50 Best Essendon Wins since 2000 (countdown)

Football Discussion Stargazer Memorial EFC History Board
201

Interesting placement for this one. Context puts this top 20 for me.

But still, great memories this day

3 Likes
202

Deserves to be much higher than 35. I reckon it breaks the top 10.

2 Likes
203

I’m amazed this isn’t in the top 10.

absolutely epic win, made even sweeter by the predictions of us going through a season without a win

Parish had real attitude and swagger back then, what the hell happened?

One of the most enjoyable days i have ever had at the footy

204

Seems I’ve put this one too low. Can’t remember why but I didn’t go to the game which probably affects my view of it. I went to the Hawks game in 2017 and had an awesome night at that one, and in most ways that was a more expected win than the Dees game.

I guess the other factor is how badly this game reflected on Melbourne. They simply can’t have been mentally prepared for the contest that was waiting for them.

1 Like
205

I remember having an enormous amount of pride for the club after that win. We had been smashed for years over the saga and seeing the massive turnout for the march and then beating the demons.. It felt like the beginning of something.

4 Likes
206

Best Win Since 2000 No. 34

Round 15 2019 vs GWS

Essendon 3.2.20 5.3.33 6.4.40 12.5.77
Greater Western Sydney 1.2.8 5.4.34 7.8.50 10.11.71

Context

  • Essendon were 10th, a game outside the 8.

  • GWS sat in 3rd.

Why it’s on the list / key moments

  • AKA “The Hooker against GWS game”.

  • The 4th quarter is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. The game lacked atmosphere for 80% of the match thanks to the small opposition fanbase and unfavourable timeslot of Thursday night, which was slowly being introduced as a regular fixture.

  • In the 1st quarter, Adam Saad intercepted a Giants kick in the middle of the ground and made a trademark run to half-forward before his kick was marked in spectacular fashion deep inside 50 by Orazio Fantasia, who converted.

  • The Bombers trailed 46-65 at the 10 minute mark of the 4th quarter. Jayden Laverde goaled from a free kick before Cale Hooker had one of the best 15 minute spells of his life. First, he split the middle with a set shot kick from a tricky angle 40m out to cut the margin to 7 points. 10 minutes later, with the fans suddenly absorbed by the contest, Hooker marked strongly at high half-forward against Phil Davis before handballing quickly to Shaun McKernan who waltzed inside 50 and goaled brilliantly for a big man. Scores were level.

  • To finish, Hooker again jostled for a mark at the half-forward flank. This time he was unable to mark but gained possession on the first bounce, gave the “don’t argue” to small Giant, Zac Williams, and handballed towards Kyle Langford. Some fumbling and indecision eventually saw Conar McKenna kick from just outside 50 towards the goalsquare, where somehow Hooker was, yet again, to take the mark. The half-full stadium suddenly felt full. Hooker kicked the goal to put the Dons 6 points up.

  • The drama wasn’t over yet. GWS won the next centre bounce and kicked inside their forward 50. The ball bobbled above head height before spilling to Giants midfielder, Josh Kelly, who hurriedly snapped high from 40m out. The shot missed the lot, and the Bombers held on.

  • Click here for all the goals from both teams.

Extra notes

  • Zach Merrett was the only Bomber to earn Brownlow votes (2).

What happened next?

  • Essendon won their next 4 games in mostly dramatic fashion before limping into the finals and succumbing to West Coast at the first hurdle.

  • GWS made the Grand Final from 6th on the ladder before wishing they’d never made it that far, losing by 89 points against Richmond.

Click here to go to best win #33.

5 Likes
207

I think it depends on the quality of football vs enjoyment of win trade-off.

It was a very enjoyable win but the quality of football was pretty meh.

1 Like
208

Let’s wait to see what’s in the top 10 before making up our mind.

And if people are staunchly against it being this low (as opposed to just making a comment) they can do a list themselves.

It was a good feeling and great win, but lets see what else there is.

1 Like
209

Mrs Scotty and I said if they got the next one we’d leg it outta there.

1 Like
210

Best Win Since 2000 No. 33

Round 8 2017 vs Geelong

Essendon 6.2.38 9.4.58 14.7.91 17.8.110
Geelong 1.5.11 3.8.26 7.9.51 13.15.93

Context

  • Essendon were 12th with only 1 win in their last 5 matches.

  • Geelong were 3rd but had lost to a mediocre Gold Coast side at Carrara the week prior.

Why it’s on the list / key moments

  • Breaking a 6-year drought against a good Geelong side in front of a decent crowd (57000) when the season looked dicey.

  • Joe Daniher played one of his best games for the club. He kicked 5.2 and was judged as best on ground by the umpires.

  • Essendon suddenly looked like a team capable of challenging the better teams in the comp. The Dons won via superior disposal and class, despite losing the contested ball stats.

  • James Stewart got his Essendon career off to a flyer with 3 goals in his first half of senior football in red-and-black. Young small forwards Orazio Fantasia and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti also kicked 3 each.

  • Almost everything went right for Essendon in the first 3 quarters, resulting in a 40 point 3QT lead.

  • Geelong stormed home and had all the momentum with just over 10 minutes remaining, kicking 6 of the first 7 goals in the 4th quarter. Up stepped Joe Daniher who kicked a clutch goal on the run to settle the Bombers’ nerves.

  • After a flurry of Geelong behinds, Orazio Fantasia kicked a classic small forward’s goal to finally ice the game and hold off the Cats onslaught.

Extra notes

  • Geelong won the clearances 47-30.

  • Essendon won the uncontested possessions 250-191.

  • James Stewart’s debut for Essendon.

What happened next?

  • The Bombers followed up by clobbering eventual semi-finalist West Coast at Docklands and played consistently promising football until the bye. The Dons eventually bowed out to Sydney in an embarrassing Elimination Final defeat.

  • Geelong finished 2nd on the ladder but lost comprehensively to both Richmond and Adelaide (who would meet in the Grand Final).

Click here to go to best win #32.

5 Likes
211

Hookers efforts in this game were bigger than Hirds v WC in 03. Obviously not the drama of Hird with what he said on TFS a couple of nights earlier but Hooker single handedly won that game for us.

212

Best Win Since 2000 No. 32

Round 19 2001 vs Sydney

Essendon 1.3.9 2.8.20 5.11.41 11.13.79
Sydney 2.5.17 7.6.48 9.8.62 11.11.77

Context

  • Essendon had lost their last two games against Port Adelaide and Carlton respectively. The Bombers were still 1st on the ladder but Brisbane were now only a game behind.

  • The likes of James Hird, Matthew Lloyd, Dean Soloman, Dean Rioli, Mark Johnson, Justin Blumfield and John Barnes were all unavailable. The side Essendon put out was younger, on average, than most lineups Essendon fielded in its recent and infamous 2025 season, where it debuted a record number of players in one season.

  • Sydney had won their last 5 games including wins against eventual finalists, Carlton, Hawthorn and Adelaide. The week before, the Swans had also won by 107 points against the Kangaroos - the same Kangaroos who had pushed Essendon to the death in “the comeback game” 3 weeks earlier.

Why it’s on the list / key moments

  • Sydney led 62-35 late in the 3rd quarter as Paul Kelly lined up for a simple set shot for goal. Man-on-the-mark, Blake Caracella, seemingly turned the game on its head with an unexpected smother. The Bombers rebounded immediately to kick a goal via Adam Ramanauskas to keep them in it.

  • The Bombers kicked 6 goals to 1 in the last quarter to steal victory in heartstopping fashion.

  • Sydney’s Michael O’Loughlin kicked a brilliant goal from the pocket to give his side a 22 point lead with half a quarter remaining. It looked like it wasn’t supposed to be the Bombers’ day. I highly recommend re-watching the game from this point onwards to appreciate the turnaround and atmosphere without footage cuts. The stadium was absolutely rocking by the time the margin was reduced to 10 points.

  • Paul Williams had the chance to all but ice the game for Sydney with ~1:30 on the clock as he launched at goal from 50m out. His shot faded to the right.

  • With less than a minute on the clock, the Dons frantically tried to conjure a scoring opportunity. Gary Moorcroft tried to replicate his mark of the century from 5 weeks earlier, but this time the ball was spoiled. Eventually the ball was fed out to Dustin Fletcher about 55m out, who bombed the ball high and central. Steven Alessio read the ball best, taking a clutch mark among two Swans players desperately trying to affect the contest. The noise on the broadcast for this mark is almost guaranteed to give any Bomber fan goosebumps. Alessio held his nerve to kick his 4th of the afternoon and give Essendon an incredible win with only seconds remaining.

  • Click here for the Essendon goals/highlights.

Extra notes

  • Judd Lalich’s last game for Essendon.

  • Sydney’s Brent Plitz played his only game of AFL football.

What happened next?

  • The Bombers sewed up top spot with victories against Collingwood and West Coast, before losing to Richmond in the final Home and Away season match. After limping into the Grand Final, Essendon succumbed to eventual powerhouse, Brisbane.

  • Sydney lost comprehensively to Hawthorn in an Elimination Final at Docklands.

Click here to go to best win #31.

7 Likes
213

This was one of the best days of my life I finally got into my first job aftet months of trying and clocking off my first week at exactly when the final siren went after a miracle comeback win

Felt so ecstatic when that happened thats how much it meant to me

2 Likes
214

Calling anything associated with this game “highlights” is a bit misleading.

It was a thrilling finish but my god this game was atrocious.

215

I’d easily call the last 10 minutes highlights. Maybe it’s the personal sentiment I have towards the game but, as I said, I can’t help but get goosebumps from Alessio’s last mark and the ensuing siren.

1 Like
216

Great descriptions @Ta0Ta

What was Brent’s nickname? BP? Ballroom? …Bomber?

1 Like
217

The first 3.5 quarters were summed up when Danny Jacobs was running along the wing, takes a bounce and watches the ball bounce out of bounds.

The roar when Alessio took that mark, sitting on ground level, was as loud as i had heard for a long long time. Would have been similar to the roar when Marx’s kicks the goal in the 93 Prelim, difference being the roar for Alessio’s mark was kind of all at once whereas Mercs was a “gradule” roar (doesnt make sense, I know)

1 Like
218

When Daniher kicked that goal, I hailed him the next Buddy Franklin.

Seems I have the same eye for talent as DUDoro

1 Like
219

Makes perfect sense to me. It was hard to tell if Sess would be the one to mark it until the second he did.

220

He must have been a gun, his winning record was 82.3%! This was the 11th victory in a row he played in. 17 games for 3 losses.

1 Like