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1872
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Essendon FC thought to have formed this year at the home of Robert McCracken.
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1873
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Essendon plays first recorded game v Carlton 2nd 20.
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1874
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Essendon becomes first club to play on a full-sized ground at Flemington.
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1878
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Essendon joins the newly formed Victorian Football Association.
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1879
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Essendon plays Melbourne using a white ball, in one of the game’s earliest night games.
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1880
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Essendon becomes first Melbourne club to visit Geelong travelling on a ‘football special’ train
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1891
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Essendon wins first of four consecutive VFA premierships.
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1882
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Club moves to East Melbourne Cricket Ground to play its home games. Remains there until 1921
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1892
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Albert Thurgood makes debut. Kicks 56 goals in first season a new goal kicking record to that time.
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Players in training at the Jolimont Oval in the 1890's
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1893
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Club goes through entire season undefeated.
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1896
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Victorian Football League forms.
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1897
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Essendon become one the eight clubs to join the new Victorian Football League in its first season. Essendon wins the first VFL premiership.
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1898
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Club scores first 100 points tally v St Kilda.
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1900
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Essendon becomes first club to wear white shorts in a finals game
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Three quarter time in the 1901 Grand Final at the South Melbourne Cricket Ground
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1901
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Essendon wins second premiership beating Collingwood by 27 points
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1902
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Essendon kicks 1174 points in the season. The first team to reach 1000pts in
a single season.
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1903
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Ted Kinnear becomes first Essendon player to reach 100 games, in rd 1v
Fitzroy.
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1907
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Club finishes bottom for the first time.
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The 1910 team pose for their portrait in "Boater hats"
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1911
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Essendon wins 3rd premiership. Essendon in rd 4 kicks 20 goals for the first in
the VFL (21.12.138) to beat Collingwood by 14 goals. Becomes first team
to wear numbers in VFL match when it does so in finals game. Jack Worrall
appointed coach of club after successful three years at Carlton.
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1912
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Essendon wins its 4th premiership.
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1916
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Club stands out of competition for two seasons during World War I in
protest of the VFL refusing to put all gate receipts to the war effort.
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1918
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The club returns to VFL competition but wins only three games and finishes
bottom.
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1921
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Essendon finishes bottom for second time in four seasons. After 40 seasons, the club leaves its home ground, East Melbourne Cricket Ground, at end of season and moves to Essendon Recreation Reserve, now known as Windy Hill.
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1922
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Essendon beat Carlton in its first game at Essendon Recreation Reserve. First new grandstand opens in August that year
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1923
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Essendon wins premiership. Greg Stockdale tops League goalkicking with 64 goals.
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1924
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Essendon wins second successive premiership. Three-time best & fairest Tom Fitzmaurice quits the club accusing teammates of taking money to throw a finals game.
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Captain Frank Maher (holding football) with the team in Hobart 1926
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1926
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R James shares first Charles Gardiner medal as seconds best & fairest
Player
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1933
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18 year-old Dick Reynolds debuts in rd 1. Goes on to play 320 games, win
seven club best & fairest medals and three Brownlow medals. Is later voted the
best player in Essendon history. Club finishes bottom for fourth and last time in
its history.
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1934
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Club kicks 29.16.190 v North Melbourne, its highest score to that time.
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1935
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Ted Freyer sets first round goalkicking record with 12 goals v Melbourne. Keith Forbes is runner-up in Brownlow medal.
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1939
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Dick Reynolds appointed joint-coach with Harry Hunter part way through the
season after resignation of coach Jack Baggott.
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1940
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Club plays finals for first time since 1926, finishes third.
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1941
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Essendon reaches Grand Final, but loses to Melbourne by 29 points.
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1942
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Club wins 7th flag after beating Richmond by 53 points.
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1943
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Captain Dick Reynolds wins club record 7th best & fairest award
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1945
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Dick Reynolds becomes first Essendon player to play 200 games when he leads
club to 1 point win over Collingwood in rd 5 at Windy Hill.
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1946
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Club wins 8th flag after beating Melbourne by 63 points.
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1947
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Alan Dale wins the first Morrish Trophy as best player in VFL Thirds competition.
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1948
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Team kicks 7.27.69 in Grand Final to draw with Melbourne, but lose replay.
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The 1949 Essendon Football team take a bus trip to Queensland
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1949
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John Coleman makes debut kicking 12 goals and becomes overnight
sensation. Bomber aeroplane motif appears on the club’s membership
tickets for the first time. Club wins premiership beating Carlton by 73 points,
Coleman kicks 6.
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1950
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Club wins second successive flag, losing only 1 game all year. Reserves
and Thirds also win the flag. In rd 1, Dick Reynolds becomes first Essendon
player to reach 300 games.
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1951
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Club wins inaugural McClelland Cup for finishing season with the highest
number of points by its three sides (Seniors, Reserves, Thirds). Champion full-
forward John Coleman suspended in last game against Carlton and misses
finals. Club makes 6th successive Grand Final but loses to Geelong by 11 pts.
