Dan Eddy is the author of King Richard: The Story of Dick Reynolds, as well as Skills of Australian Football. He is the co-author of Champions: Conversations with Great Players & Coaches of Australian Football, and The Will to Fly. Eddy is a current PhD scholarship recipient (Federation University), whose project will examine the career of AFL Legend Alex Jesaulenko, and this article is an extract from his upcoming book, 'Always Striving': The Moments That Have Made the Essendon Football Club.
When the West Coast Eagles arrived at Essendon’s home ground, Windy Hill, for their round eight clash in 1991, the Eagles were unbeaten and desperate to break a hoodoo dating back to their inaugural season, 1987: they had never beaten the Bombers on their home turf. They did get within five points in their first meeting at the venue, in round two 1987, but since then Essendon had stamped their authority on the Eagles with some commanding victories at the ground they had called home since 1922. Indeed, for eight of the visiting party, there was the haunting memory of round 15, 1989, when they were a part of the worst defeat in the club’s short history. On that day, Essendon kicked eight goals to none in the opening quarter, on their way to a 142-point belting: 25.10 (160) to 1.12 (18).
While the Bombers, too, were unbeaten entering round eight, Sheedy knew that this West Coast team was different to previous editions. Having seemingly ‘beefed up’ overnight – due to an intense gym program – the Eagles’ were quickly becoming a force in the AFL, and under the tutelage of tough-as-nails coach, Mick Malthouse, they were charging towards their first ever Grand Final appearance. But, what was in Sheedy’s corner was the fact that few visiting teams had ever mastered the unique wind conditions at the aptly-named Windy Hill. Former centurion goalkicker, Geoff Blethyn, recalled that, “The wind used to go between those two stands at Windy Hill, and I think that made it a bit tricky when kicking for goal. I think that was a real advantage that we had playing there.”
As players began to warm-up on the ground prior to the first bounce, a number of them glanced up at the windsock on the scoreboard to get an indication of which way the wind was blowing. But, to their amazement, it was tied down! Malthouse was certain it was another of the eccentric Sheedy’s tactics to unsettle his side, and when West Coast won the toss and kicked against the breeze, it looked as if his opponent’s plan had worked.
However, by quarter-time, the Eagles had kicked five goals to none and led by 28 points, a lead they would maintain for much of the day. Essendon lost Darren Bewick in the second quarter (accidently kicked in the head by teammate, Mark Harvey), then Shane Heard (medial ligament) and Paul Salmon (groin), before Michael Long had three of his ribs busted; it was carnage, yet, remarkably, the home side were within striking distance as the clock wound down. With no fit players on the interchange bench, Sheedy was forced to send Heard and Long back into the fray during the last quarter, Salmon too, and, in the last minute, the ‘Big Fish’ had a chance to mark within range to tie the scores. However, “the Essendon champion found his arm pinned and the ball was cleared.” The Eagles took the ball the length of the field and scored a point to give them a seven-point victory: 14.10 (94) to 13.9 (87). After the game, Sheedy would appeal to the league for four interchange players, rather than the current two. The AFL eventually introduced a third interchange player, in 1994, and a fourth in 1998.
When Malthouse was asked about the windsock after the game, he was not amused: “I thought it was bloody ridiculous,” he said. Sheedy pleaded ignorance, although few believed that his hands were clean. “It wasn’t me,” he said. “I don’t know how to tie knots. It’s something that someone like [Richmond secretary] Graeme Richmond would do. Not me.”
The incident would grow legs of its own in the following years, but the wily coach never admitted to having tied the sock down. The truth emerged in 2006, 15 years after the event. In Tim Watson’s The Jigsaw Man, former Essendon chief executive, Roger Hampson, said: “We had the old windsock replaced [in 1991] and we told Timmy Doran, who was the Windy Hill curator, that the windsock was going to carry the ‘Speed Kills’ message (the Transport Accident Commission was Essendon’s sponsor at the time), and it would be best to tie it down until the weekend before releasing it on the day of the game against West Coast.” But Doran forgot! “So the windsock stayed tied until the second quarter,” Hampson explained.
The first Sheedy knew of it was at the post-match press conference, when Trevor Grant said, “Sheeds, I see you’re up to your old tricks again.” Sheedy replied “What are you talking about?” He then looked across at Hampson, who nodded, and, recognising there was an opportunity to have some fun with the Press, Sheedy pointed the blame at the ‘Martians’, a tactic he would use whenever he wanted to criticise individuals or the establishment. After the press conference, Hampson explained to his coach what had happened, then added: “Sheeds, the media will love this story. Just let it run.” The Windy Hill windsock legend was born.
Over the next few weeks essendonfc.com.au will be publishing more extracts from Dan Eddy's upcoming book, 'Always Striving': The Moments That Have Made the Essendon Football Club.
