The Red & Black Project

Relive Dan Eddy's 2019 chat with Bomber number 757, Geoff Blethyn, which originally aired on Essendon's 'Fabric of the Essendon Football Club' podcast series celebrating the club's 150-year anniversary in 2022. 

A local product from the Essendon district, Geoff Blethyn honed his goalkicking craft in a paddock at the back of the family home. Today, that paddock has been paved over & is now part of the Tullamarine freeway!
After just two brief appearances at senior level, the 17-year-old Blethyn was thrust onto the VFL's greatest stage when he was a shock selection for the 1968 Grand Final side, replacing injured captain Ken Fraser. Unfazed by the pressure of the occasion, Blethyn kicked four of Essendon's eight goals. Alas, despite the team kicking one more goal than Carlton, the Bombers lost by three points; still the only Grand Final side to lose despite kicking more goals than their opponent. In 1972, Blethyn, now wearing his iconic black-rimmed glasses, became just the second Essendon player (after John Coleman) to kick 100 goals in a season (107 goals in 23 games). But then, despite having not yet reached the peak of his powers, Blethyn, at just 22, accepted a business opportunity & moved to Western Australia. He later returned to Windy Hill in 1976 & kicked another 39 goals, to finish his VFL career with 216 goals in 84 games. The following year, having moved to South Australia, he played in Port Adelaide's SANFL premiership team. 
Blethyn relives all this & also provides a lesson in goalkicking which every budding sharpshooter needs to hear.  

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Essendonians, the EFCPP&OA and daneddybooks.com.

Go Bombers!

Relive Dan Eddy's 2019 chat with Bomber number 849, Tim Watson, which originally aired on Essendon's 'Fabric of the Essendon Football Club' podcast series celebrating the club's 150-year anniversary in 2022. 

Recruited from Dimboola, in Essendon's country zone in the Wimmera, Tim Watson made his debut as a 15-year-old in 1977, the start of one of the finest careers in Essendon's history. Between '77 and 1991, Watson played 282 games, kicked 307 goals, won two day premierships (1984-85) and two night premierships (1981 & 1984), the 1989 VFLPA MVP (now the Leigh Matthews Trophy), represented Victoria a dozen times, and was captain of Essendon for three seasons (1989-91). He retired at the end of 1991, the West Coast Eagles drafted him in 1992 but Watson never intended moving west, then he was coaxed out of retirement in 1993 to help nurture a new wave of 'Baby Bombers'. In a true Cinderella story, Watson famously kicked the sealing goal in the 1993 preliminary final then, the following week, added a third premiership medallion to his already outstanding resume. The following year, he walked through a banner before his 300th game, hand in hand with his children, including young son Jobe, who later went on to emulate his father by captaining the mighty Bombers. When he hung up the boots for good at the end of 1994, Watson Snr had played 307 games and kicked 335 goals. 
In 1996, Watson was made an inaugural Legend in Essendon's Hall of Fame; the following year, he was selected as ruck-rover in the club's Team of the Century. In 2000, he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, then, in 2002, was chosen at No. 6 in the top 25 'Champions of Essendon'.  

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Essendonians, the EFCPP&OA and daneddybooks.com.

Go Bombers!

The younger generation will know him as the father of Essendon's games record holder, Dustin Fletcher, but those who watched the Bombers throughout the 1970s will have good memories of the long-sleeved Ken Fletcher running up and down the wing at Windy Hill in the number 21 guernsey. Certainly, there were times during Dustin's long career where, in certain poses and movements, he looked eerily similar to his father. Between them, father and son played a V/AFL record 664 games (400 for Dustin, 264 for Ken). Clearly, the genes were good ones in the Fletcher family bloodline!
In his 15 years at Essendon (1967-80, plus a premiership in the under-19s in 1966), Ken kicked 55 goals, was the club's Best First-Year Player (1967), played in the 1968 Grand Final (a three-point loss to Carlton), was Most Improved (1969), Most Consistent (1970-72), Best Clubman (1975, 1980), a Crichton medallist (1978), represented Victoria several times, and he also captained the club (1977-79). Later, he was a specialist coach under Kevin Sheedy (1983) and in charge of the under-19s (1984-85), before joining the club's committee (1987-98). Fletcher was inducted into Essendon's Hall of Fame in 2011 (his son was later made a Legend of the club), and was selected at No. 55 in the top 60 'Champions of Essendon' (2002).

This podcast is proudly brought to you by daneddybooks.com, the Essendon Past Players & Officials Association, and the Essendonians.

Go Bombers!  

The son of dual Essendon premiership player, Jack Cassin (1936-44 & 1946-47, 150 games), young John was recruited to Windy Hill, from Colac, under the father-son rule. He played 51 games for the Bombers (1971-74), won the club's Best First-Year Player award (1971) and Best Utility (1972), and was smack-bang in the middle of the infamous Windy Hill Brawl, against Richmond, in 1974. After a falling out with coach Des Tuddenham, Cassin played two years at South Australian club West Torrens (1975-76), including a season as captain, before North Melbourne came calling. In his first year at Arden Street, Cassin played a record 27 games, culminating in the drawn and replayed Grand Finals against Collingwood. Like his dad, John had become a VFL premiership player. He played 78 games for the Kangaroos (1977-81) before crossing to Fitzroy mid-season, where he played a further five games (1981-82)—for a total of 134 League matches.

This episode of the Red & Black Project podcast is proudly brought to you by daneddybooks.com, the Essendon Past Players & Officials Association, and the Essendonians. 

Go Bombers!

