Dean Solomon’s season-ending knee injury in the final week of the 2002 pre-season was a huge blow to the Bombers. Following Damian Hardwick’s move to Port Adelaide, Solomon’s toughness across the half-back line was seen as critical to Essendon’s chances of success in 2002. To lose him was a huge setback to the club and it was indeed big news. Yet the Solomon story was ranked fourth in terms of news events by our voters, attracting just over four per cent of the vote. Knee injuries have become an all too common occurrence in the modern game and perhaps that swayed voters.
Paul Salmon’s comeback to football was enormous news – it probably would have been even bigger had Tony Lockett not decided to dust off the boots and also make a comeback. But from an Essendon Football Club point of view this was a big yarn. Salmon – a star for the red and black early in his career before joining Hawthorn in less than ideal circumstances – was coming ‘home’. Could the 37-year-old stand up and have an impact for the Bombers. His return match against Carlton answered those questions and in the wash-up Essendon would not have made the finals had it not lured him out of retirement. It was a big story but there was no fairytale ending – it attracted five per cent of the vote.
Trade Week is always tough on both club and player but Essendon had never experienced anything like what it did in the 2002 version. The Bombers bid farewell to three premiership players – Chris Heffernan, Blake Caracella and Justin Blumfield. It was a bitter pill to swallow but the trades were forced upon the club as a result of salary cap pressures. The fact that this news story attracted eleven per cent of the vote probably showed that on the whole Essendon fans understood the situation the club found itself in at the end of 2002. It was big news but it was the Trade Week Essendon had to have.
So that left Essendon fans with the Hird injury and it attracted 80 per cent of the vote. During 2002, Hird was ranked as the third greatest player ever to represent the club in Champions of Essendon. When injury threatens to end his career it is inevitably big news and clearly the biggest news story of the year. A tragic knee injury, a courageous comeback and the departure of three premiership players – they are big news stories – but nothing made Essendon supporters sit up and take notice more than the skipper’s injury.
2002 was a big year for news stories. Who knows what 2003 has in store for Essendon supporters? Let’s hope the good news far outweighs the bad. Either way, the BomberLand website will keep you in the picture.
