The 2012 Essendon Football Club season is the club's 114th season in the Australian Football League (AFL).
After a promising start to the season Essendon found themselves second on the ladder with a record of 8 wins and 1 loss (which was by a single point). The season then took an unexpected turn which saw Essendon lose 10 out of the last 13 games and miss the finals. They became the first club to have an 8–1 record and miss finals since Melbourne in the 1971 season.
Prior to the final round vice-captain Mark McVeigh announced his retirement from football after 14 season and 232 games at the club. After the Home and Away season completed Essendon captain Jobe Watson was awarded the Brownlow Medal. The highest individual accolade in the AFL. This was later handed back following the drug scandal.
The season became notorious for the illegal supplements program that was operated by the club prior to and into the 2012 season. After a three-year investigation, thirty-four players on the 2012 squad were suspected to have been administered the banned peptide Thymosin beta-4 and were suspended for the 2016 season.
Squad
Trades
In Player Traded From Traded To Traded ForNone
Out Player Traded From Traded To Traded For Josh Jenkins Draft pick No. 41 Essendon Adelaide Draft pick No. 31
Drafts
National Draft Round Pick Name From League 1 19 Elliott Kavanagh Western Jets TAC Cup 2 31 Jackson Merrett Geelong Falcons TAC Cup 3 59 Nick O'Brien North Ballarat Rebels TAC Cup 4 75 Stewart Crameri Rookie Promotion
Rookie Draft Round Pick Name From League 1 11 Lauchlan Dalgleish North Ballarat Rebels TAC Cup 2 29 Cory Dell'Olio South Fremantle WAFL 3 47 Mark Baguley Frankston VFL 4 46 Hal Hunter Calder Cannons TAC Cup 5 78 Brendan Lee East Perth WAFL 6 85 Anthony Long Essendon AFL
Pre-Season Draft Round Pick Name From LeagueNo Picks
Delisted Seasons Player 4 Darcy Daniher 4 Jay Neagle 2 Mark Williams 3 Michael Quinn 3 Tyson Slattery 2 Taite Silverlock 1 James Webster = Retired
Guernsey
Standard Home Away
Special Versions Anzac Dreamtime at the 'G Clash for Cancer Heritage Heritage Round(s) Worn 5 Round(s) Worn 8 Round(s) Worn 13 Round(s) Worn 15 Round(s) Worn 16, 22
Heritage Guernsey On 2 July unveiled their Heritage Guernsey. It feature all the names of past premiership players in the background along with the name and signature of club legend John Colman on the breast. Under the signature include the traditional Essendon Football Club motto 'suaviter in modo, fortiter in re' which dates back to the 1870s and translates as 'gentle in manner, resolute in deed.' The most notable change to the guernsey was the removal of the black background to comply with AFL rules requiring each club to provide a clash guernsey. The new Heritage guernsey made its debut during the Round 15 game between and . This marked the end of a 114-year-long tradition as the first time the Essendon Football Club would play an AFL/VFL game without wearing its famous black and red stripe guernsey.
Results
Pre-season (NAB Cup)
Round 1
The three teams in each pool play each other in games of two 20-minute halves, with all three games being played over a three-hour period at the one venue.
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4 - NAB Challenge Round
Home and Away season
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12 Bye
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 19
Round 20
Round 21
Round 22
Round 23
Ladder
Ladder progress
Tribunal cases Player Round Charge category (Level) Verdict Points Result Victim Club Ref(s) Sam Lonergan 2 Rough Conduct (2)Guilty (Early Plea) 185.63 1 Week Travis Boak Port Adelaide Leroy Jetta 8 Striking (2)Guilty (Appeal Denied) 137.50 1 Week Dylan Grimes Richmond David Zaharakis 9 Striking (2)Guilty (Early Plea) 93.75 Reprimand Tomas Bugg Jake Carlisle 9 WrestlingGuilty (Early Plea) 0 $900 Jeremy Cameron Alwyn Davey 9 WrestlingGuilty (Early Plea) 0 $900 Taylor Adams Paddy Ryder 10 Tripping (1)Guilty (Early Plea) 66 Reprimand Daniel Nicholson Melbourne Alwyn Davey 11 Rough Conduct (3)Guilty (Early Plea) 243.75 2 Weeks Dan Hannebery Sydney Stewart Crameri 14 Rough Conduct (3)Guilty (Early Plea) 243.75 2 Weeks Dylan Addison Western Bulldogs Heath Hocking 15 Rough Conduct (2)Guilty (Early Plea) 297.19 2 Weeks Lenny Hayes St Kilda Jake Carlisle 16 Rough Conduct (1)Guilty (Early Plea) 93.75 Reprimand Paul Stewart Port Adelaide
Season statistics
Home attendance Round Opponent Attendance2 33,1186 36,3617 43,2608 80,90010 42,98711 42,78514 40,82418 44,89920 42,67421 59,38123 56,491Total Attendance 523,680Average Attendance 47,607
Awards
2012 Brownlow Medal Votes Player 30 Jobe Watson 14 Brent Stanton 4 Tom Bellchambers 4 Michael Hurley 3 Dyson Heppell 3 Leroy Jetta 2 Stewart Crameri 1 Dustin Fletcher 1 Heath Hocking 1 Paddy Ryder
Crichton Medal
Votes Player 551 Jobe Watson 310 Dyson Heppell 256 Dustin Fletcher 240 Brent Stanton 232 Ben Howlett 214 David Zaharakis 208 Courtenay Dempsey 198 Stewart Crameri 195 Paddy Ryder 117 Michael Hurley
Other Awards
Award Name Player Best Clubman Dyson Heppell Matthew Lloyd Senior Leading Goal Kicking Stewart Crameri Lindsay Griffiths Rising Star Michael Hibberd Most Improved Player Jake Carlisle Adam Ramanauskas Most Courageous Player Ben Howlett Best Team Player Dustin Fletcher Essendon Goal of the Year Stewart Crameri Essendon Mark of the Year Dyson Heppell
Season Financials
EFC Annual Report 2012
Item $2012 $2011 Change Revenue $65,431,425 $51,416,731 $14,014,694 Membership & Reserved Seating $9,367,066 $10,363,690 $996,624 Gate Receipts $726,504 $963,101 $236,597 Marketing Revenue $15,902,153 $15,532,108 $370,045 Merchandise Revenue $3,226,302 $2,563,026 $663,276 Football Department Spend $19,200,704 $18,510,078 $690,626 Operating Profit/Loss $401,429 $1,024,086 $622,657 Total Profit/Loss $12,345,536 $2,059,379 $10,286,157
Notes "Points" refers to carry-over points accrued following the sanction. For example, 154.69 points draw a one-match suspension, with 54.69 carry-over points (for every 100 points, a one-match suspension is given). Denotes amount of seasons on the list only.
References
External links Official website of the Essendon Football Club Official website of the Australian Football League 2012 Season scores and results at AFL Tables 2012 Essendon player statistics at AFL Tables