The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers, is a professional Australian rules football club based in the northern Melbourne suburb of Melbourne Airport that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition. Founded in 1872 in the nearby suburb of Essendon, the club participated in the Victorian Football Association from 1878 until 1896, when it joined seven other clubs in forming the breakaway Victorian Football League. Headquartered at Windy Hill for much of the 20th century, the club moved to The Hangar in Melbourne Airport in 2013, and currently plays its home games at either Docklands Stadium or the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Dyson Heppell is the current club captain.
Timothy Michael Watson is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). After retiring from the game, he has continued working in the Australian football industry as a coach, sports journalist and media personality.
Barry Davis is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with Essendon and North Melbourne, before coaching his original team between 1978 and 1980.
Kevin Morris is a former Australian rules football player who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1971 and 1976 for the Richmond Football Club and then from 1977 until 1981 for the Collingwood Football Club.
Francis William Maher was a decorated Australian soldier who served in the First AIF, and was an Australian footballer and coach in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the Victorian Football Association (VFA).
John Beckwith is a former Australian rules football player and coach, for the Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
John Joseph "Dookie" McKenzie was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Percival Gordon Ogden was an Australian rules footballer who played with and coached Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Sydney Quinton Barker Sr. was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond, Essendon and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). His son, also named Syd Barker, had a brief league career with North Melbourne.
Charlie Hardy was an Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) during the 1910s and Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1920s.
Cecil Alfred Ruddell was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1940s.
Vincent Michael Irwin was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1920s.
John Ellis is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Gary Fitzpatrick is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Recruited from Moonee Ponds in the Essendon District Football League, Fitzpatrick left Essendon in 1976 to play with Brunswick in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). After a single season there, he moved to Queensland and played with Mayne and Banyo, the latter of which he captain-coached.
Bryan Pirouet is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). After leaving Essendon, he played with Prahran in the Victorian Football Association (VFA), winning a premiership with them in 1973. Pirouet played for several country sides after his time in the VFA, captain-coaching Horsham Imperials, playing for Wonthaggi and captain-coaching Dalyston.
Gary Grainger is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). His father, George, also played VFL football, for St Kilda. After leaving Essendon, Grainger played for and captained Preston in the Victorian Football Association (VFA), was captain-coach of Tasmanian side East Devonport, captain-coached Epping back in Victoria, and was captain-coach of Lalor in the Diamond Valley Football League.
Roger Hampson is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Hampson played eight games in his first season with Essendon and won the club's best first-year player award, but a severe knee injury forced him to miss the latter half of the year and all of 1970. He returned in 1971, but could only manage two more senior games before leaving mid-season to Victorian Football Association side Northcote. Hampson next played with fellow VFA team Sandringham for a year before moving to suburban football. He was captain-coach of East Caulfield, Balwyn and Edithvale-Aspendale before a stint as assistant coach to VFL club Melbourne's under-19s. Hampson came back to Essendon 1989 to be the club's general manager for seven years.
David Collins is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Keith Gent is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He played for Essendon's under-19s in 1964, winning the club best and fairest as well as representing Victoria. Gent served in the Vietnam War in 1967 and 1968 where he was wounded. He returned to Australia in 1969 and played with Essendon's reserves before transferring to Victorian Football Association (VFA) side, Preston. Gent then spent three seasons with fellow VFA club Brunswick before he became captain-coach of Reservoir where his team won consecutive premierships in 1975 and 1976. He later returned to VFL football as a coach – he was a coach of Essendon's under-19s and also an assistant coach of Fitzroy's under-19s.
John McLeish was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). McLeish's father, Maurie, played VFL football for St Kilda.