2000 – Essendon 19.21.135 def. Melbourne 11.9.75

The Bombers dominated the season like no other team before them in 2000.

Hurting from a Preliminary Final loss in 1999, the side took out their frustration on the rest of the competition.

The Bombers dropped just one home and away match and finished five games clear on top of the ladder.

Melbourne was a somewhat unlikely Grand Final opponent after they upset Carlton and then North Melbourne throughout the finals series.

Essendon had 12 scoring shots in the first term but could only manage four goals allowing the Demons to keep pace early in the match.

But it was only a matter of time before the Bombers dominance around the ground told on the scoreboard.

The lead was out to more than six goals by half time and only grew from there.

When the final siren blew, Essendon was up by ten goals.

Matthew Lloyd and Paul Barnard kicked four goals each and James Hird won the Norm Smith Medal for his 29-possession and two-goal performance.

B: M. Johnson, D. Fletcher, S. Wellman

HB: D. Hardwick, D. Wallis, D. Solomon

C: C. Heffernan, J. Misiti, B. Caracella

HF: M. Mercuri, S. Lucas, J. Hird (c)

F: A. Ramanauskas, M. Lloyd, M. Long

R: J. Barnes, J. Blumfield, J. Johnson

I: D. Bewick, P. Barnard, S. Alessio, G. Moorcroft

Coach: K. Sheedy