Relive Dan Eddy's 2020 chat with Bomber number 960, Gavin Wanganeen, which originally aired on Essendon's 'Fabric of the Essendon Football Club' podcast series celebrating the club's 150-year anniversary in 2022. 

Gavin Wanganeen only played six of his 16 AFL seasons at Essendon, yet such was his remarkable impact he remains one of the most popular players ever to wear the red and black guernsey. Recruited from South Australia with pick 12 in the 1989 National Draft, he played in Port Adelaide's SANFL premiership in 1990 before arriving at Windy Hill for the 1991 pre-season. He played 18 games in 1991, including the losing elimination final, and received the club's Best First-Year Player award; he then kicked the winning goal in a stunning last-quarter comeback against Melbourne in round 6 1992, then won the Brownlow Medal in 1993, aged just 20. That year, Wanganeen also won the Michael Tuck Medal as BOG in the Foster's Cup night Grand Final, was selected in his second consecutive All-Australian team, and was one of the best afield in the 'Baby Bombers' famous day premiership. There was another night flag in 1994, and the following year he earned a third All-Australian guernsey...all by the age of 22! 
Alas, at the end of 1996, and following the inclusion of Port Adelaide Power into the AFL, Wanganeen, after 127 games for the Bombers, was enticed home to lead the new side in its first season. Essendon announced its Team of the Century that year, and Wanganeen was named in the back pocket. In 2002, he was selected at No. 19 in the club's top 25 'Champions of Essendon'. He played a further 173 games at Port (1997-2006) and was a star in the club's first AFL premiership in 2004 (he also won two more night premierships in 2001-02), a year after having won Port's best and fairest award (the John Cahill Medal). He earned two more All-Australian gongs during his time at Alberton (2001, 2003), and was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century in 2005.
Wanganeen was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2010, and was elevated to Legend status in Essendon Hall of Fame in 2022.

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Essendonians, the EFCPP&OA and daneddybooks.com.

Go Bombers!

Relive Dan Eddy's 2019 chat with Bomber number 693, Ken Fraser, which originally aired on Essendon's 'Fabric of the Essendon Football Club' podcast series celebrating the club's 150-year anniversary in 2022. 

Another of Essendon's most loved figures, Fraser was recruited from the local district league and went on to play 198 VFL games (1958-68) in red and black, predominantly at centre half-forward, kicking 157 goals. He was Essendon's Best First-Year Player in 1958, played in the 1962 premiership team, won the Crichton Medal twice (1963-64), then captained the Bombers to the 1965 premiership. He was also a regular Victorian representative, captaining the state in 1966, and was twice runner-up in the Brownlow Medal (1962, 1964). 
Fraser was selected at centre half-forward in Essendon's Team of the Century, chosen at No. 7 in the top Champions of Essendon, is a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, a Legend of Essendon's Hall of Fame, and served the Bombers in numerous post-playing roles including assistant coach and vice-president.   

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Essendonians, the EFCPP&OA and daneddybooks.com.

Go Bombers!

Relive Dan Eddy's 2019 chat with Bomber number 851, Terry Daniher, which originally aired on Essendon's 'Fabric of the Essendon Football Club' podcast series celebrating the club's 150-year anniversary in 2022. 

One of Essendon's most loved figures, and a member of football's 'First Family', 'TD' originally played 19 games with South Melbourne (1976-77) before crossing to Essendon and kick-starting a Hall of Fame career in the red and black. He played 294 games for the Bombers (1978-92), kicked 469 goals, won the 1982 Crichton Medal, played State football for Victoria and NSW, was All-Australian three times (including captain in 1985) and, famously, led Essendon to the 1984-85 premierships. Daniher was captain of the Dons from 1983-88, a leader on and off the field. He is a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame and a Legend of the EFC, and was selected at half-forward in the club's Team of the Century.

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Essendonians, the EFCPP&OA and daneddybooks.com.

Go Bombers!

In this insightful, informative and entertaining episode, Bomber number 742, Geoff Pryor, recalls his 137-game career at Windy Hill (1965-70, 1973-74), which included being a member of the 1965 premiership team and the 1968 losing Grand Final side. Pryor also details his significant role in fighting for better rights for VFL players in the early 1970s, which led to the forming of the VFL (now AFL) Players' Association, of which Pryor was the inaugural president. 

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Essendonians, the Essendon Past Players & Officials Association, and daneddybooks.com.

Go Bombers!

Robert Amos, Bomber number 807, recalls his 54-game career at Windy Hill (1973-79), which was hampered by a serious knee injury in 1977. Crossing to Footscray, Amos suffered another knee injury before he could add to his VFL games tally. He later worked with the up-start Brisbane Bears during their early years in the competition.

This episode of The Red & Black Project is proudly brought to you by the Essendonians, the Essendon Past Players & Officials Association, and daneddybooks.com.

Go Bombers! 

Few players have traversed more of the country in pursuit of their AFL dream than West Australian-born Dale Kickett, who represented Fitzroy (15 games, 1990), West Coast (2, 1991), St Kilda (21, 1992), Essendon (8, 1994) and Fremantle (135, 1995-2002). A triple premiership player at WA club Claremont (1989, 1991, 1993), it was during Kickett's only season at Windy Hill where he won his only AFL premiership: the 1994 pre-season Foster's Cup. By then, he certainly knew how to perform in big games, having twice won the Simpson Medal as best afield in WAFL Grand Finals (1991, 1993). An inaugural Docker, Kickett won a Doig Medal as club best and fairest (1997), represented WA in State of Origin, and in 2024 was inducted into the Western Australian Football Hall of Fame.

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Essendonians, the Essendon Past Players & Officials Association, and daneddybooks.com.

Go Bombers!