The 2000 AFL Premiership Season was the 104th of the competition and few in VFL/AFL history have been so completely dominated by one team.

Spurred on by the shock one-point preliminary final loss to arch rivals Carlton the year before, Essendon had the perfect mix of burning motivation and an incredibly talented playing list to create an unstoppable red-and-black juggernaut that swept all before them.

They were ruthless, tough, uncompromising, classy, powerful and skilful – the 2000 Bombers had it all. Star players James Hird and Scott Lucas were fit again after each missed most of the 1999 season due to injury and the team were blessed with very few injury concerns throughout 2000. They lost just one game, to the Western Bulldogs, out of 25 on the way to the Grand Final where they smashed a listless Melbourne by 60 points – 19.21.135 to 11.9.75.

Hird completed a fairytale return, captained his side to the flag and won the Norm Smith Medal after serious foot injuries threatened to cut short his career.

Few seasons in VFL/AFL history have been so completely dominated by one team.

Competition
AFL

Coach
Kevin Sheedy

Team
James Hird (Captain), Mark Johnson, Dustin Fletcher, Sean Wellman, Damien Hardwick, Dean Wallis, Dean Solomon, Chris Heffernan, Joe Misiti, Blake Caracella, Mark Mercuri, Scott Lucas, Adam Ramanauskas, Matthew Lloyd, Michael Long, John Barnes, Justin Blumfield, Jason Johnson, Darren Bewick, Paul Barnard, Steven Alessio, Gary Moorcroft

Best and Fairest
Dustin Fletcher

Leading Goal Kicker
Matthew Lloyd (109)

All Australian Selections
Damien Hardwick, Dustin Fletcher, James Hird, Matthew Lloyd, Kevin Sheedy (AA Coach)