North Melbourne’s rivalry with Essendon dates back 125 years and remains real to this day
If you think the rivalry between North Melbourne and Essendon isn’t real, think again. In fact, Roos great Glenn Archer hates the Bombers so much he won’t even mention the club’s name.
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North Melbourne board member and club legend Glenn Archer says his club’s hatred of Essendon is real after Rhyce Shaw’s gentle jibe about sharing a plane with the Bombers.
Shaw said of sharing a plane to Sydney with the Bombers on Sunday June 14: “It’s not ideal, especially with that team, but we’ll just see how we go.”
The comment was laughed off as light-hearted but there remains genuine rivalry dating back to the formation of the VFL.
Essendon blocked North Melbourne’s entry because it would hamper their recruiting grounds, and 125 years on many current and past Kangaroos players and officials still hate the Dons.
Jake Stringer’s cheeky wave to the North Melbourne crowd as he sealed a 2018 victory was the latest issue to fire up some irate Roos officials.
Jake Stringer soaks up the clock and kicks the goal. â°#AFLDonsNorth pic.twitter.com/Dh1CtYp8hT
— AFL (@AFL) July 1, 2018
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Archer told the Herald Sun he hated Essendon so much he wouldn’t even mention the name of the club.
“I don’t use their name. The team next door, I call them. It’s not part of my vocabulary. It is a legitimate rivalry, particularly in my mind. Whenever I speak to young guys it is something I say you do need to realise how much we hate them. If you can’t win the Grand Final the next best thing is to beat that team. It’s a premiership or beat them.
“They are our rivals. It goes back to the 20s when they tried to stop us getting into the league. They beat us in our first Grand Final. Through the 90s we had some real good battles and I couldn’t stand them and I still can’t.”
“Particularly their 69-point comeback, it was the first time I ever captained the club. Wayne Carey and Anthony Stevens were out so I was up at half time. I did say at half time to “Duck” this is how we captain. I went back with my tail between my legs.
“Rhyce is aware of it. I was one of the guys on the panel that put him on and no doubt I said to him, if there is one game you have to win each year, it’s that one.”
Veteran North Melbourne administrator Greg Miller said the club’s hatred of Essendon remained real.
“Denis Pagan spent 12 months at Essendon in 1992 and even in that time it was Pagan v Slug Jordan coaching the thirds (reserves). It was a massive rivalry in my time at North.
“Through the whole 1990s it was Pagan v Kevin Sheedy in the coaches box and it was quite pronounced. Pagan had the better of Sheedy in the box so it was a real battle.
“It was going for the man, it was all fun and then when we lost in 1993 and 1994 Sheedy said you weren’t a good side until you won a flag.
“I tried to get Mark Harvey across to be a leader for us when Wayne Carey got the (captaincy) and Sheeds said yes and then changed his mind at the last minute. Harves never came but it was a great rivalry.
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“When we traded, Essendon was the hardest club to deal with, they would say one thing and then do something else so we were battling at trade time. Then in 1999 when Essendon had the best team Denis and I went to watch the prelim final and they got beat and we loved that.
“Sheedy is great for footy. The marshmallow wars were great, Sheedy would ring on the sly and say, “Watch the crowd I generate out of this” but the next game after the marshmallow (comment) was a final so the AFL got the money out of that. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen, everyone bringing a pack of marshmallows.”
Sheedy’s soft comment lit a spark under his players, as Essendon won six clashes from that time on including a record 125-point qualifying final win in 2000 and the greatest AFL comeback (69 points) in 2001.
Originally published as North Melbourne’s rivalry with Essendon dates back 125 years and remains real to this day
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