Toast 150 Years of Essendon

[What else we can do]

Yeah North have a very interesting history that not many are aware of..



North Melbourne Football Club was founded in North Melbourne in 1869 by local cricketers desiring to keep fit over the winter months. One thought is that the club was connected to the St Mary's Church of England Cricket Club, now the St Mary's Anglican Church North Melbourne, whose colours – blue and white – are reflected in the club's colours today.[2] The association between the St Mary's Church of England Cricket Club and the establishment of the North Melbourne Football Club is believed to have been an informal gathering to play some competitive sport. Information on the club's first ever match is limited, but it is known that it took place in Royal Park, which also served as the club's home ground until 1882. The ball used in the match was purchased by a local resident called Tom Jacks, who sold some roofing iron to pay for it.[citation needed] James Henry Gardiner is considered the founder of the club. He continued an active role with North Melbourne until his death in 1921.[citation needed]

Regular premiership matches of Australian Football commenced in Victoria in 1870. Although North Melbourne was a part of this, it was classed as a "junior club". The Australasian noted them as being "one of the best of many junior clubs".[3]

The club continued to develop, graduating to senior ranks in 1874, finishing 4th. Along with the promotion, the club adopted its first uniform of blue and white horizontal stripes.[4]

In 1876, North Melbourne disbanded, and many of its player and members joined Albert-park,[5] giving the club such a strong North Melbourne character that many described it as "Albert-park cum North Melbourne". In 1877, the club was re-established as a stand-alone club under the new name of "Hotham".



I remember watching John Kennedy talk about the 75’ flag and the emotion he had in his eyes talking about the old North supporters who came up to him and thank him for coaching the premiership.

It was an extraordinary long journey (50 years) to win a flag after joining the VFL

Are Essendon's origins Presbyterian?

 

[Shane Heard]

This is off the top of my head, from a childhood obsessed with AFL history from a long time ago:

The 150 club, in order, would be:
Melbourne
Geelong
Carlton
North Melbourne
Port Adelaide
Essendon

Did I nail it?

North did it tough before finally joining the VFL in 1925. But won numerous flags in the secondary VFA comp.

The reasons put forward by the new breakaway VFL league formed in 1896 that North were to be rejected were…


North had not won a premiership yet, and thus was not considered a powerful club

The industrialisation of the locality had drained the club's income streams

The club had a strong reputation for hooliganism from their fans

There was a lot of bad blood between Collingwood and North following a torrid engagement in the previous season

Essendon felt threatened by the proximity of North Melbourne

A court case against the North Melbourne Cricket Club had damaged the Football Club's status

 

[Tim Evans Beard]

I wish i stole your valium.

Why? If I was on Valium and you stole it that would make me anxious? Have muscle spasms? Get ‘restless’ leg syndrome?

What symptom Valium treats would you like me to be subject to I was on it?

 

[footyfan1978]

This is off the top of my head, from a childhood obsessed with AFL history from a long time ago:

The 150 club, in order, would be:
Melbourne
Geelong
Carlton
North Melbourne
Port Adelaide
Essendon

Did I nail it?

North Melbourne goes back to 1874 but some 1869 connection to a cricket club on Hotham Hill so confusing to know it's actual date of origin.
Melbourne, Geelong and Carlton are far easier to pin down years formed and already all over 150 years old.
I think the Swans like North Melbourne have some origins back before 1874 name of South Melbourne when clubs from South Yarra, Emerald Hill and Albert Park might all be involved in it's origins?

I think Essendon formed in 1873 but some junior clubs known as some form of Essendon existed before this.

Melbourne 1858
Geelong 1859
and Carlton 1864 are far easier to have a set year of origin for the football clubs.

 

[footyfan1978]

FWIW the East Melbourne Cricket Ground where Essendon used to play was located where the townhouses are now, with the goals running north/south parallel to Jolimont Rd.

Corner Jolimont Road & Wellington Parade South - Barak Bridge in the distance down Jolimont Rd, MCG away to the left, Wellington Parade Sth leading to Flinders St and the city.

View attachment 1239547

Hosted 225 VFL matches including three finals.

I always thought it was said it was actually where the train tracks are now. Assumed it somewhere near old VFL house area.
Interesting if it not the actual rail area.

 

[Shane Heard]

Are Essendon's origins Presbyterian?

Protestant/Masons. I’m not sure if that’s the same as Presbyterian.

From my reading I know that Essendon’s history had a lot of players were from in government jobs/civil servants. A lot of fireman too. Teachers.


