On July 22, 2001, the Essendon Bombers pulled off the greatest comeback in AFL history. Facing North Melbourne in round 16, Essendon trailed by 58 in the after the first quarter. Then reigning premiers then found themselves trailing as many as 69 points early in the second quarter.
Essendon's captain, James Hird, urged them not to focus on the daunting margin but to chip away at the lead bit by bit. This crucial mental reset paved the way for one of the greatest comebacks in sports.
By half-time, the Bombers had begun to claw back - reducing the deficit to 21 points. After Essendon cut the margin to just one point on two occasions, North Melbourne managed to push the lead back out, thanks to goals from Corey McKernan and Shannon Watt.
It wasn’t until the final quarter that Essendon finally took control. Lloyd, who would finish the game with nine goals, continued his dominance. Eleven minutes into the last term, Gary Moorcroft booted a left-foot goal that put the Bombers ahead for the first time since the opening minutes. Despite North's efforts, including a long-range torpedo goal by Brent Harvey, they had run out of steam.
Essendon completed the miraculous comeback with a 12-point victory, winning 27.9 (171) to 25.9 (159). To this day it remains the largest comeback in AFL history.
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