Best Win Since 2000 No. 22
Round 9 2001 vs Hawthorn
| Essendon | 7.4.46 | 11.9.75 | 15.10.100 | 18.14.122 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn | 4.1.25 | 4.4.28 | 7.7.49 | 8.9.57 |
Context
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1st vs 2nd on the ladder and 50,701 spectators at Docklands. About as much interest as a H&A game can generate.
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Essendon had started the season well but were more prone to lapses than they’d been in 2000. They also carried a decent injury list into the game, with players such as Dustin Fletcher, Mark Mercuri, Joe Misiti, Blake Caracella, Chris Heffernan and Steven Alessio all missing. Nevertheless, the Bombers came into the game with a 7-1 W/L record and the highest percentage in the competition.
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Hawthorn were undefeated and coming off a big win against a very poor West Coast at the MCG.
Why it’s on the list / key moments
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AKA “The ‘Let’s Get Loud’ game”.
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Essendon dismantled the league leaders and re-established themselves as the team to beat.
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Matthew Lloyd kicked the first goal of the game after 19 seconds.
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Late in the 1st quarter, Adam Ramanauskas brilliantly ran down Hawthorn captain Shane Crawford as the Hawk tried to buy himself space 30m out from goal.
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The Bombers put the game to bed by HT with a 75-28 lead. Lloyd kicked 5 goals for the half and eventually finished with 8.0.
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James Hird took a classic juggling mark early in the 4th quarter while being paid close attention by Angelo Lekkas. According to this old-school BomberBlitz fan’s match report , Hird was close to best-on-ground. Blitz-lore question: Does anyone recall Uncy Herb or Andy Davis? They appear to be the most likely authors of these old match reports.
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Click here for some admittedly low quality Essendon goals/highlights.
Extra notes
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This was the match where every Essendon goal was followed by a snippet of Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud”.
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Cory McGrath’s debut for Essendon.
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Jonathan Robran kicked his first of 3 goals for Essendon.
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Essendon ended the round with 8 wins. Their next opponent, Brisbane, only had 4 wins, after a home loss to Adelaide.
What happened next?
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The Bombers’ air of invincibility lasted only a week, as they lost by 28 points away to Brisbane at the Gabba. Essendon resumed winning for another 6 weeks before tougher opposition started to give the Bombers more problems. They managed to hold on to 1st spot on the ladder and met the Hawks again in a Preliminary Final. The contest was much closer this time, with the Bombers limping over the line in unconvincing fashion. Essendon faltered at the final hurdle against Brisbane in the Grand Final, a side who had not lost since their aforementioned meeting in Round 10.
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Hawthorn took the loss poorly, losing 4 of their next 6 matches. By the time finals arrived, the Hawks were in poor form, having lost 3 consecutive matches, including a loss after the siren to a shot from St Kilda’s Barry Hall. Somehow, they found their best football just in time, with wins at home to Sydney and away to Port Adelaide to set up an Essendon rematch.
Click here to go to best win #21.