HARVEY, Mark

Mark Harvey made his debut in 1984 and quickly developed into one of the best and most exciting young players in the game. He had plenty of skill, could kick goals and was fearless.

He was a member of the 1984 premiership team in only his 16th game of League football and kicked a handy 28 goals that year.

Harvey played every game in 1985, ran second in the Club's Best and Fairest award and was the Club's leading goalkicker with 48 goals. He kicked four goals in the Grand Final and was among Essendon's best. After only 40 games of football he was selected in the All-Australian side that year. He also won his first of five Victorian blazers. The future looked bright for the dynamic young forward.

Harvey broke his leg in a pre-season game against St Kilda in 1987. He broke it again that year while over-doing his recovery, and when finally he made it onto the ground in mid-season, he broke it for a third time in a clash with Hawthorn's Robert Dipierdomenico. He'd managed just one game for the year.

The next four years proved frustrating for Harvey. In 1987 he began his battle with bulimia and at one stage was hospitalised. He showed great courage in coming out publicly about the issue a few years later and said he hoped to help others in the same predicament. From 1987 to 1991 he averaged only 13 games a year as the illness took its toll on his body.

1992 was a turning point. He had largely beaten his illness and was playing in defence in an attempt to save his body from the battering he'd been receiving in the forward line. He proved a natural. Harvey played in every game that season, one of only two players to do so, and won the Club's Best and Fairest award.

He played every game in 1993, missed a couple of finals, then returned to play in the winning Grand Final. It was his third premiership. He was runner-up in the Club's Best and Fairest award for the second time and also won his second All-Australian selection.

Injuries were again unkind to Harvey and he missed much of 1994 and 1995 with ankle problems. But in 1996 he played nearly every game, and showed some great form in defence.

In 1997 after six games, Harvey led his side out for the last time in a win over Carlton at Princes Park. He was given an emotional farewell by his team-mates and fans. His loyalty to the club was rewarded by a position on the coaching team where he served the Club from 1998 to 2005 as an assistant coach.

Unknown to most people, in 1998 he underwent a successful operation to remove a tumour at the front of his brain.

In 2006 he was appointed assistant coach at Fremantle and towards the end of 2007 was appointed their senior coach, a position he held until he was sacked at the end of the 2011 season.

He joined Brisbane as assistant coach in 2012 and was became caretaker coach for three games when Michael Voss resigned in August 2013 after being told he would not be re-appointed for 2014. He left Brisbane when Justin Leppitsch was appointed coach in 2014.

He returned to Essendon as assistant coach in 2015, a position he held until until 2020. Since then he has taken on a new position at the Club, dividing his time between a management role with a focus on coterie groups and a football role involving scouting and opposition analysis.

He was depicted as "Warrior" in the 2002 "Spirit to Win" mural at Windy Hill.

Harvey was ranked 18 in the Champions of Essendon, was inducted into the Club's Hall of Fame in 2014 and is a member of the Club's Team of the Century. He was awarded AFL Life membership in 2010.