Gavin Wanganeen
Career: 1991-1996
Games: 127 games
The South Australian’s time at Essendon was brief but brilliant.
The Bombers recruited Gavin Wanganeen with the number 12 pick in the 1989 draft. He made his debut against Richmond in round one, 1991. He played 18 games that year and won Essendon’s best first year player award.
The courageous back pocket didn’t waste any time making his mark on the AFL. In 1992 he became an All-Australian for the first time, but it was the 1993 season that was his most prolific.
He was awarded the Michael Tuck Medal as Essendon’s best player in the 1993 Foster’s Cup Grand Final victory against Richmond.
Wanganeen played 18 home and away matches that season. The Bombers finished on top of the ladder and won through to the Grand Final after a thrilling come from behind preliminary final win against Adelaide.
The Brownlow Medal count kick started the Grand Final week festivities but, after seven rounds, it was shaping as a quiet night for Wanganeen. He picked up his first votes in round eight and had just seven votes to his name by round 15. Then a stellar month of football where he picked up 11 votes catapulted him into the lead and he held on to win by one vote from Garry Hocking and Greg Williams.
By the end of the week, Wanganeen had a premiership medal to add to his collection. Essendon beat Carlton by 44 points with Wanganeen collecting 20 disposals and kicking a goal. He was named in the All-Australian side that year and again in 1995.
Wanganeen left Essendon at the end of the 1996 season to return home to South Australia where he joined new club, Port Adelaide.
In 1997, Wanganeen was named in the back pocket for Essendon’s Team of the Century and in 2002, Wanganeen was voted the 19th best Essendon player of all time in the ‘Champions of Essendon’ list.
Did the loss of Wanganeen cost Essendon the 1999 and 2001 Premierships? What did you enjoy about Wanganeen's time at the Bombers?
