The Year 2002

( i have no idea if this is a good topic for a thread, feel free to gurge if terrible)

 

Thought I would do a review of our season in 2002 and my memories of it. That was the year i really started attending games on a regular basis. I thought i would leave the premiership years for other people as i was just too young to appreciate them.

 

Was a very strange year, had come off a flag and a GF in the prevoius two years. Was a real topsy turvy season, with injuries cruelling us.

 

Just thought people could talk about the high and lows of that year. Where things went wrong or went right, memories, etc

 

Highs:

 

* The win against a very good WestCoast team in the elimination final at Etihad. My first ever final. Hird missed that game through injury. Lloyd was knocked out in a head clash i think it was. Was also the first game after ■■■■ Reynolds had sadly passed away. I was quite young then so didn't understand the gravity of it.

 

*Doing the double over Carlton, and seeing them with their first wooden spoon.

 

*Seeing Hird come back after his horrific injury and put his head into every pack was amazing, and just in general being a champion.

 

Lows:

 

*Anzac Day was a disaster, just got pumped in the wet

 

*The injuries to Hird and Lloyd against Freo in round 4 or 5. Lloyd from memory ripped a finger tendon trying to tackle someone.

 

*Losing Hardwick in the off season left me devastated, really a heart and soul player.

 

*Losing to Port in the semi final in Adelaide. Had our chances but couldn't put them away. Lloyd missed the game and Fletch was suspended I think.

 

Memories:

 

*One strong memory i have is against Collingwood late in the season, a Magpie player was knocked out cold- Mecuri ran up and took his mouthguard out so he wouldn't swallow it. Just a great thing in general to do.

 

 

When never really fully got going in 2002, always seemed like we were trying to make up ground.

 

 

What are everyone else's memories?

 

1 Like

Was that the year D Solomon turned up with the white boy dreads?

Was that the year D Solomon turned up with the white boy dreads?

I think that was 2001. Did he do his knee in 02 or 03? was never the same after that

I think the main thing that stood out in 2002 was thinking "We should have won the flag in 2001".  Just seemed like everything was starting to come apart with injuries, losings players, suspensions and the rise of other sides.

I think the main thing that stood out in 2002 was thinking "We should have won the flag in 2001".  Just seemed like everything was starting to come apart with injuries, losings players, suspensions and the rise of other sides.

Made the pain of '99 even more acute.

 

Also remember thinking that Sheedy would steady the ship and lads like T Richards, J Davies and S Hunt would one day soon develop into players, that A Henneman, M Bolton and D Jacobs would force their way into the senior team through weight of performance and blokes like M McVeigh and D Rioli would become AA stars.

 

This isn't a criticism of those players but more of a inflated level of expectation on my part. As an Essendon supporter since '83, I have been conditioned to expect success if not this year, then next.

 

Up to that point the club pretty much got most things right.

Great thread for those of us too young to remember it!

 

I remember seeing Hirdy's picture on the front page after the Freo game and being both devastated he wouldn't play for a few weeks and also wanting to have the same thing happen to me because well, whatever Hirdy did I wanted to be able to do! So I squirted tomato sauce all over my face in an attempt to replicate the great man. Mum wasn't impressed. 

It was the first of many years that we fooled ourselves into thinking we were still a chance at another flag. This total misreading of the situation is what spawned our mediocrity for many years to come.

 

02/03/04 all blend into one for me. 

 

Memories:

 

*One strong memory i have is against Collingwood late in the season, a Magpie player was knocked out cold- Mecuri ran up and took his mouthguard out so he wouldn't swallow it. Just a great thing in general to do.

I think that may of been in 2001


 

 

 

 


Memories:
*One strong memory i have is against Collingwood late in the season, a Magpie player was knocked out cold- Mecuri ran up and took his mouthguard out so he wouldn't swallow it. Just a great thing in general to do.

I think that may of been in 2001
Two thing surprise me in that:
1. Someone from Collingwood required a mouth guard.
2. Someone from Collingwood not swallowing.

 

 

Memories:

 

*One strong memory i have is against Collingwood late in the season, a Magpie player was knocked out cold- Mecuri ran up and took his mouthguard out so he wouldn't swallow it. Just a great thing in general to do.

I think that may of been in 2001


 

 

 

 

 

I actually still think I have that game on VHS. Yeah '01 I'm thinking. Lockyer wasn't it? Mercs just kinda looks up with a "get the ■■■■ off me" face and then realises he's out cold. MJ came back from a shoulder/collarbone injury that game and dominated.

