2003
- Beating FC by 99 points in the rain
- Collingwood return fixture, 2002
- Anzac Day 2005
Worst 5:
- Hird’s last game in Melbourne, against Richmond, absolutely disgraceful performance
- Loss to Port when umpire Nicholls absolutely bent us over
- Loss to St. Kilda by 100+ to end 2008 season
- Loss to FC Round 3, 2001
- (tie) Losing to North like six times in a row, usually after a blown lead
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Best:
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2000 QF Final v North - The most perfect performance I’ve seen in football. We didn’t do this is a rubbish team, but none other than the reigning premiers. I can’t recall a more clinical, ruthless dismantling of a team than that. Lloydy kicking his 100th of the season in the last iced the cake.
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R17 1999 v North - Nobody took us seriously in 1999 until this game. Like most Essendon v North games, it was on for young and old. Plenty of niggle and it was fast, flowing footy. Both sides did not take a backward step. It was the hardened pros v the upstarts. Carey booted 10 and turned it on, Lloydy responded with 7 of his own. Mark Mercuri put on a clinic, as he did throughout that season. We won a fierce and entertaining clash by around 4 goals, the next day the headlines in the paper read DONS OF YESTERYEAR (I know because I still have that newspaper in my collection!).
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R16 2001 v North - Another game against the Roos from the 1999-2001 era. The Comeback has been mentioned enough already but perhaps the last truly great performance from this group. We weren’t to know that it would be the end of an era after the 2001 GF, but to be able to win after being 69 points down showed the greatness of that side.
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R5 2003 v Collingwood - Anzac Day 2003. Went into the game as underdogs and after a seesawing first 3 quarters Sir James decides to take over. Kicked 3 of the best goals you’ll see in the final term as we won in a canter. The enigma that was Damian Cupido showed his class with 5 of his own. When you can slot them post high from outside 50 with a howling gale blowing through the vacant gap that was the Ponsford stand being reconstructed, you know you are a special talent.
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R1 2017 v Hawthorn - Easily the most emotional game given the fact that the boys were back after missing the whole of 2016 due to the WADA suspensions. You couldn’t have scripted it any better, a joyous, entertaining match. Heppell BOG with 30+ and 3 goals, including a true captains goal in the last.
Worst:
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R21 2019 v Dogs - Season on the line against a team below us on the ladder. Shiel kicks the first goal after 18 seconds, boys looks up and about and then… WHAT. THE. ■■■■? What the hell happened after that? They kicked 22 (?) goals in succession and we don’t score our 2nd goal for the game until time-on in the last. The single most embarrassing game I’ve ever been to. Even the Dogs supporters ironically cheered our drought-breaking goal. This is worse than the next 2 games I’m going to name as this “performance” was from a team within the top 8, not one that’s close to the lowest ebb the club has even seen.
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R14 2015 v St.Kilda - The last month or so of Hird’s coaching reign were the most painful times I can remember. The ASADA shitstorm that we thought was over when the AFL cleared us prior to Round 1 of the 2015 season was back on the agenda after WADA appealed the decision to the CAS. We don’t need to go over old ground again but whilst 2016 we were without a dozen of those players, 2015 for me was the worst season in terms of the effect on the playing group. A listless performance in Jobe’s 200th game. I knew that there wasn’t long left for Hirdy at the helm…
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R20 2015 v Adelaide - This was Hirdy’s last game as coach. A win against the Dees and some reasonably competitive performances in defeat against Port and North were wiped from the memory after getting flogged by the Dogs and then this dire effort against the Crows. We were somehow in front at quarter-time and then after that it was an avalanche. I’m pretty sure this is the game where Jake Carlisle said to a Crows opponent “This club is ■■■■■■”. He wasn’t too far from the truth. It must’ve been a horrible time to be an Essendon player. It felt like a morgue inside the stadium and on the train home. Sad times…
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R10 2012 v Melbourne - Flew home from Perth for the weekend and the red-hot Bombers, 8-1 faced the winless Demons, who aside from Fitzroy in their dying days and the inaugural seasons of GWS and GC are amongst the worst teams I’ve ever seen in the AFL. Easy win right? WRONG!! Essington mode was fully activated as Jobe aside we turned in a sloppy display. Typical against a side we should’ve beaten heavily. This was one of Mitch Clark’s few decent games he played for the Dees before he got injured not long after. Salt was rubbed into the wound when I told a Dees supporting mate that Melbourne “couldn’t beat an egg” pre-match. Received a carton of free range eggs as a consolation gift. Taught me not to make stupid comments, no matter how insipid the opposition.
