This is the first of what is hopefully a week by week feature from me. Each week, I will try and write an article on an old match that Essendon played. Today's Blast from the Past is the first round of 2000 between the Bombers and Port Power.
It was the start of what would end up being a record breaking season. A season where the Bombers would only lose a single game. It all started with a thumping of Port Adelaide at the newly created Colonial Stadium.
Just some 6 months earlier, Essendon had lost their preliminary final against Carlton by one solitary point. Essendon were almost dead certainties to win the flag in that year, and vowed to go one further in the first year of the new Millennium. They had won the pre-season comp without breaking a sweat, and went into the season as Flag favourites as they came up against Port Power to start the season.
They dominated the match, winning by a mammoth 94 points. Champ, Matthew Lloyd kicked 7 goals, while Hird kicked 4 in his comeback from a stress fracture in his foot the previous year and Bewick kicked 3 as the Bombers ripped apart the Power in a scintillating display of football.
They started strongly with Michael Long kicking the first ever goal in the AFL at Colonial Stadium and kept Port goalless until well into the 2nd term. The Power never looked in the hunt, only kicking 2 goals and 8 behinds to half time and ending up with only 8 goals at the final siren.
Among the highlights were Dustin Fletcher who kept youngster Warren Tredrea down to one goal, Jason Johnson and Michael Long who produced the running in the middle of the ground under the ruck work of John Barnes. Matthew Lloyd and James Hird benefited from the wonderful delivery from the midfield, while small forward Darren Bewick was there whenever a ball was spilt. It was a brilliant start for Lloyd in his bid to win his first Coleman medal, despite a knock to the head and a report.
It was an all round effort from the Bombers, where they produced 10 goal kickers and a brilliant start to what would become and unforgettable season.
Credit: Essendon FC