Dick Reynolds plays in second half of Grand Final, his only game for the year, his
last game and 320th overall.
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1952
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Bill Hutchison is equal highest Brownlow vote getter but loses out on count back
system favouring player with most 3 votes. Jack Jones plays his 133rd
consecutive game to set club record which still stands.
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1953
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John Coleman kicks 10 against Richmond in rd 18, becoming only the second
player in league history to kick 10 goals in a game on 10 occasions.
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Souvenir Program of a 6 day visit to Broken Hill in 1953
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1954
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John Coleman kicks 14 goals v Fitzroy in rd 7. The second time that season he
kicks 10 or more goals in a game. He injures his knee at Windy Hill the following
week and his career ends after only 98 games.
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1959
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Essendon becomes first club to employ a specialist fitness adviser from
Melbourne University.
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1961
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John Coleman is appointed senior coach.
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Centre half back, Ian "Bluey" Shelton was a member of the 1962 and 1965 Premiership sides
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1962
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Club loses only two games for the year, finishes top and wins Grand Final
beating Carlton.
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1964
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Team kicks 28.16.184 to defeat South Melbourne by 165 points, the club’s
greatest winning margin ever.
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1964 Mobil Footy cards featuring Jack Clarke and Ken Fraser
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1965
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Club finishes fourth but storms through finals and comfortably defeats St Kilda
for 12th flag.
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1969
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Allan Hird appointed president after many years service as player, coach, and
committeeman.
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1970
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Club finishes 11th, lowest position since finishing bottom (12th) in 1933.
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A 45RPM recording of an interview of Barry Davis by Tony Charlton made around 1967
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1972
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Club celebrates is centenary. Former Collingwood champion player Des
Tuddenham is appointed captain coach. Team plays first ever finals match at
VFL Park. Geoff Blethyn kicks 107 goals, the first 100 goal Essendon player
since Coleman 20 years earlier. Club secretary Bill Cookson retires after 29
years in the role.
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1973
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Social Club built along with new Allan T Hird Stand. Former great John Coleman
dies suddenly at just 44 years of age. Champion WA recruit Graham Moss
is runner-up in Brownlow medal in first season. Club records highest ever points
tally of the season: 2443.
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1976
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Graham Moss wins the Brownlow medal and his third successive best & fairest
award. Colin Stubbs appointed club president.
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1978
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Former club champion Barry Davis takes over as senior coach. Captain Ken
Fletcher wins his first the best & fairest medal in his 12th season.
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1980
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Club appoints former Richmond player Kevin Sheedy as senior coach. Reserves
player W Valli win best & fairest in Reserves competition (Gardiner Medal) and
under 19s player P. Lane wins best & fairest in thirds competition (Morrish
Medal). Tim Watson wins the first of his four best & fairest medals.
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1981
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Former players Greg Sewell and Barry Capuano replace club president and
general manager Colin Stubbs and Roy McConnell who step down. Club wins
its first night premiership (Escort Cup) defeating Carlton.
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1982
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Club loses Elimination Final, its sixth straight finals loss. Neale Daniher named
captain but doesn’t play a game owing to injury. Former champion Bill Hutchison
dies aged only 59.
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1983
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Bombers reach the Grand Final, first since 1968, but are beaten by a then
record 83 points by Hawthorn. Seconds win Army Reserve Cup over
Collingwood.
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1984
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Club turns tables on Hawthorn beating them in the Grand Final to record 13th flag and first in 19 years. Club also wins its second Night Premiership, the first club to win both in same season. Paul Salmon hailed as new Coleman after kicking 63 goals in 13 games before injuring his knee. Simon Madden wins his fourth best & fairest medal.
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1985
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Back-to-back flags as club again beats Hawthorn, this time by 78 points. Club wins special one-off Premier’s Cup to mark Melbourne’s 150th anniversary. Frank Zoccali wins Morrish Medal for best player in U19s competition.
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1986
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Bombers play in 6th successive finals campaign but lose in Elimination final to Fitzroy by a single point. Members asked to vote on committee being reduced from 15 to 8. General manager given full voting rights in the new board of nine. Testimonials for Simon Madden and Gary Foulds.
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1987
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A sub-committee investigates the club’s long term viability of playing home games at Windy Hill. Tim Watson returns to football in rd 5 after a year on sidelines with knee injury. Brisbane Bears and West Coast Eagles join the league.
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Club record games holder, Simon Madden
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1988
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Simon Madden plays 300th game in last game of season, only the second Essendon player to reach the milestone. Is also runner-up in the Brownlow medal. Glenn Hawker reaches 200 in same game. Club clocks up 1000th league wins.
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1989
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Club wins McClelland Trophy when its three sides (Seniors, Reserves and U19s) lead league aggregate points tally.
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1990
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Club wins Pre-season Cup over North Melbourne and finishes the season on top of ladder, but gets beaten by Collingwood in the first AFL Grand Final. Fans’ favourite Paul Vander Haar plays 200th game in preliminary final win over West Coast.
