The Red & Black Project

In part one of this extended two-part special with legendary recruiter, Noel Judkins, we discuss Noel's arrival at Windy Hill and his early years working alongside Kevin Sheedy as the Bombers built towards the 1984-85 premierships.

This episode of the Red & Black Project Podcast is proudly brought to you by Dan Eddy Books, the Essendonians, and the Essendon Past Players & Officials Association.

Go Bombers!

Hear from Bomber #783, Ken Roberts, as he recalls his time at Windy Hill during the 1970s. A tough, versatile player, Roberts played 100 games and kicked 111 goals between 1970-77, where under four coaches he played at half-forward, full-forward and in the middle, proving a standout in each position. And he was right there amongst the action during the infamous Windy Hill Brawl, too! He also played 12 games for Melbourne (1978-79). 

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

Bomber #958 Brad Fox recalls his time growing up in Western Australia, his recruitment to Essendon as a high draft pick (12th overall in the 1988 National Draft), his years at Windy Hill which included the 1992 reserves premiership, his brief stint at Richmond, then his long involvement in the game over the past three decades.

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

Today, we'd refer to Steve Copping as a "mature age" recruit: he was 25 when he ran out for the first time with Essendon in round 1, 1982. In fact, Copping was as shocked as anyone when Kevin Sheedy and Noel Judkins knocked on his door midway through 1981 and asked him to leave South Australia and move to Melbourne to be part of the rising Bombers.

After a fine career with Glenelg, Copping played 42 games with Essendon (1982-84) and kicked 88 goals playing alongside the likes of Roger Merrett and Simon Madden in the multi-pronged Bomber forward line. He was a part of the club's losing 1983 Grand Final side, before the emergence of Paul Salmon led to him returning to Glenelg where he finally won an elusive premiership in 1985 then again in 1986. With 246 games and 460 goals for the Tigers (1974-81 & 1985-86), Copping was later inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2004.

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

Bomber number 716, Russell Blew, was a star wingman during the 1960s, a decade that saw Essendon play off in three Grand Finals. He was a key player in the 1962 & 1965 premiership victories, and he narrowly missed a third flag in 1968 when the Bombers fell three points short of Carlton in the Grand Final. 

Blew finished runner-up to Ken Fraser in the 1964 Crichton Medal count, a year when he represented Victoria in State footy. A former captain of the under-19s, Blew was entering his prime years by the mid-1960s, but a knee injury in round five, 1966, saw him miss most of the next two years, before he recovered to play every game in 1968. Then, at just 26, he accepted an offer to captain-coach VFA club, Waverley, in 1969, departing Windy Hill after 125 games (1960-68). 

In 2002, Blew was selected at number 56 in the top 60 'Champions of Essendon'.

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

Relive Dan Eddy's 2019 chat with Bomber number 908, Mark Harvey, 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 finest servants, Harvey played in three premierships (1984-85, 1993), was a dual All-Australian (1985, 1993), won a Crichton Medal (1992), and led the Bombers' goalkicking in 1985. In his 206 games (1984-97), he played at both ends of the ground and is widely recognised as one of the V/AFL's most courageous players.
Harvey was also assistant coach at Essendon for many years, coached Fremantle FC (2007-11) and Brisbane Lions (for three games in 2013), and is currently working in the administrative side of the club.  
In 2002, he was selected at No. 18 in the top 25 'Champions of Essendon', then was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2014.

Raised in Canberra, Justin Blumfield was one of a number of exciting and talented recruits who arrived at Essendon during the mid-late 1990s and helped steer the club to the 2000 premiership, the Bombers' most recent Grand Final triumph. Possessing a good leap and a deep tank which allowed him to run all day, Blumfield - Bomber number 1001 - was a versatile player whom coach Kevin Sheedy used in various positions across the field.
In 129 games (1996-2002), Blumfield kicked 86 goals, won the 1998 Best Clubman award, and was one of the best afield in the 2000 Grand Final victory over Melbourne. He also played in the 2000 pre-season premiership and the losing 2001 Grand Final, before he was, to the disappointment of Bomber supporters, forced into leaving the club at the end of 2002 due to salary cap constraints. After two seasons at Richmond (2003-04, 19 games), Blumfield returned to Bomberland with the Bendigo Bombers, where he helped mentor several future senior players, including Jobe Watson. 

This podcast is proudly supported by the Essendonians and the Essendon Past Players & Officials Association.  

With over 100 years of experience, collectively, working at the Essendon Football Club, much loved trainers Charlie Italia, Murray Spargo and Rob Destradi have a catalogue of fascinating stories to share from their decades spent helping players and coaches strive for success. In this special podcast, the three life members reveal plenty of new insights into what has made the club tick for the past 40 years.

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

Relive Dan Eddy's 2019 chat with Bomber number 803, Graham Moss, which originally aired on Essendon's 'Fabric of the Essendon Football Club' podcast series celebrating the club's 150-year anniversary in 2022. Few players in VFL/AFL history have had a bigger impact over a four-year span than Moss, who, like a shooting star, burst on the scene in 1973 then left spectators awestruck as he departed, just weeks after winning the 1976 Brownlow Medal; the first West Australian-born player to claim football's highest individual award. 
In all, Moss played 84 games for the Bombers—the first of which he recorded 26 disposals and took 13 marks in the best Essendon debut since John Coleman, who, tragically, died just two days before Moss's first game—and he won three Crichton Medals (1974-76). He was Essendon captain in 1976. However, at 26 and in the prime years of his football career, Moss accepted an offer to captain-coach his former club, Claremont, in 1977. In the next four seasons at the Tigers, he won four consecutive B&Fs. 
In 2002, Moss—one of the greatest ruckmen the game has ever seen—was selected at No. 13 in the top 25 'Champions of Essendon', then was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2012. He was an inaugural member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame (1996) and is a Legend of the West Australian Football Hall of Fame (2006).

Bomber number 736, Kevin Egan, has pretty much done it all at Essendon. Premiership player (1965), numerous off-field roles including being Kevin Sheedy's right-hand man during the 1980s, and later on the board when the momentous decision was made to end Sheedy's tenure. In 2015, Egan was rightfully inducted into the club's Hall of Fame. In this episode, he reflects on a remarkable life in football, which included a stint at the Sydney Swans during what proved a turning point in that club's history.
The Red & Black Project Podcast is proudly supported by the Essendonians, the Essendon Past Players & Officials Association, and daneddybooks.com.