A HEAVY bump to send a message is the latest instalment of afl.com.au's series of the defining moments and memories of the past 20 grand finals.
Essendon 19.21 (135) d Melbourne 11.9 (75)
After missing out on the 1999 grand final, the Bombers entered the decider the following year with a simple intent to win at all costs.
In a telling second quarter, the Bombers upped their intensity and increased their lead of 11 points to 41 by the main break.
Shortly before half time - in an incident that would later cost him four games at the tribunal - Michael Long collected Melbourne ruckman Troy Simmonds as he bent for the ball.
As Simmonds was taken from the ground, a melee broke out and the Bombers continued to deliver their message - they weren't going to let this one slip.
The coach: Kevin Sheedy
"Early on, it was Dean Wallis who tackled and smashed Melbourne hard and everybody lifted from there. In setting the scene, Michael Long also had a great deal to do with it. We needed to get off to a good start and the Melbourne team was young, so we wanted to unnerve them early.
"In that first quarter when they really hit some players hard, they let everyone know we were on after losing in the 1999 preliminary final. Long ran through their ruckman even though he was a small player. We didn't want to lose again and those incidents let everyone know it wasn't going to happen."
The player: Michael Long
"It was like today's Geelong side; we were ruthless as a team. We were hard and aggressive. You don't go out to deliberately hurt anyone - and there are no excuses on my side - but it was the way we'd played all year. We were powerful across the ground.
"I apologised to Troy afterwards because you feel for players if they’re hurt. After the bump there was remonstration from them but we were in there too. The crowd didn't let me forget it and it took a bit of my focus away in the second half, but the ultimate goal was to win. I'd grown up in an era where that was part of the game but I knew I had to change how I approached it."
