Club History What's your most heartbreaking loss 💔

[Ren]

That was the first ANZAC game I attended, I remember the guy in front of me kicking the shit out of his chair when the siren went hahah

My inlaws were over that day and my reaction made that look tame lol

 

[BomberFan355]

‘96 Prelim hurt like hell.

 

[Squeaky]

That was the first ANZAC game I attended, I remember the guy in front of me kicking the shit out of his chair when the siren went hahah

At least we were competitive that day. But I agree, it is another in a long line of narrow, shitty heart-breaking losses that we seem to get on the wrong end of.
The first ANZAC day I went to we got Matthew Banks out of the twos to get slaughtered by Rocca.
That was shit.

 

[The Airing of Grievances]

In a crowded field of 1 point finals losses, the 1999 PF nevertheless a clear winner in my time as a Dons fan. That we were clearly so much better than them over the season , that it was the most hated enemy, and the unholy glee and mockery displayed by their fans generally and J Elliott in particular , takes it well clear of the 1996 and 1986 losses. We had received a fixturing free kick in 1996 and arguably lucky to even be in the PF, and at least at that time there was a bit of sympathy for old S Melbourne supporters of the Swans. In 1986 injuries had dragged us down and our late season form didn't suggest we'd have gone much further if we had won the EF.
But if we were to go back in a time capsule, imagine the pain of Bombers supporters in 1947-48. In 1947 , in an eerie precursor to the events of 1999, we met the horrid Blues in the GF and went down by a point after a woeful display of inaccuracy : Essendon 11.19 85, Carlton 13.8 86. Not to be outdone, our 1948 lads , 2 weeks after beating the Demons by 6 goals in the 2SF, came out and kicked 7.27 69 to scramble a draw with the same opponent who managed 10.9 69. Next week heart broken supporters watched as we crashed to a 39 point loss in the GF replay.
Speculation only , had we just kicked a fraction more accurately we'd hold the record of 5 successive flags. 6 , if the ruthless tribunal hadn't rubbed out Coleman from the 51 GF for retaliating to a sniper. Of course we did win the 1949 GF from 4th place, maybe the losses in the 2 previous years were the motivation that saw us soar to a flag from the 1SF.

 

[doug85]

I decided to rewatch the first half of the 2001 GF. We had a 20 point lead with a minute to go in the second quarter and had all the momentum.

I know we went on to lose by 5 goals, but I can’t help but think that if we didn’t let that junk time goal in it might have made a difference.

 

[Howard Moon]

I decided to rewatch the first half of the 2001 GF. We had a 20 point lead with a minute to go in the second quarter and had all the momentum.

I know we went on to lose by 5 goals, but I can’t help but think that if we didn’t let that junk time goal in it might have made a difference.

If memory serves, mercuri attempted a cross field pass which got intercepted and resulted in a Brisbane goal which sucked our momentum and gave them some going into HT

 

[Blind Turn]

Round 17 1987 is up there.

We got caught in the middle of a Sydney cyclone. For some reason the Swans played 3 in a row at the SCG and we were game 2 of 3. Their winning margins in those 3 games were 130 against WC, 163 against us, and 91 against Richmond. When we played in Sydney it was one of the few games you could watch live on TV during the season. To make things worse, one of my favourite past Essendon players kicked 3 goals playing for Sydney (Merv Neagle). Horrible watching experience for an impressionable 13 year old.

 

[Milanista28]

99 Prelim was the 1st time I cried after a game, leaving the MCG with Dad I had a little sulk, was 11 at the time, 2000 more than made up for it.

As an adult the game vs Sydney when Rohan kicked after the siren hurt a lot, sat in silence for a while after that one.

 

[Test Tickle]

Where do I start... so many to choose from.

 

[The Airing of Grievances]

Round 17 1987 is up there.