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EF 2017 v Bin Chickens - Flew up to Sydney especially for this. Got up on the Thursday Night, had a few beers with @westozziebomber in Manly, beautiful sunny weather as we congregate at the Woollahra Hotel. Sea of red and black, get my photo taken with Sheeds, all charged up, emotional, hopeful that we can win our first final since 2004. Joey takes a hanger and kicks the opening goal, I think we are on and after that it was one-way traffic. Buddy on one leg kicks 4 in the second term and we barely give a yelp from then on. Jobe’s final game as well, a sad way for him to bow out.
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Best:
-
2001 Comeback game. At the ripe old age of 10, I remember thinking at quarter time - how funny would it be if we actually came back and won? Well, we did.
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2016 Round 2 v Melbourne. I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of Essendon as I was that day. When the siren went, I didn’t get up and cheer, I just sat there and smiled.
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2011 Round 15 v Geelong. Stopped their winning streak and broke our own 5 game losing streak.
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2009 ANZAC Day. Such an Essendon game. Slow start, Miss easy goals, play well in the middle but not so well to be too far in front, then almost lose it in the last, before suddenly finding a second wind. The last 5 minutes are the greatest summary of being an Essendon fan.
Despairing with another loss when Rocco bagged it through from the square.
Confused as to why, when you look up a few seconds later, Fletcher has the ball at centre half back.
Thinking ‘gee whiz’ when Lovett blitzed through the middle,
Rejoicing at Ricky Dyson doing something good.
Wanting to strangle Leroy Jetta when he fumbled in an acre of space. I can still see the ball sailing off Zaharakis’ boot. Straight through the centre of the goal.
The best feeling after a win I’ve ever had. -
2016 Round 23 v FC. I love all victories against FC, but this was a personal favourite. I copped abuse from two old lady FC fans for questioning how a tackle could be ‘in the back’ when the player was tackled from the front. The darlings responded with “OH SHUT UP YOU DRUGGO”. I waited until the perfect opportunity to get my own back - Daniher’s goal on the run from 50 in the 3rd quarter. I turned around, said nothing and signalled the goal with a stupid grin on my face. It was satisfying.
Worst:
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Round 21 2019 v Footscray. 20 goals in a row is disgusting.
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Round 17 2009 v Richmond. Had a chance to secure a finals spot against a team on the bottom and played like poo.
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Round 16 2010 v West Coast. The end of Knights.
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Round 21 2007 v Richmond. Honour two club legends and play like that. Gee, thanks for nothing.
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Elimination final 2014 v Norf. 6 goals up and you don’t win. Fark orf.
I had great difficulty choosing the top 5 worst performances.
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My mum can 100% verify this is true.
After North kicked the goal of the 2nd mum was ready to leave at HT. My exact words "chill mum we’ll be within 4 goals at half time.
Going to avoid posting memories for fear of ruining my watch along polls. Getting some ideas though 
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Does anyone have a link to the 2000 QF I really need to watch something good and stop reading about the coronavirus.
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2 nights and you can watch a fark carlton farking
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That would be good too.
Completely agree the 93 prelim stands out by a long way for me. I was only 10 but wow what a game. It had everything.
The first game back after the players were suspended was pretty special too but for very different reasons.
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Finals aside this is a great list.
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Mate, for the norf game make it 2 games, comeback and 2000 QF.
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Being an Essendon fan I’m used to seeing Essendon getting fkn blasted off the park but of all the beltings I’ve seen live I think that Bulldogs loss last year rates as no 1 on the list.
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And R17 99.
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Of all Anzac day games the 2003 win overall is the most enjoyable, probably best win over Collingwood I’ve seen live if I’m honest.
2009 was great but 2003 was 4 quarters of bliss.
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I was at aami stadium the night the crows rolled us by about 130 points. Thats up there for me.
OUCH
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