Essendon

Essendon Football Club, also known by the nickname the "bombers", is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne which competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). As the winners of joint-record 16 AFL premierships, the club is one of the league's most decorated teams, tied only with Carlton. The club plays home matches at both the Marvel Stadium and Melbourne Cricket Ground. The team's colours are red and black, with the traditional home kit adorned with a red diagonal sash across the front of the majority-black vests.

📜 Essendon History

Founded in 1872, Essendon is one of the AFL's most historic sides, and in 1897 became a founder member of the Victorian Football League (VFL), which would go on to become the present-day AFL. As the winners of the inaugural VFL season, Essendon quickly stamped its mark on Aussie rules football in the late 1800's and early 1900's; the club went on to win the Premiership in 1901, 1911, 1912, 1923, and 1924, and also reached the grand final in 1898, 1902, and 1908.

Essendon then endured a relatively unsuccessful spell, failing to make the play-off finals between 1927 and 1939. In 1941, however, the club reached its first grand final in 18 years, and a year later the team secured its seventh premiership. Essendon continued its ascent following the Second World War, securing 3 premierships during a spell which saw the bombers reach 9 grand finals in 11 years.

Following the 1950's, Essendon's dominance then waned, though only relative to the exceptionally high standards set in earlier years: the club still won 6 premierships between 1962 and 2000, reached a further 4 grand finals in that period, and retained their reputation as one of the strongest sides in the AFL, particularly throughout the 1980's and 1990's.