1912 Our 4th Flag

Essendon started of the year without its Captain Dave Smith, as he was touring England with the Australian cricket team.

Essendon struggled throughout the season and lost star player Bill Busbridge during the season ending a great career. Essendon were soundly beaten by St Kilda in the second last match of the season, however in an earlier game against St Kilda it was reported in “The Victorian Football Follower”the next day:

“Umpire Norden, whose erratic decisions and dramatic attitudes are difficult to understand, umpired shokingly and Essendonians will be particularly pleased when relieved of his undesirable attentions.

“Towards the close of the game, Caine, dodging an opponent, kicked the ball through putting Essendon a point in the lead.

“Whether Norden thought the goal was undeserved, or whether it was not even to his liking one cannot say.

“But to the unfounded surprise and imagination of all sportsmen, he brought the ball back and gave a free kick to the man who did not touch Caine until the ball had left his boot”.

Essendon won the last game against Fitzroy to make fourth place on the Ladder and beat South Melbourne in the First Semi Final, with Carlton winning the 2^nd Semi Final. At that time, South Melbourne, who had finished on top of the ladder after the home and away series, had the right to challenge the winner of the two Semi Finals winners for the Premiership. Essendon defeated Carlton in the Preliminary Final by 4 points and went on to play South Melbourne again for the flag. Essendon had lost two stars in  Fred O’Shea and  Ern Cameron due to injury, however were on top all day and in front of a crowd of fifty four thousand four hundred and sixty three went on to win 5.17 (47) to 4.9 (33).

The Grand Final team consisted of: