Watching the 2000 finals series and comeback games, 1999-2001 era during this 2014 finals series is such a joy. What a brilliant team. To win the millennium cup was just very cool. That qualifying final against North the team scored 198 points, incredible.
one thing i noticed is that the team played like men, no bull**** football and were so good at moving the ball quickly into the forward line. The speed of run from out of defence into the forward line was super fast. Definitely quicker than the current team…though the game has changed since then.
The team also had a great knack for sensing the ball, behind the back handballs, Harlem globe trotter magic tricks.
A real joy re living it and watching those games…
Particularly after fifteen years of disappointment since those times.
Watching all the games and highlights I have makes me very jealous of everyone old enough to remember it, sh*ts me no end growing up seeing some clubs consistently top 4 and us nowhere near it.
The game seems to have gone in cycles
- once dominated by the richest clubs
- fluctuated depending on draft
- now dominated by clubs on top at end of draft cycle who are constantly able to inject individual players into a system (vs creating a system around the players)
Id take the joy of the knights era atm
Watching all the games and highlights I have makes me very jealous of everyone old enough to remember it, sh*ts me no end growing up seeing some clubs consistently top 4 and us nowhere near it.
Aww, it wasn't that good..
IT WAS FANTASTIC :lol:
Was 17 in 2000. The football was the most dominant I've ever seen. To be there to witness the QF v North, I'd say it has to go down as perhaps Essendon's finest performance. We beat a lot of sidesd by big margins that year, but to smash the reigning premier by over 20 goals in a final is something I'd never seen before, and probably won't see again. The forward line was scarily good. Hird at his peak, Lloyd probably at or nearing his peak, Mercuri coming off a 2nd placing in the Brownlow the previous season, Scott Lucas kicked 57 from CHF, Caracella was superb, Longy played cameos, Bewick the same. The defence led by Fletch, Welly, Hardwick, Solomon, Mark Johnson, Wallis, Rama emerged and should've won the Rising Star. John Barnes was a great pick-up from being discarded by the Cats. Smokin' Joe had a great year in the centre, JJ, Blumfield, Heffernan. I could go on and on... and I will!
Last night instead of watching the Downlow I popped in the DVD of the 2000 Qualifying Final. One word describes it........magnificent!Was 17 in 2000. The football was the most dominant I've ever seen. To be there to witness the QF v North, I'd say it has to go down as perhaps Essendon's finest performance. We beat a lot of sidesd by big margins that year, but to smash the reigning premier by over 20 goals in a final is something I'd never seen before, and probably won't see again. The forward line was scarily good. Hird at his peak, Lloyd probably at or nearing his peak, Mercuri coming off a 2nd placing in the Brownlow the previous season, Scott Lucas kicked 57 from CHF, Caracella was superb, Longy played cameos, Bewick the same. The defence led by Fletch, Welly, Hardwick, Solomon, Mark Johnson, Wallis, Rama emerged and should've won the Rising Star. John Barnes was a great pick-up from being discarded by the Cats. Smokin' Joe had a great year in the centre, JJ, Blumfield, Heffernan. I could go on and on... and I will!
Last night instead of watching the Downlow I popped in the DVD of the 2000 Qualifying Final. One word describes it........magnificent!Was 17 in 2000. The football was the most dominant I've ever seen. To be there to witness the QF v North, I'd say it has to go down as perhaps Essendon's finest performance. We beat a lot of sidesd by big margins that year, but to smash the reigning premier by over 20 goals in a final is something I'd never seen before, and probably won't see again. The forward line was scarily good. Hird at his peak, Lloyd probably at or nearing his peak, Mercuri coming off a 2nd placing in the Brownlow the previous season, Scott Lucas kicked 57 from CHF, Caracella was superb, Longy played cameos, Bewick the same. The defence led by Fletch, Welly, Hardwick, Solomon, Mark Johnson, Wallis, Rama emerged and should've won the Rising Star. John Barnes was a great pick-up from being discarded by the Cats. Smokin' Joe had a great year in the centre, JJ, Blumfield, Heffernan. I could go on and on... and I will!
