Best Win Since 2000 No. 2
Round 16 2001 vs Kangaroos
| Essendon | 2.3.15 | 12.4.76 | 19.8.122 | 27.9.171 |
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| Kangaroos | 12.1.73 | 16.1.97 | 22.4.136 | 25.9.159 |
Context
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Essendon were 13-2 and comfortably sitting in 1st place on the ladder. The previous week’s outing had been an underwhelming win against Geelong at Docklands. James Hird was returning from injury to boost the Bombers’ stocks, though Sean Wellman, who’d later be named the All-Australian centre half back, was missing for the red-and-black.
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The Kangaroos’ era of competing for flags appeared to be over, sitting in 9th on the ladder. The Roos’ form was impressive nonetheless, with 5 wins in their last 6 matches. Wayne Carey, Anthony Stevens and Mick Martyn were some of the key outs for the Kangas.
Why it’s on the list / key moments
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The Bombers came back from 69 points down in the 2nd quarter to win by 12 points - setting a new record for the greatest margin overturned in VFL/AFL history.
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Truthfully there are too many key moments to list out in full, so I’ll try to keep things somewhat brief…
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After the Kangaroos kicked 15 of the first 18 goals, The Bombers played one of the best patches of footy they’ve ever played, kicking 9.0 in less than 20 minutes to cut the margin to just 15 points. The way that the game completely shifted from one side’s dominance to the other during a quarter was astounding.
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Jason Johnson played one of the best matches played by an Essendon midfielder in the last 25 years by having 31 disposals (and no clangers), 13 clearances, 10 inside 50s, 4 tackles, and kicking 4.2.
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Matthew Lloyd kicked 6 goals in the 1st half and took some terrific contested marks while doing so.
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As you’d expect, James Hird was also pivotal in the Bombers’ fightback. Early in the Bombers’ fightback, Hird’s risky decision to play on from a mark and subsequent late hit from Corey Jones paid dividends, as he managed to squeeze a mongrel punt through the big sticks and under the attempted smother of Brent Harvey.
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Even after what must be 50+ watches, some of the late 2nd quarter goals still give me goosebumps:
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The roar after Blake Caracella’s goal on the run from 45m out (and Essendon’s 6th in a row) suggests that a lot of Don fans at the MCG were suddenly very optimistic about their chances.
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Mark Bolton’s goal after running in unopposed from outside 50 made it 8 in a row, and if that wasn’t enough to get the crowd up-and-about, Jason Johnson burst away from the next centre clearance, took 2 bounces, and kicked a beauty on the run.
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The 3rd quarter was closely contested, with the Bombers kicking 7 goals to 6. The Kangaroos kicked the last 2 of the quarter to give themselves momentum and a handy 14-point lead heading into 3QT.
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Lloyd’s 9th early in the 4th cut the margin to 9 points. Soon it was Adam Ramanauskas’s turn to take a set shot. He slipped over as he kicked, but the ball somehow swung through for another 6 points.
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After Brent Harvey kicked a torpedo from outside 50 and soon a behind from just inside the boundary, Essendon needed another lift, and naturally it was in the form Jason Johnson. He collected a high-bouncing football on the wing before evading a diving tackle, taking a bounce, and drilling through a fantastic goal from just inside 50.
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After Gary Moorcroft put Essendon in front, the Kangaroos launched another attack. Kangaroo Shannon Motlop hurriedly snapped goalward from 15m out, but the outstretched hand of Hird stopped the ball from travelling the required distance, allowing Chris Heffernan to take possession just outside the goalsquare. The Bombers then launched a devastating counterattack of their own. Paul Barnard, Hird, Lloyd, Caracella and Mercuri all combined before Cory McGrath’s chip off the side of the boot luckily avoided the hand of Steven Alessio and went through for a goal.
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When Gary Moorcroft goaled on the run shortly after a quick Essendon centre clearance, it looked like the Bombers might steamroll the Kangaroos to truly humiliate the Roos. Corey McKernan had other ideas, as he kicked 2 quick goals for the Kangas to set up a nervy finish. McKernan even had a set shot to cut the margin to just 1 point, but missed.
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With Essendon 6 points up, Mark Johnson looked short of ideas when he kicked long down the wing to a pack of players. Hird roved the pack and kicked a long snap into the forward pocket. The ball bounced high over the jumping Gary Moorcroft (and his opponent) which allowed Blake Caracella to run in and finally kill the game off from point blank range.
Extra notes
- Essendon played 3 recognisable ruckmen: John Barnes, Steven Alessio and Judd Lalich. This is the only time these 3 players all played for Essendon in one game.
What happened next?
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Essendon lost their next 2 matches to Port Adelaide and Carlton. The win over the Kangaroos was, in hindsight, arguably the end of what felt like a mostly unbeatable team. The Bombers would win 3 of their last 4 Home & Away matches, but showed plenty of chinks in their armour by the time they met Brisbane in the Grand Final. Despite briefly looking like their experience may be enough at HT, the Lions overran the Bombers in the 2nd half to knock them off their perch and win the premiership.
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The following week, the Kangaroos came close to breaking Brisbane’s winning run in another shootout - this time at Docklands. The Lions kicked 5 of the last 6 goals to storm home and claim victory. One week later, the Roos lost by 107 points against Sydney at the SCG. The Kangas plummeted to a 13th-placed finish come the end of the season.
Click here for best win #1.