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1991
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After 70 seasons the club plays its 628th and last home game (v Brisbane) at Windy Hill, but fans unaware it is the final home game until season has ended.
Tim Watson retires after 282 games, two premierships and four best & fairest
awards (but later returns to play in 1993 and 1994).Coach Kevin Sheedy
declines offer to coach Sydney.
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1992
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Future champion James Hird makes debut in rd 1 v St Kilda to begin one of the great Essendon careers. Simon Madden retires after club record 378 games and then record 575 goals.
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1993
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Tim Watson is talked out of retirement and returns to Windy Hill. Club wins 15th premiership, over favourites Carlton with a young side, six of whom have
played 25 games or fewer. Club also wins night series Foster’s Cup, Essendon
FC and Social Club merge to form Essendon Football and Community Sporting
Club, Club wins McClelland Trophy for 6th time. Gavin Wanganeen wins
Brownlow medal.
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1994
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Tim Watson becomes only the fourth Essendon player to play 300 games and
retires at season’s end. Scott Cummings leads club goalkicking with 32 goals,
the lowest since 1971. Club membership jumps to 19,720, a 70% increase on the previous year. League expands finals competition from top 6 to top 8 teams but Essendon
finish 10th and miss out on defending premiership.
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1995
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Matthew Lloyd makes debut in round 14 and goals with first kick in football.
Michael Long comes second in Brownlow Medal. Membership breaks 20,000
for first time ever. First Anzac Day game between Essendon and Collingwood
is played at MCG and ends in a draw.
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1996
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James Hird wins Brownlow Medal and third consecutive club best and fairest.
Club misses out on Grand Final spot after 1 point loss to Swans in Preliminary
Final. Club opens its Hall of Fame, the first of any League club.
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1997
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Mark Harvey plays his 206th and last game in rd 22. Kevin Sheedy coaches his
400th game in the same round. Club drops to 14th on the ladder, its lowest ever
finish to that time (in a 16 team league).
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1998
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Michael Long returns to football after 370 days recovering from a knee
reconstruction. Kevin Sheedy breaks Dick Reynolds’ 416 game coaching record
in round 16.
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1999
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Essendon lose second preliminary final by 1 point to miss place in Grand
Final against Kangaroos who they had twice beaten during the year.
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Captain James Hird with the premiership cup
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2000
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Club moves to Colonial Stadium (now Etihad Stadium) at Docklands for home
games. Team records best season of any club in league history, winning
pre-season cup and 16th Premiership and loses only once in 25 games.
Matthew Lloyd kicks 109 goals, the first Essendon player to reach 100 goals
since 1972, and highest tally in 50 years. Membership breaks 30,000 for first
time.
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2001
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Club reaches Grand Final but loses to Brisbane Lions. Michael Long retires.
Matthew. Lloyd kicks 105 goals to reach 100 goal milestone for second
successive year.
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2002
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Paul Salmon returns to Essendon after six seasons at Hawthorn to add to
his 209 games for the Bombers between 1983 and 1995. Season disrupted by
a number of injuries to senior players. Essendon’s best player of all time, Dick
Reynolds, dies aged 87.
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2003
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Club wins only five games to half way point of season but finishes strongly
winning eight of last 10 games to scrape into finals but goes out in first
semi-final to Port Adelaide.
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2004
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Club again scrapes into 8th spot and goes out in first semi-final to Geelong.
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2005
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Kevin Sheedy clocks up 25th season as coach. Former champion and
assistant coach Mark Harvey accepts assistant coaching position at
Fremantle FC. Club slumps to 13th with only eight wins for season
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2006
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Evergreen fullback Dustin Fletcher plays 250th game in rd 11. Dean Rioli plays his 100th game in last game then retires owing to chronic knee problems. David Hille is appointed captain standing in for injured Matthew Lloyd. Barry Davis Is inducted into Hall of Fame. Club finishes lowest position ever at 15th but stays off bottom owing to Carlton.
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2007
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Club does not re-new coach Kevin Sheedy’s contract, he leaves Windy Hill
after 27 years and four premierships. Is replaced by another former
Richmond champion Matthew Knights. Five-time club champion James Hird
retires after 253 games. Club finishes 12th.
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2008
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Former coach Kevin Sheedy is inducted into Essendon Hall of Fame.
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2009
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Club reaches finals for first time since 2004 but loses to Adelaide by 96 points. Essendon greats and 2000 premiership players Scott Lucas and Matthew Lloyd retire after round 22 after both playing 270 games. Lloyd?s 946 career goals a record at Essendon.
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2010
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Angus Monfries is leading goal-kicker with 24 goals, the lowest since 1921. Dustin Fletcher moves to second on Essendon?s all-time games played list when he plays his 321st game v Richmond in round 9. Essendon coach Matthew Knights is sacked the day after round 22 loss to Bulldogs and on 28 September the club names former club champion James Hird as his replacement.
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