The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers or colloquially the Dons, is a professional Australian rules football club that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the game's premier competition. The club was formed by the McCracken family in their Ascot Vale home "Alisa" adopting the name of the local borough. While the exact date is unknown, it is generally accepted to have been in 1872. The club's first recorded game took place on 7 June 1873 against a Carlton seconds team. From 1878 until 1896, the club played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA), then joined seven other clubs in October 1896 to form the breakaway Victorian Football League. Headquartered at the Essendon Recreation Ground, known as Windy Hill, from 1922 to 2013, the club moved to The Hangar in Tullamarine in late 2013 on land owned by the Melbourne Airport corporation. The club shares its home games between Docklands Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Zach Merrett is the current club captain.
Martin Pike is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who played in four Australian Football League (AFL) premiership sides. A tough, versatile wingman, Pike has been described as a "natural player" of the game. Highlights of his career included a premiership with the North Melbourne Football Club, three more with Brisbane, the final AFL best-and-fairest winner with Fitzroy in 1996, and selection in the 1998 South Australian State-Of-Origin side.
Matthew Richardson is a former professional Australian rules footballer and current media personality who represented Richmond in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Peter Francis Bell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club and the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. He played as a rover. A former captain of the Fremantle Football Club, Bell was twice named as a member of the All-Australian Team. He was an acclaimed ball-winner and had more than 30 possessions in a game on 39 occasions in his career.
Matthew Scarlett is a former Australian rules footballer, who formerly played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A fullback, who is 1.92 metres tall and weighing 94 kilograms (207 lb), Scarlett is the eldest son of former Geelong footballer John Scarlett.
Matthew Collins is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League. He was well known for a large distinct Indian tattoo on his shoulder.
Ross William Glendinning is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the East Perth Football Club in the West Australian National Football League (WANFL) and for the North Melbourne Football Club and the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Glenn J. Elliott is a former Australian rules footballer. He played for the St Kilda and Melbourne as a centreman.
Kent Kingsley is a former Australian rules footballer for the North Melbourne Football Club, the Geelong Football Club and the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Alastair Thomas Clarkson is an Australian rules football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and was previously head coach of the Hawthorn Football Club from 2005 to 2021, where he won four premierships.
Corey McKernan is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Kangaroos and Carlton Blues in the Australian Football League (AFL). A dual Premiership player, a one-time All-Australian at North Melbourne, and a one-time club best and fairest winner and leading goalkicker at Carlton, McKernan was at one time considered to be one of the very best players in the country. He is the older brother to Shaun McKernan, who played with Adelaide Crows, Essendon, and St Kilda.
Glenn Matthew Kilpatrick is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon and Geelong in the Australian Football League (AFL) and West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).
Matthew Dylan Campbell is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League from 2006 - 2012.
Matthew Kreuzer is a retired professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected first overall pick in the 2007 AFL Draft. He announced his retirement in September 2020.
Austin Wonaeamirri is a professional Australian rules football player of indigenous (Tiwi) origin. He previously played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
The Aspley Football Club, nicknamed the Hornets, is an Australian rules football club based in the northern-Brisbane suburb of Aspley. The club competes in multiple Queensland-based competitions, including in the Queensland Australian Football League, Division 1 of the Queensland Football Association, the Queensland AFL Women's League, and several underage competitions for boys and girls. The senior men's team has in the past competed in second-tier state league competitions, notably the North East Australian Football League from 2011 to 2020 and the Victorian Football League in 2021.
Matthew Broadbent is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected with pick 38 in the 2008 AFL Draft from the Woodville-West Torrens Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He currently plays for the South Adelaide Football Club in the SANFL.
James Joseph Larkin was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Zac Fisher is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having been initially drafted by the Carlton Football Club with pick 27 in the 2016 national draft. He made his debut in the twenty-six point loss against Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium in round four of the 2017 season.
Ben McKay is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was initially drafted to the North Melbourne Football Club.
