Almanac Footy – Essendon in Finals: More fun facts

As has been well aired recently, 6,205 days have passed since Essendon last won a finals match. But that’s only the, er, thin end of the iceberg. Consider the following:

 

 

• Since 2004, Essendon have lost seven finals, to seven different teams. Every team in the AFL except Gold Coast, who have yet to play one, have won at least one finals match in that time.

 

• Kevin Sheedy is the only living man to have coached Essendon to finals victory.

 

• Essendon also went 15 years without a finals win between 1968 and 1983.

 

• In 1995, Essendon were the opposition when Richmond had their first finals win for 13 years, In 2011, Carlton tasted finals success for the first time in 10 years, against…I’ll let you guess. (Of course, it shouldn’t ever be forgotten that in 1990 they were also the first team to lose a Grand Final to Collingwood for 32 years.)

 

• Between 1996 and 1999, Essendon played six Finals matches, for two victories and four defeats. Three of the losses were by a point each.

 

• Over the last 44 years of their existence in the VFL/AFL, Fitzroy won a total of four finals, three of which (in 1979, 1981 and 1986) were against Essendon.

 

• Port Adelaide’s first two victories in finals matches were both against Essendon.

 

 

Have I missed anything? Further contributions welcome…

 

 

 

 

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Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

 

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