Where and when
Hawthorn v Essendon
1984 second semi-final, September 16, MCG
HAWTHORN had thrashed Essendon by a record margin of 83 points in the 1983 Grand Final and then twice during the 1984 home and away season. The Bombers had finished top of the ladder, but after a comfortable win by the Hawks over Carlton in the qualifying final, 76,000 expectant fans gathered on a cool and overcast Sunday afternoon for this clash of the heavyweights.
And to add to the occasion, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, had stirred the pot by questioning the legality of a substance the Hawks ingested on the ground between quarters. It went as high as the Victoria Police, which outraged Hawk coach Allan Jeans, a long-serving member of the force at the time. It turned out to be nothing more than a lung-clearing eucalyptus mix prepared by trainer Bob Yeoman, but the entire episode added a new twist to an already brewing rivalry. Jeans and Sheedy barely spoke thereafter.
The starting line-ups in the 1984 semi from the pages of the Football Record
The moment
It was a fantastic game – tough, skillful and agonisingly close. The Hawks jumped Essendon early, but the Bombers fought back and with less than five minutes left, held a narrow lead. It was clear that whatever edge Hawthorn had over Essendon had disappeared in the three months since they had last met and that the teams were dead even. There would be no bragging rights out of this game – one team would simply enjoy the good fortune of being ahead when the game ended.
And that team would be Hawthorn. At the 24-minute mark, Hawthorn superstar Leigh Matthews gathered the ball on the lead, turned on a dime and handballed to Richard Loveridge steaming past him who goaled on the run. The Hawks held on grimly for four minutes then won the ball from a stoppage from where Colin Robertson passed to Rodney Eade, who marked and kicked truly on the final siren to ensure an eight-point win to the Hawks, 16.17 (113) to 15.15 (105).
It was a case of who'd crack first and nobody did.
Hawk champ Leigh Matthews set up the decisive goal against the Bombers. All pictures: AFL Photos
What happened next
The Hawks were through to the Grand Final for the second straight year, while the Bombers had just six days to prepare for a preliminary final against Collingwood at Waverley.
What they said
Matthews: "No side was better than the other. It was a case of who'd crack first and nobody did. It was just that we happened to be in front when the siren sounded."
Sheedy: "We have come up the scale even though we were beaten today. This game will do us the world of good."
Key players
Hawk star Robert Dipierdomenico saved some of his best footy for Essendon games and was tireless all day with 24 touches. Peter Russo, Rod Lester-Smith and Robertson also played well for the Hawks. Bomber tagger Shane Heard did a great job on Hawk best and fairest Russell Greene, keeping him to 12 touches. Terry Daniher and Tim Watson played well after half-time and set themselves up for great performances through the rest of September.
Robert Dipierdomenico played 240 games for the Hawks, tying for the 1986 Brownlow Medal
Terry Daniher was Essendon's captain from 1983-88
Why the rivalry matters
For three years in the 1980s, these two clubs ruled the game. And thanks to the drug slur, a 1983 incident in which DiPierdomenico cleaned up Alan Stoneham (and for which Cameron Clayton extracted sweet revenge later that season), it was a nasty rivalry. There was great mutual respect, but not much love and it helps explain why the 'line in the sand game' in 2004 and the clash between Matthew Lloyd and Brad Sewell in 2009 still gets supporters of both clubs up and about.
Players brawl in 2004's 'line in the sand' clash
The little-known fact, part 1
This was the first year that Sunday VFL finals were permitted, which was great for the League, but which led to a clash of loyalties for many of those who supported both Hawthorn and Box Hill, which only a few kilometres away at Toorak Park, thrashed Oakleigh by 135 points to win the VFA second division grand final, the club's first flag for 33 years. The result was flashed on the MCG screen and received a huge ovation.
The little-known fact, part 2
A chubby, but talented full-forward from Brisbane club Coorparoo was torn between signing with Fitzroy and Hawthorn for the 1985 season. He was watching the game at the MCG that afternoon and both the great occasion and the result convinced him where his future lay. A few days later, Jason Dunstall put pen to paper and became a Hawk.
What might have been
The consensus at the time was that any week off during the finals was a good thing. But when the Hawks were overrun by Essendon in the final term of the Grand Final two weeks later after leading by 23 points at three-quarter time, many Hawthorn players felt the week's break had hindered rather than helped, and that the extra miles in their legs might have helped them stave off the fast-finishing Bombers. In 1984 the Hawks won the battle in one of the great finals ever played, but Essendon most certainly won the war.
MATCH PREVIEW Essendon v Hawthorn
SUGAR AND SPICE The true origin of the Marshmallow Wars
SHOWDOWN 12 The rumble after the Ramsgate
RIVALS More stories behind classic footy contests
