1993 - What a Year
Scores:
ESSENDON....20.13.133
CARLTON.....13.11.89
The Team:
| Backs | G. Wanganeen | D. Fletcher | D. Grenvold |
| Half-Backs | M. Thompson | M. Harvey | J. Misiti |
| Centres | R. Olarenshaw | S. Denham | P. Hills |
| Half-Forwards | M. Mercuri | J. Hird | M. Long |
| Forwards | D. Bewick | P. Salmon | T. Watson |
| Followers | P. Somerville | G. O'Donnell | D. Calthorpe |
| I/C | C. Daniher | D. Wallis |
...a dream
Even looking at this year now, it really makes you wonder how it could've happened. It would not have been possible to "create" a better year - everything went right - Essendon literally won the lot! The only trouble I am having writing this report is where do you start?
Well I guess the best place would be the Foster's Cup - yep, we won that too. After finishing eighth in 1992, the club and supporters alike were not expecting a very big year from the Dons. Spirits were lifted during the Foster's Cup, where a group of "kids" from Essendon's own playground emerged as the best young talents in the league. Guys like Mark Mercuri, Joe Misiti, David Calthorpe, Ricky Olarenshaw, Dustin Fletcher and Jimmy Hird (although James is actually from Canberra, his father and grandfather played for Essendon, so I guess he really fits into this category). These players are now integral parts of the Essendon side each week, holding down key positions and helping Essendon's hopes for another flag soon.
The first big win
We made the final of the Foster's Cup against Richmond, and it was a big event on the night - fireworks, a band, a big crowd - 75,533, but more importantly, the Dons lead from start to finish to beat the Tigers by 23 points, 14.18.102 to 11.13.79. Gavin Wanganeen, who had a brilliant series, was named the Michael Tuck Medalist, and already Essendon was beginning to show that 1993 was going to be a good year - a very good year.
Slow start
The regular season started indifferently for the Dons, only one win from the first five rounds, and that draw against Carlton, where Kernahan had that kick which he put out on the full! In round 6 we played Geelong, the day of the full-forwards, with Salmon kicking 10 and Ablett kicking 14. Up to this point we still hadn't set the world on fire, but all that was about to change. We won eleven of the next thirteen games, a time in which Tim Watson returned from retirement - a move which would prove invaluable in our pursuit of the flag that year. Also in that time Essendon played - what I consider to be - their best game for the year. It occured in round 17 on a cold and wet Friday night at the MCG before a crowd of 87,573. It was night Essendon absolutely trashed Collingwood, 18.15.123 to 7.13.55, and it was after this game that many started saying - "Well who could beat Essendon for the flag?"
Near Disaster
The last game of the season was nearly a disaster. We travelled down to Geelong where we lost by 32 points - and nearly lost half the team. Fletcher, Misiti, Thompson, Wallis and Hird were all injured and suddenly our premiership hopes had taken a dive. As it happened, due to other results that weekend, Essendon still finished
on the top of the ladder, an amazing feat given our slow start to the year.
The Finals
Then the finals, and it was a series that we will never forget. Our first meeting was with second placed Calrton in the first ever night final, played at the MCG. We went into the game minus a number of key players - casualties of the Geelong clash. We ended up losing by 2 points, 15.10.100 to 14.14.98, but we were really the winners on the night given our line up and the way the team played. This loss meant we had to come up against the Eagles in a sudden death play off. For this game we regained some of
the injured players, Hird, Fletcher and Misiti, but Harvey went out with injury. We played good footy in the first half to set up the easy 32 point victory, 16.12.108 to 11.10.76.
The Comeback
So now all the Dons had to do to meet Carlton again in the Grand Final was to beat Adelaide in Melbourne - a seemingly simple task given their form away from home all year. Well, how wrong that theory turned out to be, by half time we were down by a massive 42 points - for many it looked like the Premiership campaign had come to an end. But then the almighty Dons come out and blitzed the Crows in the second half to win the game and record one of the greatest finals comebacks in the history of the game. The
final score was Essendon 17.9.111 to Adelaide 14.16.100. As The Age's Sports section cover read: "Glory Be! Essendon stages the greatest comeback since Lazarus!"
A Brownlow?
And so the scene was set for a classic Grand Final between two of the league's greatest teams, Carlton and Essendon. But before that took place, the Brownlow Medal count on the Monday before had more good news for the Bombers. Gavin Wanganeen was handed the Brownlow Medal, only the fourth Essendon player ever to receive it. Some said this was not as good as it seemed, as many players who win the Brownlow and go on to play in the Grand Final don't put in very good perfo
rmances, but with Gavin's composure, he did not let us down.
The Grand, Grand Final
So to the game, we (my family and I) arrived at the ground at 7:30am, to ensure we got seats right on the wing in the Great Southern Stand - no reserved seats for members. By the time the gates opened, the queue was already about a kilometre long - this was going to be a big game. With almost a full list to pick from, the team was much stronger than the one which had lost to Carlton by 2 points, and it showed. Essendon dominated the game, fantastic to watch as a supporter, but not the greatest spectacle -
but who cares? We won the premiership flag in front of 96,862 people! The final score was 20.13.133 to 13.11.89. To top it all off, Michael Long won the Norm Smith Medal in the Year of the Indigenous People, not only playing well in the Grand Final, but dominating throughout the finals series. Who will forget his run through the centre of the ground, four bounces, and capping it off with a goal. And Gavin Wanganeen, the Brownlow Medalist from the back-pocket, kicking the l
ast goal of the game.
Honours List
This indeed was a year to savour. The final list of accolades stood at:
- Night Premiers
- Day Premiers
- Minor Premiers (top of the ladder)
- Michael Tuck Medal
- Brownlow Medal
- Norm Smith Medal
- 2 All-Australians (Mark Harvey and Gavin Wanganeen)
- All-Australian Coach (Kevin Sheedy)
- 5 Rising Star Nominations
- ...and Father of the Year (yes, Tim Watson)
It will certainly go down as one of the greatest years in the history of the Essendon football club.
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We made the final of the Foster's Cup against Richmond, and it was a big event on the night - fireworks, a band, a big crowd - 75,533, but more importantly, the Dons lead from start to finish to beat the Tigers by 23 points, 14.18.102 to 11.13.79. Gavin Wanganeen, who had a brilliant series, was named the Michael Tuck Medalist, and already Essendon was beginning to show that 1993 was going to be a good year - a very good year.
So to the game, we (my family and I) arrived at the ground at 7:30am, to ensure we got seats right on the wing in the Great Southern Stand - no reserved seats for members. By the time the gates opened, the queue was already about a kilometre long - this was going to be a big game. With almost a full list to pick from, the team was much stronger than the one which had lost to Carlton by 2 points, and it showed. Essendon dominated the game, fantastic to watch as a supporter, but not the greatest spectacle -
but who cares? We won the premiership flag in front of 96,862 people! The final score was 20.13.133 to 13.11.89. To top it all off, Michael Long won the Norm Smith Medal in the Year of the Indigenous People, not only playing well in the Grand Final, but dominating throughout the finals series. Who will forget his run through the centre of the ground, four bounces, and capping it off with a goal. And Gavin Wanganeen, the Brownlow Medalist from the back-pocket, kicking the l
ast goal of the game.