During WW2 many EFC players were not required for service because of the employment as “ essential services”. So we did win some flags during that time and of course not many went and died in battle.


One funny story by Sheedy is when he told RFC powerbroker Graham Richmond he was taking the job as coach at EFC , GR said horrified “ What? You’re going there? To join the heathens?”

Being the Catholic lads they were lol



A lot of our history has a foundation around club legend Dick Reynolds.

A quietly spoken man who didn’t drink and didn’t promote late night shenanigans as captain coach. The supreme gentleman admired by all and sundry. Other EFC champions like Hutchison and Clarke were the same.


John Coleman also continued that mindset later on as coach. Clean living etc

 

[Shane Heard]

I always thought it was said it was actually where the train tracks are now. Assumed it somewhere near old VFL house area.
Interesting if it not the actual rail area.

Boyles has all that information..including old maps ..a brilliant website

Tiki Installer Security Precaution

east melbourne football ground - Google Search

 

[What else we can do]

Protestant. I’m not sure if that’s the same as Presbyterian.

From my reading I know that Essendon’s history had a lot of players were from in government jobs/civil servants. A lot of fireman too. Teachers.


During WW2 many EFC players were not required for service because of the employment as “ essential services”. So we did win some flags during that time and of course not many went and died in battle.


One funny story by Sheedy is when he told RFC powerbroker Graham Richmond he was taking the job as coach at EFC , GR said horrified “ What? You’re going there? To join the heathens?”

Being the Catholic lads they were lol



A lot of our history has a foundation around club legend Dick Reynolds.

A quietly spoken man who didn’t drink and didn’t promote late night shenanigans as captain coach. The supreme gentleman admired by all and sundry. Other EFC champions like Hutchison and Clarke were the same.


John Coleman also continued that mindset later on as coach. Clean living etc

Presbyterian is a part of Protestantism it was formed in Scotland. I'm not 100% sure but I believe there is a link between Essendon, Presbyterians and Scotland.

 

[Shane Heard]

A great read about the EFC


“Conservative, solid, even patrician: from the beginning, these words were associated with the Essendon Football Club. Protestant and mason, too, in the times when sectarianism was a powerful dynamic in this town.

When the club was established in 1872, it was the first of the colonial football clubs not founded by cricketers, also the first in what was then an outer suburb, where the middle class was emigrating. From 1891, Essendon won four VFA premierships in a row, inspiring the club's first nickname. When one football follower asked another then who might win the premiership, he would invariably reply: ''The same old Essendon.'' The Same Olds they became. In 1897, they won the inaugural VFL (now AFL) premiership.”

The harder they fall

Conservative, solid, even patrician: from the beginning, these words were associated with the Essendon Football Club. Protestant and mason, too, in the times when sectarianism was a powerful dynamic in this town.

www.google.com

 

[footyfan1978]

oh, The East Melbourne Football Ground old location just gets more interesting. Going to have to go there now and work out where it actually was.
I want to know where this is.. " The former site of the ground has now been taken over by a housing estate, a feature of which is a semi-circular housing block with a tower, obviously designed to look like an ersatz football pavilion. "

 

[Shane Heard]

oh, The East Melbourne Football Ground old location just gets more interesting. Going to have to go there now and work out where it actually was.
I want to know where this is.. " The former site of the ground has now been taken over by a housing estate, a feature of which is a semi-circular housing block with a tower, obviously designed to look like an ersatz football pavilion. "

From Boyles..

 

[Ron The Bear]

I always thought it was said it was actually where the train tracks are now. Assumed it somewhere near old VFL house area.
Interesting if it not the actual rail area.

Not sure exactly how far down the playing surface was located. The ground was closed down to extend the railyards, and work began two days after the last football match there.

Here's a photo from Santo Caruso's book taken from Jolimont Road looking west towards the city.

 

[Shane Heard]

 

[footyfan1978]

Presbyterian is a part of Protestantism it was formed in Scotland. I'm not 100% sure but I believe there is a link between Essendon, Presbyterians and Scotland.

I find the whole Protestant thing very confusing.
Church of England, Anglican, Methodists, Wesleyan, Calvinism, Evangelical or whatever they all called. ****ing confusing. Down with the ****ing Prods from Essendon...

 

[Shane Heard]

Tiki Installer Security Precaution

 

[footyfan1978]

I am going for a walk around East Melbourne for sure to get a feel for this history.

