Essendon (Association) Football Club (often shortened to Essendon 'A') was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

club which played in the

Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFA) from 1900 until 1921. The ''Dreadnoughts'' wore black and red, and played their home games at the Essendon Recreation Reserve (known today as

Windy Hill Windy Hill or Windy Hills may refer to: Places * Windy Hill, Essendon, an Australian rules football ground in the Melbourne area * Windy Hill Wind Farm, a wind power station near Ravenshoe, Queensland, Australia * Windy Hill (Pennines), a hill on t ...

). The club was originally formed as Essendon Town (1900–1904), in order to distinguish them from the

Essendon Football Club The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers or colloquially the Dons, is a professional Australian rules football club that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the game's premier competition. The club was formed by the McCrac ...

that played in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL).

History

The club was formed as Essendon Town in 1900 and joined the VFA that year. Essendon already had a team which competed in the VFL but many locals protested that they were based at East Melbourne instead of Essendon. The "Essendon Town Football Club" came about as a result, a side which would play their home games in the district. A winless season in 1903 meant that they took home their first wooden spoon. In 1905, the club officially changed its name to the "Essendon Football Club", the same name as the VFL club. To distinguish it from the VFL club, the club was referred to as Essendon (Association), Essendon (V.F.A.) or Essendon (A.) wherever there was confusion. The club's most successful period came between 1908 and 1914 when they competed in the finals each year and won back-to-back premierships in

1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...

and

1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...

– coincidentally, Essendon (League) won the VFL premiership in both of those years. In the 1912 premiership season, Essendon Association's full-forward

Dave McNamara David John McNamara (22 January 1887 – 15 August 1967) was an Australian rules footballer who played for in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) and in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Family The son of Michael McNamara (1844–190 ...

became the first VFA footballer to kick over 100 goals in a season. The club was left without a home ground and with diminished local support when the Essendon League club relocated to Essendon Recreation Reserve in October 1921; with no alternatives, the club effectively disbanded in December 1921. In 1922, most Essendon Association players moved to the reformed

North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos or colloquially the Roos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AF ...

. North Melbourne had disbanded during the

1921 VFA season The 1921 Victorian Football Association season was the 43rd season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, after it came from fourth on the home-and-home ladder to defeat minor p ...

, assuming that they would be amalgamating with the Essendon League team. This did not work out, and, at the end of 1921, the North Melbourne club had a ground but no team, and Essendon Association had a team but no ground. North Melbourne was readmitted to the Association in January 1922 with the prospect of amalgamation with Essendon Association. The amalgamation was eventually endorsed by the Association in April 1922.

References

External links

* {{VFL Former Victorian Football League clubs Australian rules football clubs in Melbourne 1900 establishments in Australia 1921 disestablishments in Australia Australian rules football clubs established in 1900 Australian rules football clubs disestablished in 1921 Essendon, Victoria Defunct Australian rules football clubs