Why do you hate Essendon?

[The Adelaide Connection]

All the "big club" arrogance from practically every Bombers fan I have ever known and, I know it is probably luck of the draw, but have always had the most insufferable fans within earshot at games.

I was at the 1993 prelim against Adelaide as a young kid and on the back of what I saw from their fans that night (in and around the ground, on trains, walking from point A to B) they really were cemented as rock bottom in my head forevermore. They've done nothing to change that.

Then there is the systemic cheating. Salary cap. Drugs saga. Just the worst culture with a bloodline that doesn't think it ever needs to take any accountability.

They are my most hated team. Last night felt extra awesome.

[Twodogs]

Sure we beat them in 1924 but there is plenty of speculation that they laid down and took money from the bookies because we were at long odds to win.

Then why did nobody from Essendon mention it for 11 years? And why was it a player better known as a North Melbourne player (Charlie Hardy) who just happened to be writing his recollections and need some publicity that first mentioned it? North were our real hated rivals and nobody from Essendon even hinted at foul play until a North Melbourne identity who just happened to be playing one of his 36 games for Essendon talked about it?


Do I believe that Essendon players took bribes from Richmond to throw the last game of 1924 when the result didn't matter? Yes I do.

Do I believe Footscray players attempted to bribe Port Melbourne players in 1922? Yes I do.

Do I believe that Footscray bribed Essendon players to throw a charity match in 1924? Not at all. I believe Essendon had been celebrating their VFL premiership for a fortnight and took us lightly and player who'd always hated us came up with a cover story more than a decade later

[NAUGHTY100]

I tend to think of Hawthorn, Melbourne and the orange ones as the teams I hate the most. Essendon gets forgotten off the list.
And every time I go to a game against them I'm reminded just how much their fans whinge about the umpiring and then leave early.
They're like Carlton with a better song. I hope their lack-of-finals-wins streak continues well into five digits.

- BNC

Cant agree any more about your point that their supporters are always whining and leaving early when getting beat .
I distictly remember the year Chris Grant kicked that goal from the boundary line in the dying minutes of the game , when we were the 1st side to beat them for the year .
When Granty kicked that goal with 5 mins or so left to play , 40 % of their crowd got up and left , they couldnt bear to see us beat them , arrogant so and so's .

[SonofScray]

Last night reminded me of the other reason I despise them. They are the self appointed moral police when it comes to The Spirit of the Game.

Despite being a pack of cheating pig scum, both salary and drug iterations, they have the absolute gall to tutt tutt tactics and approaches to the game that sees them come unstuck. The super flood. Against the spirit of the game. Libba tagging. Against the spirit of the game. Vandermeer gets a cheeky sack wack and goes down, outside the spirit of the game.

the deluded pricks really see themselves as custodians of all that is great and pure about footy.

lucky to even be in the league.

[Countrydog5]

My reasons are a little more petty. Every year the Herald Sun and other toilet paper rags publish a myriad of articles about how amazing their trade and draft season went, and the incessant "here they come" style pre-season hype ups. Every young player they have is the next league superstar. Winning against bottom 8 sides at home is enough to rev up the "bombers finals here we come" chatter. It's never-ending for a team that hasn't been relevant for 25 years.

Meanwhile, clubs like ours who actually have seen recent success, have brilliant young talent, and could do with the positive news backing see jack diddly squat.

I sincerely hope they win nothing for the next 50 years and we continue to belt them by 100 every second time we play them or whatever, just to maybe bring that arrogance back down a notch.

[Dry Rot]

Thanks for all the replies, almost as much fun as Saturday night.