I've got it on VHS but not DVD, I think I need to get with the times! The Freo game at Etihad (then Colonial Stadium) was another memorable one. Lloyd kicked 9, and yes the Dockers were awful that year, but I reckon about 2-3 times from the centre bounces Barnesy tapped the ball into the path of MJ (he played through the middle that night) who ran onto it and either hit Lloydy lace-out, or on one occasion shot a handball of to Cara who cooly dobbed it from 50 on the run. Longy and Cara also had a nice bit of play by the Mesdallion side boundary fwd pocket, Longy no-look handball over the shoulder, Caracella snaps a dribbler. Or when Longy kicked 5 in the last v the Crows, down by 22 late into the 3rd term, win by 48!!
[YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR2-AB6GpLo[/YouTube]
No wonder he kicked 9, silver service from MJ, Misiti, Long and co! The passage late where Welly takes a mark D50, hands off to Fletch, long kick to MJ on the wing, hands on to Smokin' Joe who hits Lloydy on the chest 50m out for his 9th was FAP!
Id take the joy of the knights era atm
Ha ha.
Sack Hickmott
I was at the MCG Grand Final day 2000.
It was a surreal experience, because it did not have what I imagined a Grand Final atmosphere would be like.
It seemed that the Melbourne supporters knew they were simply making up the numbers and Essendon supporters seemed to think it was already ours, but at the same stage were hoping we didn't ■■■■ it up like we did the year before.
That era while wonderful was also depressing, we should have achieved so much more, ■■■■■■ up the prelim in 1999, and going into the 2001 Grand Final it was pretty clear to me we were cooked and the only way we would win was if the big occasion got inside Brisbane's head, which it didn't.
Damian Drum a bit rough on Pav and Brown / playing FB/CHB in their first year in an era dominated by key forwards lol
The 2000 Qualifying final against North is the most joyful game of football to watch, probably ever.
I think Jason Dunstall described it as sheer poetry and apart from the tidal wave of goals, I think it broke the finals all time record for highest score.
Bewick kicking the last few goals was just the icing on the delicious cake.
Rama's one handed screamer and Lloyd's 100th, it just had everything. That game.
Quite possibly the perfect Essendon game.
And in amongst all of that... Lloydy kicked his 100th.The 2000 Qualifying final against North is the most joyful game of football to watch, probably ever.
I think Jason Dunstall described it as sheer poetry and apart from the tidal wave of goals, I think it broke the finals all time record for highest score.
Bewick kicking the last few goals was just the icing on the delicious cake.
Rama's one handed screamer and Lloyd's 100th, it just had everything. That game.
It truly was the perfect day.
Edit : sorry, I quoted your post too soon.
Think I might actually go watch it now..
Actually, David king kicked 7, so it wasn’t totally perfect…
Fringe of 2000 era… but it was freakin‘ awesome when fans of both teams booed King for kicking a point on quarter time of round 16, 2001.Actually, David king kicked 7, so it wasn't totally perfect...
I recall an announcer was interviewing fans at three quarter time broadcast on the scoreboard (probably was Voice of the G) and some Essendon fan yelling something to the effect of "of course we will win the flag, and we're gonna win the next 4 as well" and the whole crowd just roared with delight. It felt so good to be that arrogant.
In terms of best moments, my favourite matches from that era was either 1999 against North, when both Carey and Lloyd kicked bags and the quarter time score was something ridiculous like 9 goals each (that win felt like we had really 'arrived' from the largely meh 97 and 98 seasons); 2000 return bout against Carlton when both teams were coming off massive streaks and stakes were mega-high (and it was a disastrous night for the scum, Kouta's knee and the beginning of their slow but devastating decline) and of course the 2001 comeback game against North that was just so ridiculously out of this world it feels like a dream.
Isn't it sad when reality clashes so harshly with vision?
I was 18 when they won in 2000. I think in hindsight I didn't appreciate as much as I should have.
I was happy that they won, but my overwhelming feeling one one of relief, as a loss coming on the back of the 99 Prelim loss (and after an almost unbeaten season) would have absolutely torn the guts out of the club.
I'd appreciate a GF win now about 20 times more than I appreciated that 2000 win.