This move away from Essendon, at a time when fans would walk to their local ground, did not go over well with many Essendon people ; and, as a consequence, a new team and club was formed in 1900, unconnected with the first ( although it played in the same colours ), that was based at the Essendon Cricket Ground, and playing in the Victorian Football Association.

Essendon did manage to make the 1968 VFL Grand Final, but lost a heartbreaker to Carlton by just three points and would not make it back to the big stage for a decade-and-a-half.

They failed to make the Grand Final that year ( eventually won by Essendon ), but in 1950 they did reach the final, defeated by a more efficient Essendon.

Although the Cats did not make the Finals, Ablett's new-found dominance up forward was highlighted during the season with his bags of ten or more goals on five occasions – including a 14 goal performance against Essendon in Round 6.

He made his district cricket debut in 1916 for Essendon, at the age of 19, but did not distinguish himself.

After long discussions about a new contract with the Bombers, McPhee did not sign a new contract with Essendon by the 2. 00pm deadline on 10 November 2009.

Despite recruiting Essendon full forward Geoff Blethyn, the Tigers fell to last in 1973 with only four wins, and did even worse in 1975 with only three wins as Moss went to Essendon.

It did not take long for Misiti to make his senior debut, named in the Essendon line-up in late 1992.

Although the first electric tram was introduced in 1885 at Doncaster and ran for 11 years, the electric tram network did not seriously commence until 1906 when the Victorian Railways built an " Electric Street Railway " from St Kilda railway station to Brighton, and the North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company ( NMETL ) built a feeder line from the terminus of the cable system out towards Essendon.

He noted that with the departure of great team leaders and club legends like Nathan Buckley for Collingwood, Michael Voss for the Brisbane Lions and James Hird for Essendon, the AFL had lost much of its leadership, and did not hesitate to name Brett Kirk as one of the few who has taken the mantle of the league's most influential and consistent leaders, alongside players such as that of Brisbane's Jonathan Brown.

Essendon struggled to make the finals in 4th place, but once there they suddenly ignited to put in one of the most consistently devastating September performances in VFL history.

It was removed to make way for the Essendon Bowls Club, who had lost their greens with the construction of the leisure centre.

Essendon won its first VFL premiership by winning the 1897 VFL finals series.

But the low crowds for the finals meant this was never attempted again, resulting in Essendon having the unique record of winning the only two premierships without a grand final.

Indeed, after finishing third in the 1926 season, it was to be 14 years before Essendon would even contest a finals series.

With ' King Richard ' still holding court as coach in 1951, albeit now in a non-playing capacity, Essendon seemed on course for a third consecutive flag but a controversial four week suspension dished out to John Coleman on the eve of the finals effectively put paid to their chances.

Essendon played in the finals series in 1982, but lost to North Melbourne.

The 2005 season saw Essendon miss the finals for the first time since 1997, finishing with their second-worst result to that time under Sheedy's coaching, 13th position with 8 wins and 14 losses.

2007 was a much better season for Essendon, in which, despite significant wins over Adelaide ( twice ), Fremantle, St Kilda, Sydney ( by one point in Sydney ), the previous year's premiers West Coast ( their second successive win by a solitary point ) and Carlton, they missed the finals for the third year running.

In July 2007 and with six rounds remaining in the home and away season, Essendon was placed just outside the top Eight and on the brink of making the finals once again when it was announced that Kevin Sheedy's contract would not be renewed after 27 years.

Essendon finished the 2009 season in 8th place, thereby qualifying for the finals series.

Hird coached Essendon to the 2011 finals, where they lost against bitter rivals in an elimination final at the MCG in front of a record crowd.

After Carey kicked another 5 goals in the first round of the finals to ensure a comfortable win over Essendon, he had kicked 45 goals in the previous nine games and averaged 22 disposals and 9 marks per game.

He kicked 9 goals against Geelong in Round 16, followed it up the next week with a 10 goal, 12 mark and 24 disposal performance in a losing side against Essendon and in the wet in a Qualifying Final against Port Adelaide had 11 marks, 24 disposals and 6 goals in one of his greatest finals performances.

Though both teams fought hard, the Demons came out on top by 19 points, keeping their finals dreams alive and moving above Essendon on the ladder.

* Essendon wins the 1st VFL Premiership ( under the finals system used this year only, no Grand Final is played )

The appointment of Kevin Sheedy to a marketing role at Richmond following Sheedy's resignation as Essendon coach also resulted in more pressure on Wallace to deliver the Tigers a much overdue finals appearance in 2009.

The elimination final against eighth placed Essendon at Patersons Stadium was then the club's biggest ever game, but ended in disappointment for the home team, with the finals experience of Essendon proving too strong for the young team.

* Essendon wins the 28th VFL Premiership: under the finals system used, no Grand Final is played.

On 25 July 2007, with 6 weeks remaining until the finals, Essendon was on the brink of making the finals yet again when surprisingly it was announced by the Club that Sheedy's contract, due to expire at the end of the season, would not be renewed.

This caused a tension between the two camps and came back to bite Sheedy, with North Melbourne defeating the Essendon Football Club in a finals match that season.

* The first ever final played at the ground was also the first ever elimination final played in AFL history, played between St Kilda and Essendon in 1972.

James Hird ( born 4 February 1973 ) is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Gavin Adrian Wanganeen ( born 18 June 1973 ) is a retired Australian rules footballer, playing in two Australian Football League premierships with Essendon and Port Adelaide.

Matthews made his presence felt early again in 1973 with an amazing 11 goal haul against Essendon in round 3.

In 1894, through services from Brighton Beach to Essendon were introduced, an arrangement that continued until 1973, when Sandringham services were altered to run through to the St Kilda and Port Melbourne lines.

John Douglas Coleman ( 23 November 1928 – 5 April 1973 ) was an Australian rules footballer and coach for Essendon in the Victorian Football League ( now the AFL ).

The 70s Essendon sides were involved in many rough and tough encounters under Tuddenham, who himself came to logger heads with Ron Barassi at a quarter time huddle where both coaches exchanged heated words.

This raw but talented group of youngsters took Essendon to an elimination final in 1979 under Barry Davis but were again thrashed in an Elimination Final, this time at the hands of Fitzroy.

As it turned out, 2006 would prove to be the worst season for Essendon under Sheedy, and its worst in over 70 years, with a multitude of injuries and poor form affecting the team, none more so than the serious hamstring injury suffered by newly appointed captain Lloyd.

Hird spent most of the season in the Essendon Reserves, which under Denis Pagan won the premiership that season.

In the 2002 National Draft, his son, Jobe Watson, was drafted by Essendon under the father-son rule.

He remained at Essendon as an assistant coach under Kevin Sheedy, and in the years since was often suggested as a possible senior coach.

He played his final league game against Essendon as well, in the 2004 finals, and again Melbourne lost by under a kick.

In 2007, the airport was re-designed under a new master plan, as part of the Essendon Fields development.

Aberfeldie Football Club is now part of the Essendon District Football League and the Aberfeldie Cricket Club is under the jurisdiction of the Victorian Turf Cricket Association and the North West Cricket Association.

Essendon ( 23. 17 ) defeated Geelong ( 12. 14 ) by 69 points the following Monday night in the first official VFL match to be played under floodlights.

The Dockers ' failure to live up to their perceived potential under the guidance of Connolly led to some off-field changes prior to the 2006 season, with two high-profile assistant coaches from Essendon in Mark Harvey and Robert Shaw joining the Dockers coaching staff.