 

[Shane Heard]

This book has been the definitive history for many years going into great detail of the club’s origins.
Here’s the start of it for those interested…

 

[Ron The Bear]

I am going for a walk around East Melbourne for sure to get a feel for this history.

Used to work across the road and discovered one day while goofing off that the ground had been right outside the window. Possibly from one of those Boyle's maps.

 

[Shane Heard]

I am going for a walk around East Melbourne for sure to get a feel for this history.

Here’s a great picture from Maplestone’s book… the East Melbourne ground and the MCG view from the botanical gardens in probably the 1870s

Knife is pinning down page flat ..

 

[What else we can do]

I find the whole Protestant thing very confusing.
Church of England, Anglican, Methodists, Wesleyan, Calvinism, Evangelical or whatever they all called. ******* confusing. Down with the ******* Prods from Essendon...

It's basically not recognising the hierarchy of the Pope and the Catholic church. I think all clubs that have protestant origins have a connection to the Protestant groups mentioned eg Bulldogs with Church of England etc.. The Bluebaggers were the only secular club.

 

[Shane Heard]

Not sure exactly how far down the playing surface was located. The ground was closed down to extend the railyards, and work began two days after the last football match there.

Here's a photo from Santo Caruso's book taken from Jolimont Road looking west towards the city.

View attachment 1239557

Is that “ Football Grounds of Melbourne “

Just looked it up…I’m getting a copy of that

 

[footyfan1978]

It's basically not recognising the hierarchy of the Pope and the Catholic church. I think all clubs that have protestant origins have a connection to the Protestant groups mentioned eg Bulldogs with Church of England etc.. The Bluebaggers were the only secular club.

I think Carlton had social games between the Prods and the Paddy's even in the 1980's.
Fairly sure those larrikins in the 1980's teams would sometimes play these soccer games between each other, maybe on Sunday morning before drinking in social club and watching World of Sport on a Sunday?

 

[Shane Heard]

North Melbourne goes back to 1874 but some 1869 connection to a cricket club on Hotham Hill so confusing to know it's actual date of origin.
Melbourne, Geelong and Carlton are far easier to pin down years formed and already all over 150 years old.
I think the Swans like North Melbourne have some origins back before 1874 name of South Melbourne when clubs from South Yarra, Emerald Hill and Albert Park might all be involved in it's origins?

I think Essendon formed in 1873 but some junior clubs known as some form of Essendon existed before this.

Melbourne 1858
Geelong 1859
and Carlton 1864 are far easier to have a set year of origin for the football clubs.

“Essendon Football Club was born in 1872 at Ailsa, the home of Robert McCracken, local brewery and hotel owner. The club was formed as a junior club, meaning they could field more players in games against senior teams, or would play Seconds of senior clubs. In 1873 the first games is recorded as being played against Carlton Seconds, a win.”

I’d have to read up again to verify, but do remember that when the original VFA was formed, EFC adopted the red and black colours from the McCraken family coat of arms. They were Scottish.

 

[Juddernaut08]

Interestingly it seems as though there is a reluctance from some in the Essendon supporter fraternity to acknowledge the club had an unpalatable moniker. That Essendon ran a club endorsed PED program. That Essendon got off lightly for intentional salary cap breeches that crippled Carlton. That a coach believed an Aboriginal player who was an integral part of the ‘92 and ‘93 would be unreliable in the ‘93 grand final for cultural reasons. That little Jobe deserves to keep his medal.

They don’t even know who they are and have an identity crisis. This documentary will be a cross between cluedo and guess who as we try and figure out which non- Essendon entity is responsible for Essendon failings that never happened …

Fantastic post.

 

[footyfan1978]

“Essendon Football Club was born in 1872 at Ailsa, the home of Robert McCracken, local brewery and hotel owner. The club was formed as a junior club, meaning they could field more players in games against senior teams, or would play Seconds of senior clubs. In 1873 the first games is recorded as being played against Carlton Seconds, a win.”

I’d have to read up again to verify, but do remember that when the original VFA was formed, EFC adopted the red and black colours from the McCraken family coat of arms. They were Scottish.

This is some of what I reading or origins.
It was formed by a band of followers who had rich land, horse racing and agricultural interests. All founders were associated with the Royal Agricultural Society, the Victoria and Moonee Valley Clubs, the Melbourne Hunt Club and Victorian Woodbrokers.
The Club was formed at a meeting in Kent Street, Ascot Vale at home of Mr Robert McCracken.

... The Senior club was formed in 1873 and was known as "The Same Old" for many years although junior Essendon clubs were in existence in 1871.