This moment is the 26th of a virtual series presenting the Bombers' best 30 moments over 150 years, which fans can vote on for their chance to win prizes. Click here to view and vote, and see the schedule and prizes below.
Essendon’s all-time leading goalkicker Matthew Lloyd says the 2000 team “were the most dominant side of all time. Overall, we were as complete a team as you could ever hope to see.” Lloyd had been there on preliminary final day, 1999, when the Bombers - favourites to win the premiership that year - suffered a stunning one-point defeat to long-time rival Carlton; a loss that burned in the pit of every Essendon player’s stomach for the next 12 months, ensuring their only focus throughout the 2000 season was righting a perceived wrong.
Lloyd recalled, “The coaches made us go and watch the ’99 Grand Final [between North Melbourne and Carlton] the following week as a team, and they had us leave halfway through the last quarter when the game was over. They then took us to a restaurant and Kevin Sheedy and our assistant coach Robert Shaw handed out folders on the teams we needed to beat the following year to win the flag. We then spent two weeks in a full-time camp, honing our game style and our skills, and the focus went straight on to 2000, instead of us dwelling too much on 1999. We were on a mission that year, and it felt like we had half the teams beaten before we even ran down the race each week.”
According to defender Dean Wallis, the defining moment of pre-season was during a two-week camp at Lorne when fitness coach John Quinn was due to bring the team in after an hour’s work. But, “two-and-a-half hours later, we were still going,” Wallis said. “‘Hirdy’ (captain James Hird) stood up and said we were going to be faced with [obstacles] throughout the year, and the other teams would never be able to break us mentally or physically.”
As a result, Essendon’s 2000 season was one of, if not the greatest, single seasons in VFL/AFL history. It belted reigning premier North Melbourne in the pre-season grand final, then, in their new ‘home’ at Colonial Stadium (now Marvel Stadium) in Melbourne’s Docklands, the Bombers thrashed Port Adelaide by 94 points.
Under that roof at Docklands - Australia’s only roofed football stadium - the Bombers were near on unbeatable, winning their first eight games at the venue by an average winning margin of 69 points. In all, they won their first 20 games and appeared on course for the first unbeaten home and away season since Collingwood went 18-0 in 1929. Geelong’s record winning streak of 23 matches (1952-1953) also loomed large. Alas, a shock loss to the Western Bulldogs in round 21 ended the winning streak.
As much as they had hoped to record an unbeaten season, centreman Joe Misiti admits the club’s focus by that stage had already switched to September. “To be honest, we were just waiting for the finals to come around.” Regrouping, Essendon defeated Collingwood in the final round, becoming the first team to win 21 home and away matches in a season.
In the qualifying final against North, Kevin Sheedy’s men played as complete a game of football as had ever been played. The Bombers kicked nine goals to four in the first term, stretching the margin to 57 points by half-time. A 10-goal third quarter pushed the lead past the century mark and they didn’t let up in the last term, charging away to the highest score in any final, before or since - 31.12 (198) to just 11.7 (73). Lloyd kicked seven goals (bringing up his century along the way) and Misiti had 41 disposals.
Sure enough, their preliminary final opponent was Carlton. This time, however, the Bombers comfortably prevailed: 18.17 (125) to 12.8 (80). Only Melbourne, coached by former Essendon captain Neale Daniher, now stood in the way of their long-awaited goal of winning the premiership.
From the moment Demons skipper David Neitz missed his two early shots on goal and Hird snapped truly for Essendon’s first, the result felt inevitable. And it was. Leading by 11 points at quarter-time, the Bomber juggernaut swung into full gear during the second term to open up a 41-point lead at the half. The margin was 57 by the final change, with Essendon eventually winning by 10 goals: 19.21 (135) to 11.9 (75). Lloyd and Paul Barnard both kicked four goals, Hird - whose career looked over due to persistent foot injuries in the late-1990s - won the Norm Smith Medal as best afield, and the Bombers of 2000 cemented their name for all-time among the pantheon of greatest Australian sporting teams.
SCHEDULE OF MOMENTS
Round 1 (launching May 6) - 1872-1939
Round 2 (launching May 10) - 1940-1959
Round 3 (launching May 15) - 1960-1979
Round 4 (launching May 20) - 1980-1989
Round 5 (launching May 25) - 1990-1999
Round 6 (launching May 30) - 2000-2021
Round 7 (launching June 4) - Finals round
PRIZES
Round 1 – One 2022 merchandise pack, including an Essendon New Era Black on Black 9FORTY Snapback cap ($40) and an Essendon Heritage Bar Scarf ($30)
Round 2 – One Essendon Fibre of Football Scarf ($80)
Round 3 - One Essendon Football Club 150-year anniversary commemorative mosaic ($295)
Round 4 – One Essendon Football Club 150-year anniversary commemorative mosaic ($295)
Round 5 – One 2022 team-signed guernsey ($500)
Round 6 – One copy of the Red & Black Collection special 150th anniversary book ($329)
Round 7 – One copy of the Red & Black Collection special 150th anniversary book ($329) and one 2022 team-signed guernsey ($500)