 

But yeah 02....

As was said before, 02/03/04 may as well be the same year. Acting like we're top ■■■■ but really not ever getting there.

MY RECOLLECTIONS:

ANZAC day 2002, top of the southern. Could see the CBD back then over the old ponsford. ■■■■■■■ DOWN, Collingwood supporters… OH MY. Loudest fkn roars I’ve heard against us in that 2nd half. FK ME.

Round 2 v RICH, belting them and there supporters going home at half time as was the custom back them. They were alot more fickle bunch back then if that’s possible.

v St Kilda, who THE FARK is this tall blonde bloke taking us apart?? It was us vs him. It was Nick Riewoldt. We still pumped them and I think Barnard broke someones back.

v Haw, OH MY. Cold, wet Friday night. sitting level 2 in the old ponsford. Typical arrogant ■■■■ head young hawks fan, turning around and giving it all game to Essendon fans old and young. Up steps Barnard and everyone goes fkn ballistic. Fist PUMPIN til the early morn.

1 Like

Was 2002 the really dodgy Fletch suspension or the one that was fair enough?

I recall there was going to be a march on AFL House by BomberTalkers if he got suspended for one of the Port finals.

 

Anyway, he was and there wasn't.

MY RECOLLECTIONS:
ANZAC day 2002, top of the southern. Could see the CBD back then over the old ponsford. ■■■■■■■ DOWN, Collingwood supporters....... OH MY. Loudest fkn roars I've heard against us in that 2nd half. FK ME.
Round 2 v RICH, belting them and there supporters going home at half time as was the custom back them. They were alot more fickle bunch back then if that's possible.
v St Kilda, who THE FARK is this tall blonde bloke taking us apart?? It was us vs him. It was Nick Riewoldt. We still pumped them and I think Barnard broke someones back.
v Haw, OH MY. Cold, wet Friday night. sitting level 2 in the old ponsford. Typical arrogant ■■■■ head young hawks fan, turning around and giving it all game to Essendon fans old and young. Up steps Barnard and everyone goes fkn ballistic. Fist PUMPIN til the early morn.

Essendon 26.15.171
Aint Kilda 11.6.72

 

No Hird or Lloyd for us. 

 

3.Lucas (11 marks, 4 goals)

2. Razzmazzanaskas

1. Caracella

 

19 year old Nick Riewoldt, 14th game. 16 kicks, 12 marks, 3 goals. 

37 year old Paul Salmon, 312th game, 3 kicks, 3 marks, 2 goals. 

1 Like

2002 was a very interesting year. I think it was the first year in a long time we didn’t come across as invincible.

Memories:

Big Fish making a return

Rama starting to stand up as one of our leaders. I think he ended up being 3rd in the b&f

Jacobs had a pearler of a year. Took the no. 21 jumper off Wallis and just had the cleanest hands

Mark Johnson took out the b&f and really started to get a lot more of the ball

I though Shane Harvey would break into our team and stay. I was wrong there :frowning:

The Bulldogs draw. Hird & Lloyd’s return. Both of them, deadset guns! I just wish we got over the line that night!

1 Like

2002 was a very interesting year. I think it was the first year in a long time we didn't come across as invincible.
Memories:
Big Fish making a return
Rama starting to stand up as one of our leaders. I think he ended up being 3rd in the b&f
Jacobs had a pearler of a year. Took the no. 21 jumper off Wallis and just had the cleanest hands
Mark Johnson took out the b&f and really started to get a lot more of the ball
I though Shane Harvey would break into our team and stay. I was wrong there :(
The Bulldogs draw. Hird & Lloyd's return. Both of them, deadset guns! I just wish we got over the line that night!

didn't he kick 2 goals from his first 2 kicks. 

2002 was a very interesting year. I think it was the first year in a long time we didn't come across as invincible.
Memories:
Big Fish making a return
Rama starting to stand up as one of our leaders. I think he ended up being 3rd in the b&f
Jacobs had a pearler of a year. Took the no. 21 jumper off Wallis and just had the cleanest hands
Mark Johnson took out the b&f and really started to get a lot more of the ballI though Shane Harvey would break into our team and stay. I was wrong there :(
The Bulldogs draw. Hird & Lloyd's return. Both of them, deadset guns! I just wish we got over the line that night!

didn't he kick 2 goals from his first 2 kicks.
yep, the very same game where James Hird got his face smashed in. Freo v Ess - Round 6 2002
I think he ended up with 3.