We got caught in the middle of a Sydney cyclone. For some reason the Swans played 3 in a row at the SCG and we were game 2 of 3. Their winning margins in those 3 games were 130 against WC, 163 against us, and 91 against Richmond. When we played in Sydney it was one of the few games you could watch live on TV during the season. To make things worse, one of my favourite past Essendon players kicked 3 goals playing for Sydney (Merv Neagle). Horrible watching experience for an impressionable 13 year old.

That was not a good day. Thankfully WCE erased our record losing margin at SCG a couple of seasons ago. Another painful watch in H&A was the 150+ shellacking at the hands of the 'orrible Hawks at the G in late 1992. Don't think many of us there that day saw a flag coming in the following season.

 

[Gumby2Hurley]

2014 elim final :\ my first final.

 

[Blind Turn]

That was not a good day. Thankfully WCE erased our record losing margin at SCG a couple of seasons ago. Another painful watch in H&A was the 150+ shellacking at the hands of the 'orrible Hawks at the G in late 1992. Don't think many of us there that day saw a flag coming in the following season.

It could get worse. We could’ve lost to Carlton by a point the following week…

checks AFL Tables

 

[FootyGuru]

The final vs the dogs had me in tears at half time. We had completely dominated them until that point and the umpires had kept the dogs in the game. Bartel saying none of those frees to weightman were there was the icing on the cake.

You could see our young immature side so frustrated that tensions boiled over before half time because obviously you can’t push and shove the umps.

I could just imagine what was spoken about during that break with the playing group, and we lost focus.

In saying all that it’s 99 loss to Carlton

 

[Howard Moon]

The final vs the dogs had me in tears at half time. We had completely dominated them until that point and the umpires had kept the dogs in the game. Bartel saying none of those frees to weightman were there was the icing on the cake.

You could see our young immature side so frustrated that tensions boiled over before half time because obviously you can’t push and shove the umps.

I could just imagine what was spoken about during that break with the playing group, and we lost focus.

In saying all that it’s 99 loss to Carlton

Wasn't just the weightman nonsense, reckon the weather also changed too which fell into their wheelhouse

 

[The Airing of Grievances]

It could get worse. We could’ve lost to Carlton by a point the following week…

checks AFL Tables

View attachment 2224028

My brain must have pushed that one deep into my repressed sub-conscious, thanks for the reminder. For added pain that one point win enabled Carlton to finish top, which advantage assisted their ultimate GF win . Of course the likely alternative scenario was another Hawthorn flag , possibly giving them a 4peat, so wadddya goin' do.

 

[Stopher]

Been poking around club boards looking for dream team smokies and noticed a few threads like this, thought it might be cool to see here, I mean we as a club specialise in routinely ripping our fans hearts out through their eyeballs- there should be an extensive list...hell in the last 2 years we have agonisingly lost after the siren multiple times, some clubs boards might have the gc, coll and port muggings in their top 5s for pain, for us it's just chicken feed.

Anyhow we are talking those losses that really knocked you about, you might have shed a tear, you might have still been feeling it a week later, teams win and lose each week, it's normal but there are these extra special losses that leave a mark.

(Let's be honest, any red blooded Essendon fan will all have the same one #1 but let's go through the motions anyway)

Here's a few of mine leading into the top 3

89 prelim v Geelong

Ten year old me toddled off to the g to see us destroy Geelong 3 weeks earlier, we looked awesome after finishing second on the ladder, hawthorn softened us up in the precursor, dermie flattened vdh, but I came out of that game thinking we were not far off them in a potential gf, just had to get there, Geelong had other ideas, 160 point turnaround. Tears were shed.

1990 grand final v coll

More tears were shed. How could we kill the collywobbles?

95 semi final v Richmond

Up by 5 goals at half time, cruising, enter scott turner who destroys Gary O'Donnell and awakens the tiger army... Painful on all accounts.

....onto my top 3

3. 2014 elimination final v the minnow

Cruising at half time, then some kid that looks like a decides to become a footballer, and Frank the tank makes an appearance - unforgivable loss!

