Essendon 2000 has to be the greatest Team of all Time?

[Roddy]

What’s the use of winning a flag?

Peak BigFooty

Reading a sentence through team-coloured glasses, seeing only what you wished to see.

Peak BigFooty.....

 

[GWT6]

Should have a massive asterisk next to it - It's pretty obvious Hird was using PEDs, so I assume some of the other players were (it's likely Woewodin also was for Melbourne).

Lance Armstrong may be the greatest cyclist of all time - but nobody is celebrating his achievements.

 

[Fadge]

Second best season behind the 2000 Bombers would have to be the 2007 Cats side. To have 7 all Australians is something else

9 in 2007.

Reduced to 7 in 2008.

Amazing team with amazing players.

 

[Sherrinator]

Fun fact, we only played 9 games at our 'home' ground of Telstra dome / Optus stadium / AFL central / Colonial Stadium / Marvel Stadium

Leave town you cowards

 

[Arr0w]

Arrow, you’re as sharp as a sponge.

Are you going to DM that it’s all just good banter, only to go crying to Chief to give me a 7 day break. That’s really soft.

You really are struggling

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Reading a sentence through team-coloured glasses, seeing only what you wished to see.

Peak BigFooty.....

You literally asked what’s the use of winning a flag

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Essendon were phenomenal that year.
Carlton probably the only decent side in that top 8 to contend in any other year.

Melbourne were average.
North on the decline after a very decent last few years.
Several other middling teams in and around the bottom part of the eight.
Brisbane, who were a season short of their big launch and three peat.

Essendon were far and away superior to any other team in that particular year, and the most dominant I’ve seen.

We really should have been talking about them as a dynasty team though. 99 they were upset in the prelim and would have rolled the eventual premiers. 2001 they were beaten by a team that performed better on the day, but one in which the Essendon captain himself said he was greatly disappointed by his teams performance.

Regardless of whether it should have been back to back or a three peat, the Bombers team at that time left at least one flag out there.

1999 yes. 2001 No.

Roos should of had it in 98. The football Gods made it up to them in 99. Unfortunately, The Bombers weren't so lucky. Although they did get it the next year.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Joke question.

Not even the best Essendon side in livjng memory. Essendon 1984 would have beaten them to a pulp and shat the remains in the gutter of Mt Alexander Road.

2000 was a crap year, Essendon a very skilled side head and shoulders above the rest but the lack of any reasonable rival made them look better. Footy got better and Essedon were left behind.

Underperformed? Not really, they were susceptible to the thump, as Carlton and Brisbane showed.

Lloyd was hard and Hird wore hits and still played well but you coukd rattle the Bombers cage and they didn't like it.

Very good, but not even great.

Yep a very good team benefitting from a weak season competition wise.

Lions '01 were a much better team as the grand final proved. Also beat them in round 10 (if it bleeds) which kick started a 20 game winning streak.

 

[cliffdrabble]

I tend to favour the teams that become Premiers when they beat other super teams of that particular season. So my contenders would be Essendon 1985, Brisbane 2001, Geelong 2009 and Geelong 2011. I will go or Geelong 2011, they humiliated a team that ended on top of the ladder with the highest ever percentage for a minor premier, not once but 3 times.

 

[RonnieRaven]

Essendon 2000 team was amazing but a big astrix they were obviously over the cap afl had a quiet word to them and they off loaded Hardwick caracella and Blomfield pretty bloody quickly!

 

[Mcarcherey]

"Were Essendon 2000 the greatest side ever to play the game in a single season?"

Op didn't say that...

On Pixel 6 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[windyhill]

Yep a very good team benefitting from a weak season competition wise.

Lions '01 were a much better team as the grand final proved. Also beat them in round 10 (if it bleeds) which kick started a 20 game winning streak.

Obviously another non thread reader.

 

[boncer34]

They were good. But one premiership is a poor return.

I'll give you $50 if you can name one team that won more than one premiership in one season.

 

[Fadge]

I'll give you $50 if you can name one team that won more than one premiership in one season.

Do Wizard Cups count?

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Geelong 2011>>>Geelong 2008.

