Essendon Association Football Club


Essendon Football Club was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association from 1900 until 1921. The Dreadnoughts wore black and red, and played their home games at the Essendon Recreation Reserve. They were also known by the name "Essendon Town", in order to distinguish them from the Essendon Football Club that played in the Victorian Football League.

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, Essendon or Essendon 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 and 1912 – coincidentally, Essendon won the VFL premiership in both of those years. In the 1912 premiership season, Essendon Association's full-forward Dave McNamara 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 disbanded in December 1921.

Honours