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6 unusual facts about Essendon Football Club


Colin Hall Simpson

Simpson was a keen supporter of the Essendon Football Club, serving as its vice president from 1947 to 1964.

Fergie Speakman

Speakman was also a committee member, life member and chairman of selectors of the Essendon Football Club.

Lipotropin

Allegations have arisen around the use of the drug and its administration to players of the Essendon Football Club as a supplement, including weekly administration to players in the 2012 season.

Specky Magee

He supports five AFL teams, something he cops a lot of flack for: Essendon, Brisbane, Collingwood, Sydney and West Coast.

Windy Hill Fitness Centre

The health club was renovated in 2007 as part of a redevelopment by the Football Club with the Shower Grand Stand demolished, and the new gym built next to where the Essendon Bowls Club once had a third green.

The facility was built by the Essendon Football Club for use by both the community and its players back in 1995.


1918 VFL season

In Round 14, Len Phillips of Essendon played the last of his 13 senior VFL matches, having played his first VFL match for St Kilda in 1914.

1943 VFL season

In the spiteful round 1 match between Essendon and South Melbourne, a vicious brawl broke out in the last quarter when South Melbourne's Jack "Basher" Williams felled Ted Leehane (apparently in a square-off retribution for Leehane's similar action against Williams in the 1942 Preliminary Final) which involved a dozen players, team officials, trainers, fans, and police.

1952 VFL season

Essendon winger Lance Mann wins the 1952, 130-yard Stawell Gift in eleven and fourteen-sixteenths seconds, off a handicap of 7¼yards; his team-mate, half-back flanker Norm McDonald, running off a handicap of 5 yards, comes second.

1956 VFL season

Essendon Third Eighteen footballer and junior champion athlete Ron Clarke, son of 1931 Essendon Best and Fairest Tom Clarke, and brother of Essendon champion Jack Clarke, lit the Olympic Flame in the 1956 Olympics' opening ceremony.

Alan Ezard

Originally from Broadford, Victoria, Ezard made his debut with the Essendon Football Club in 1983 and made a name for himself as a very strong mark for a 173 cm man, playing mostly in the forward pocket or as a rover.

Courtney Johns

Johns was recruited by Essendon from East Fremantle (WAFL) playing in the colts, State U18s & reserves, until a career threatening fractured labrum in his draft year (2002 rookie draft) which kept him from the playing field for over two years.

Footy Classified

It was reported on 21 September 2012 that Grant Thomas won't be returning in 2013, Nine announced on 28 November 2012 that former Essendon Captain Matthew Lloyd will replace Thomas in 2013.

Japan national Australian rules football team

Michito Sakaki, current captain of the Samurai, has trained with the Essendon Football Club and played semi-professionally in Australia has been All-International in both 2005 and 2008.

Mark Harvey

On 13 June 2010 The Age newspaper journalist Emma Quayle revealed in her book Nine Lives: football, cancer and getting on with life on former Essendon Football Club player Adam Ramanauskas that Harvey had, 10 years earlier, suffered from a brain tumour.

Martin McKinnon

He twice received the maximum three Brownlow votes while with Adelaide, for 23 disposals in a win over reigning premiers Essendon in 1994 and for 25 disposals against St Kilda for which he received an AFL Rising Star nomination in 1995.

Renton Millar

In an interesting aside Renton attended Essendon Grammar and shared the same year level as Curtis Stone - a famous chef, Shannon Bennett of Vue De Mond one of Australia's top chefs and Dustin Fletcher who is a champion AFL footballer, playing for Essendon.

Rohan Bewick

He is the son of former Corey Bewick, who also played for West Perth, and the nephew of former Essendon player Darren Bewick.


see also

Gumbleton

Scott Gumbleton, an Australian rules footballer who currently plays for Essendon Football Club.

Jack Clarke

Jack E. Clarke (1933–2001), former Essendon Football Club player and coach

Ronald Evans

Ron Evans (1939–2007), Australian rules footballer, Chairman of the Australian Football League, and President of the Essendon Football Club