Essendon Football Club enters the final week at its beloved Windy Hill quarters, ahead of the club’s relocation to the new High Performance Centre next week.

After more than 90 years at its humble home on Napier Street, Essendon will relocate to its state-of-the-art training and administration base at Melbourne Airport from next week. 

Essendon played its first league game at Windy Hill on Saturday 6 May 1922 against Carlton. At the time, The Herald said of the new ground: ‘Essendon’s new quarters are like fairyland... Prettily situated, the grounds are surrounded by four streets and ten acres of area and the park is a delight to the eye with its layout of plantations.’

Windy Hill has been home to famous victories and inspiring losses, football fairytales and sporting tragedy. So much of what took place at Windy Hill is part of the club’s tapestry. Legends such as John Coleman, Dick Reynolds and Bill Hutchison have made their name on the ground.

In an excerpt from ‘An Illustrated History of Essendon Football Club’: “The faithful still talk in irreverent terms about the day in 1991 when their wounded warriors departed the ground with just 15 fit men having gone down to top-of-the-ladder West Coast by seven points. Rarely has a side been applauded after being beaten, but the Essendon faithful found the spirit irresistible.

They saw John Coleman’s knee buckle and a career destined to reach unimaginable heights cruelly cut short. It was round eight of the 1954 season and he had kicked 14 goals the previous week against Fitzroy. He had kicked 42 goals in six games that year. There was silence.

They hoped for Neale Daniher as he tried and tried again to get his career up and running. Sadly the strength in his knee never matched the strength of his character. The crowd at Windy Hill willed him on but it was not to be. It was the effort that resonated, and it still does today.

And they saw fairytales. Paul Salmon kicked 63 goals in 13 games at the start of the 1984 season before injury intervened. But a star had been born. Yet Essendon’s collection of silverware is the equal of any in VFL/AFL history. In countless journeys to the mountain, and the trial of its ascent, the Bombers have returned triumphant in 16 premierships."

The Bombers’ days at Windy Hill as its home ground drew to a close in 1991, using the MCG and then in 2000 moving its home base to the Docklands.

Now it is a time for excitement and turning focus to the club’s new, state-of-the-art home at Melbourne Airport where many memories will no doubt be forged ahead of its next period of success.

For all the key dates and details ahead of the move next week, please click here.