The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Thought to have formed in 1872, Essendon played their first Victorian Football Association (VFA) game in 1873, before participating in the inaugural season of the Victorian Football League (now AFL) in 1897. Headquartered at the Essendon Recreation Reserve, Windy Hill, in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon, the club has won 16 VFL/AFL premierships, which, along with Carlton, is the most of any club.
The club best and fairest award is claimed by some to have been first given in 1897; however, there is no contemporary evidence that it actually existed prior to the late 1920s. Since 1959 or 1960, it has been known as the W. S. Crichton Medal. Dick Reynolds was awarded medal on a record-equalling seven occasions between 1934 and 1943. Reynolds also won the Brownlow Medal a club-record three times, in 1934, 1937 and 1938. The medal is awarded annually to the best and fairest player in the competition, currently on the basis of a 3–2–1 match-by-match voting system used by the match umpires.
Former Richmond player Kevin Sheedy coached Essendon for a record 635 games and four premierships in 27 seasons between 1980 and 2007, thus becoming the second-longest-serving coach in VFL/AFL history. Full-forward Matthew Lloyd is the club's leading goal-kicker, with 926, ahead of ruckman Simon Madden with 575. Lloyd was Essendon's leading goal-kicker on a record 12 occasions between 1997 and 2009, kicking 100 goals in a season during 2000 and 2001.
Year
Year Coach Captain W. S. Crichton Medal Leading goalkicker 1897 # — George Stuckey — Norman Waugh (23) 1898 — — (20) 1899 — — (15) 1900 — — (25) 1901 # — (34) 1902 — — (32) 1903 — (15) 1904 — / — (25) 1905 — — (29) 1906 — (31) 1907 — — (16) 1908 (26) 1909 (40) 1910 — (40) 1911 # (35) 1912 # (43) 1913 (29) 1914 — (28) 1915 — (14) 1916 — — — — 1917 — — — — 1918 — (15) 1919 — (15) 1920 (33) 1921 — (17) 1922 (36) 1923 # Greg Stockdale (68) 1924 # (50) 1925 (37) 1926 Joe Harrison Greg Stockdale (36) 1927 (35) 1928 Norm Beckton Greg Stockdale (39) 1929 / (40) 1930 (54) 1931 Garnet Campbell Garnet Campbell Tom Clarke Ted Freyer (50) 1932 Garnet Campbell Garnet Campbell Syd Carman Ted Freyer (52) 1933 Garnet Campbell Garnet Campbell Paddy Walsh Ted Freyer (51) 1934 Charlie May Keith Forbes Dick Reynolds * Ted Freyer (61) 1935 Charlie May Keith Forbes Keith Forbes Keith Forbes (52) 1936 Jack Baggott Jack Baggott Dick Reynolds Ted Freyer (50) 1937 Jack Baggott Jack Baggott / Keith Forbes Dick Reynolds * Keith Forbes (44) 1938 Jack Baggott Len Webster Dick Reynolds * Tom Reynolds (68) 1939 Jack Baggott / Harry Hunter / Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Tom Reynolds (71) 1940 Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Hugh Torney Ted Bryce (48) 1941 Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Wally Buttsworth Tom Reynolds (65) 1942 # Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Tom Reynolds (61) 1943 Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds (31) 1944 Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Percy Bushby Ray Powell (42) 1945 Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Wally Buttsworth Bill Brittingham (48) 1946 # Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison Bill Brittingham (66) 1947 Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Wally Buttsworth Ted Leehane (50) 1948 Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison Bill Hutchison (52) 1949 # Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds John Coleman John Coleman (100) 1950 # Dick Reynolds Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison John Coleman (120) 1951 Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison Norm McDonald John Coleman (75) 1952 Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison Bill Hutchison * John Coleman (103) 1953 Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison Bill Hutchison * John Coleman (97) 1954 Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison John Gill John Coleman (42) 1955 Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison Bill Hutchison Hugh Mitchell (51) 1956 Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison