What ignited the intense rivalry between Hawthorn and Essendon?
There are many moments that could have kickstarted the deep hatred which dates back to the late 1970s. Many believe the rivalry turned nasty when Robert Dipierdomenico broke Alan Stoneham’s nose with a flying elbow at Princes Park in 1983.
It continued to bubble along as the Hawks demolished the Bombers in the ’83 Grand Final before exploding in the wake of the 1984 semi-final which was won by the Hawks.
Then Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy sought help from Victorian Police Officer Iain Findlay to uncover exactly what the Hawthorn players were sniffing during breaks.
It was this drug allegation that ruined the relationship between Sheedy and late Hawks coach Allan Jeans and according to former Hawk Rodney Eade, acted as the “flash point” for a fierce conflict that had been brewing away.
“I think there was a steady build-up. There was that (the Dipper elbow), there was a bit of aggression,” Eade said on the Golden Years podcast.
“I think it was when Kevin Sheedy and Essendon accused of drug taking. That really hit flash point.
“‘Jeansy’ was so upset about that and took it so personally because being a policeman and his integrity was being questioned. You could tell the intensity ramped up internally at that stage.”
Eade explains how the allegations were seen by the Hawks playing group who may not have fully understood the gravity of the situaation and how the mudslinging was so offensive to Jeans.
“Kevin got Iain Findlay to check it and trace it and spy on it, I suppose,” he added.
“It was just the headline, when I saw the headline in The Sun. I was 25 or 26 so you probably don’t realise the enormity of it but you could tell. ‘Jeansy’ called a few of us in at various stages and spoke to little groups.
“It had been building before that but that really put the full stop on it about what the rivalry was. I just thought at the time it was a silly, childish prank that Kevin was just trying to put us off our game and throw a curve ball in.”
Some past Hawks have since described the rivalry as a ‘hatred’ but Eade insists it was not something that was spoken about openly by the playing group at the time.
“Not from my point of view, but talking to ex-teammates, you hear Dermott (Brereton) now publicly, he still says there’s hatred,” he said further.
“A lot of ex-teammates have mentioned it publicly. I found it fascinating how the depth of that is with some players. We didn’t talk about it a lot internally at the time but there was greater intensity about it.
“There’s a lot of events. The Colin Robertson one, the Dipper one, a lot of aggression in games built up. I don’t remember where the first point was but there was a steady build-up.”
For the record, the Hawks players were certainly not sniffing illegal drugs, but a mixture of eucalyptus and smelling salts in a bid to open up their lungs and clean the airways.
Listen to Eade on the Golden Years podcast HERE.