The Cats didn't shit themselves on Grand Final day that year. In before someone says we did. We didn't. We got outplayed by a superior side on the day and throughout the year. Didn't get near them at the end. That side were simply brilliant and did it minus Ablett. Premierships is all that matters so if we're going to have a comparison I'd put the Catters of 11 instead of 2008.

Did dethrone us as well and for almost 3 quarters is was a ripping contest. Bombers 2000 still beats that team though. Just. A kick would decide it. But Sheedy and Hird get it done.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Bombers 2000
Blues 95
Cats 2011
Lions 2001

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I thought Geelong's 2008 team was better, but they shockingly messed up on Grand final day.

Sadly this is true. The 2008 team is the best Geelong team I’ve see .

 

[Fadge]

Rankings since 2000 - teams must have won both the Minor Premiership AND Premiership to qualify:

1. Essendon 2000
2. Geelong 2007
3. Collingwood 2010
4. Hawthorn 2013
5. Geelong 2022
6. Port Adelaide 2004
7. Collingwood 2023
8. Melbourne 2021
9. West Coast 2006

 

[TheUnicorn]

Op didn't say that...

On Pixel 6 using BigFooty.com mobile app

Technically you're right. He actually said...

"Were Essendon 2000 were the greates side ever to play the game in a single season? "

I just tidied up his grammer to
"Were Essendon 2000 the greatest side ever to play the game in a single season?"​

 

[Blues177]

I tend to favour the teams that become Premiers when they beat other super teams of that particular season. So my contenders would be Essendon 1985, Brisbane 2001, Geelong 2009 and Geelong 2011. I will go or Geelong 2011, they humiliated a team that ended on top of the ladder with the highest ever percentage for a minor premier, not once but 3 times.

Geelong’s win in 2011 is certainly worthy of mention.
The top 3 contenders were very strong in 2011. Geelong also defeated 3 times Hawthorn who narrowly lost a prelim after finishing 18-4 that season in 3rd position on the ladder.

 

[Ctracks]

You really are struggling

Them’s fighting words Mr.

 

[BruceTempany14]

Who else can really compare to that team? Losing a single game all season and destroying teams left right and centre is just unheard of. Geelong 2008 had their chance, but they got beaten when it truly mattered. They can't be compared to the great Dons in that respect because there's no flag. It's a results orientated business where nothing else matters but delivering the end product. Balls and nerves of steel and a championship mindset to reign supreme after suffering such heartbreak the year before at the hands of The Koutifides inspired Navy Blues. The word was they all sat down together at dinner ( eating a meal, a succulent chinese meal? ) after the Grand Final of 1999 and vowed to ensure that they take out the cup in 2000. And they fulfilled on that promised to one another and ran through every one in their wake leaving behind a path of destruction and damaged goods capturing The Premiership Cup.

Essendon 2000 is the greatest team to play the game. 16 Teams in the comp, the past teams just had way less teams to compare.

Who could you make comparisons with for arguments sake that they could match it with or topple The Dons? IMO you can't. But why not debate as we all love a good yarn.

Yeah nah . Not in the top 5 of the past 50 years, and not even the best Essendon side. The better sides IMO are :
Richmond 74
Carlton ( anyone of 79 81 or 82)
Essendon of 85
Hawthorn of 89 88 83 91
Brisbane ( anyone of 2001-03)
WCE 92

Still a great team ,but for me lacked a real menacing presence.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Jugada]

Love to see the nuffy contrarians always popping up in threads like this

 

[My Tilly]

Sadly this is true. The 2008 team is the best Geelong team I’ve see .

I actually go with 2009. They were battle-hardened and you knew they weren't putting in maximum effort week to week like they did 2007-2008. They knew they could end a game in a quarter of footy and just ease up as it was all about September for that team.

A couple of new challengers emerged on the scene in the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood.
I never once feared St Kilda if we faced them once more in September. I recall majority of pundits were confident of St Kilda getting a hold of us again.

 

[Bombfire]

"Tough" lol. Brisbane shat on them the year after and Carlton the year before.

Which has nothing to do with 2000.
You won't get a tougher, skilled and cohesive footy team, than 2000.