Bill Hutchison Graham Willey (33) 1957 Dick Reynolds Bill Hutchison Reg Burgess Fred Gallagher (34) 1958 Dick Reynolds Jack Clarke Jack Clarke John Birt (31) 1958 Dick Reynolds Jack Clarke Jack Clarke John Birt (31) 1959 Dick Reynolds Jack Clarke Hugh Mitchell Ron Evans (78 1960 Dick Reynolds Jack Clarke Reg Burgess Ron Evans (67) 1961 John Coleman Jack Clarke John Birt Hugh Mitchell (33) 1962 # John Coleman Jack Clarke Jack Clarke Charlie Payne (39) 1963 John Coleman Jack Clarke Ken Fraser Charlie Payne (36) 1964 John Coleman Jack Clarke Ken Fraser Hugh Mitchell (32) 1965 # John Coleman Ken Fraser John Birt Ted Fordham (54) 1966 John Coleman Ken Fraser Don McKenzie Ted Fordham (76) 1967 John Coleman Ken Fraser John Birt Alan Noonan (40) 1968 Jack Clarke Ken Fraser Barry Davis Alan Noonan (51) 1969 Jack Clarke Don McKenzie Barry Davis Alan Noonan (43) 1970 Jack Clarke Barry Davis Darryl Gerlach Geoff Blethyn (33) 1971 John Birt Barry Davis Barry Davis Alan Noonan (31) 1972 Des Tuddenham Des Tuddenham Neville Fields Geoff Blethyn (107) 1973 Des Tuddenham Des Tuddenham Andy Wilson Alan Noonan (63) 1974 Des Tuddenham Des Tuddenham Graham Moss Alan Noonan (77) 1975 Des Tuddenham Des Tuddenham Graham Moss Alan Noonan (48) 1976 Bill Stephen Graham Moss Graham Moss * Geoff Blethyn (39) 1977 Bill Stephen Ken Fletcher Simon Madden Max Crow (38) 1978 Barry Davis Ken Fletcher Ken Fletcher Wayne Primmer (47) 1979 Barry Davis Ken Fletcher Simon Madden Terry Daniher (57) 1979 Barry Davis Ken Fletcher Simon Madden Terry Daniher (57) 1980 Barry Davis Simon Madden Tim Watson Simon Madden (45) 1981 Simon Madden Neale Daniher Tony Buhagiar (42) 1982 Neale Daniher Terry Daniher Simon Madden (49) 1983 Terry Daniher Simon Madden Terry Daniher (64) 1984 # Terry Daniher Simon Madden Paul Salmon (63) 1985 # Terry Daniher Tim Watson Mark Harvey (48) 1986 Terry Daniher Glenn Hawker Alan Ezard (47) 1987 Terry Daniher Mark Thompson Paul Salmon (43) 1988 Terry Daniher Tim Watson Paul Salmon (37) 1989 Tim Watson Tim Watson Paul Salmon (39) 1990 Tim Watson Mark Thompson Paul Salmon (43) 1991 Tim Watson Alan Ezard Simon Madden (42) 1992 Mark Thompson Mark Harvey Paul Salmon (59) 1993 # Mark Thompson Gary O'Donnell Paul Salmon (65) 1994 Mark Thompson James Hird Scott Cummings (32) 1995 Mark Thompson James Hird James Hird (47) 1996 Gary O'Donnell James Hird * James Hird (39) 1997 Gary O'Donnell Sean Denham Matthew Lloyd (63) 1998 James Hird Damien Hardwick Matthew Lloyd (70) 1999 James Hird / Michael Long Mark Mercuri Matthew Lloyd (87) 2000 # James Hird Dustin Fletcher Matthew Lloyd (109) 2001 James Hird Jason Johnson Matthew Lloyd (105) 2002 James Hird Mark Johnson Matthew Lloyd (47) 2003 James Hird James Hird / Scott Lucas Matthew Lloyd (93) 2004 James Hird Adam McPhee Matthew Lloyd (96) 2005 James Hird Jason Johnson Matthew Lloyd (59) 2006 Matthew Lloyd Scott Lucas Scott Lucas (67) 2007 Matthew Lloyd James Hird Matthew Lloyd (62) 2008 Matthew Knights Matthew Lloyd David Hille Matthew Lloyd (62) 2009 Matthew Knights Matthew Lloyd Jobe Watson Matthew Lloyd (35) 2010 Matthew Knights Jobe Watson Jobe Watson Angus Monfries (24) 2011 James Hird Jobe Watson David Zaharakis Stewart Crameri (34) 2012 James Hird Jobe Watson Jobe Watson Stewart Crameri (32) 2013 James Hird Jobe Watson Brendon Goddard Stewart Crameri (30) 2014 Mark Thompson Jobe Watson Dyson Heppell Joe Daniher (28) 2015 James Hird / Matthew Egan Jobe Watson Cale Hooker Joe Daniher (34) 2016 John Worsfold Brendon Goddard Zach Merrett Joe Daniher (43) 2017 John Worsfold Dyson Heppell Joe Daniher Joe Daniher (65) 2018 John Worsfold Dyson Heppell Devon Smith Jake Stringer (30) 2019 John Worsfold Dyson Heppell Zach Merrett Jake Stringer (33) 2020 John Worsfold Dyson Heppell Jordan Ridley Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (19) 2021 Ben Rutten Dyson Heppell Zach Merrett Jake Stringer (41) 2022 Ben Rutten Dyson Heppell Peter Wright Peter Wright (53)2023 Brad Scott Zach Merrett Zach Merrett Kyle Langford (51)2024 Brad Scott Zach Merrett Zach Merrett Kyle Langford (43)2025 Brad Scott Zach Merrett (TBA) (TBA) Source: Essendon Football Club. Last updated: 9 March 2025.
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