2. 1996 prelim v Sydney

Sure we may have been under dogs this game but there was a real feeling we really wanted that gold centenary cup, we flew out the blocks in the lightning premiership and looked primed all season, after losing to Brisbane by a point agonisingly 2 weeks earlier this one really stung, we'd opened up a late 2 goal lead when Symonds hit a cheeky banana, Lloyd was gone with a spleen, bewick in a dressing gown with whiplash yet we were still on for a famous victory.. yeh nah. Could somebody have chopped off that plugger lead? Is it worth death? We just handed the minnow a flag with. Legend has it Sheedy gave the worst spray of his career which he still regrets.

#1 you know it, 99 prelim v Carlton

Best side all year, up against the old foe... how could we let this happen? All those late moments still etched, Mercs head in hands missing a soda, Wallis with the world at his disposal decides to try break through a junk yard dog first...Murphy holding the ball aloft. Horrible horrible times. I just sat there tier 3 of the ponsford in tears , numb, as that stupid bass droned round the stadium bap ba dup dada. ...and we just gave the minnows another flag. I don't even care if it spurred on 2000, if i could rewrite any game, it's this one.

Anyway, over to you, heartbreaking games for you?

This is basically my list too, with the added bonus that the 89 prelim was also my first game!

 

[mike ross]

1990, I was in tears after that.

1999, shocked. Couldn't believe what happened. That third quarter... I was numb driving home.

 

[windyhill]

1990, I was in tears after that.

1999, shocked. Couldn't believe what happened. That third quarter... I was numb driving home.

The third quarter Essendon played is some of the greatest football I've ever witnessed. Which was the problem, they went to the 3/4 time break smoking cigars. It was that good.

 

[Mikevk123]

2014 elimination final.
As well that game against Sydney where we gave up 3 goals within minutes.

One of the many Anzac Day chokes.

 

[Darealrath]

Wanganeen.

'99 and '96. I cried like a baby after '96 but was just despondent after '99. '01 I saw coming so wasn't quite as bad.

Not a loss but the '06 draw vs carlton really took it out of me. I was desperate not to get the spoon that year and it followed a blown game vs the saints.

 

[Honey Crumpets]

My Dad and his brother are Essendon supporters. One year, my Dad went to a Geelong game with a friend and had no cash on him, so his friend said he'd pay for the beers and meat pies on one condition, that my Dad barracked for Geelong for one year. Dad took up this offer, which was a bit disappointing for the family particularly for his grandmother, who happened to pass away soon after.
What's the heartbreaking loss?

Well her death, no doubt was heartbreaking at the time, but this was well before my time.

The heartbreaking loss is that due to my fathers lack of loyalty, she left all her deceased husbands football memorabilia to my uncle who remained a loyal Bombers supporter. This included a 1901 Premiership cap, a few invitations and little posters, and some other memorabilia.
The goods weren't divvied up between the boys. Just all to my uncle.

It's a funny story in our family, and I'm in my uncles ear to get one poster, because his kids don't care about Essendon at all.

 

[SydneyBomber]

My Dad and his brother are Essendon supporters. One year, my Dad went to a Geelong game with a friend and had no cash on him, so his friend said he'd pay for the beers and meat pies on one condition, that my Dad barracked for Geelong for one year. Dad took up this offer, which was a bit disappointing for the family particularly for his grandmother, who happened to pass away soon after.
What's the heartbreaking loss?

Well her death, no doubt was heartbreaking at the time, but this was well before my time.

The heartbreaking loss is that due to my fathers lack of loyalty, she left all her deceased husbands football memorabilia to my uncle who remained a loyal Bombers supporter. This included a 1901 Premiership cap, a few invitations and little posters, and some other memorabilia.
The goods weren't divvied up between the boys. Just all to my uncle.

It's a funny story in our family, and I'm in my uncles ear to get one poster, because his kids don't care about Essendon at all.

Your great grandmother is/was a boss, old-school.
Love it

 

[div12ressie]

both of hird's final two games (richmond? & WC)

 

[Squeaky]

both of hird's final two games (richmond? & WC)

I was at the Richmond one.
West Coast was despite Scotty Lucas' final qtr heroics.