1924 season

The 1924 season proved to be arguably the strangest year in Essendon's entire history. For the first time since 1897 there was no ultimate match — either "Challenge Final" or "Grand Final" — to determine the premiers; instead, the top four clubs after the home and away season played a round-robin to determine the premiers.

Essendon, having previously defeated both Fitzroy (by 40 points) and South Melbourne (by 33 points), clinched the premiership by means of a 20-point loss to Richmond (9.13.67) v Essendon (6.11.47) at Lake Oval on 27 September 1924.

1924 season

With the Tigers having already lost a match to Fitzroy by a substantial margin, the Dons were declared premiers by virtue of their superior percentage, meaning that Essendon again managed to win successive premierships.

But the poor crowds for the finals meant this was never attempted again, resulting in Essendon having the unique record of winning the only two premierships without a grand final.

The club was founded in 1872 by members of the Royal Agricultural Society, the Melbourne Hunt Club and the Victorian Woolbrokers at a meeting in the home of a well-known brewery family, the McCrackens, whose Ascot Vale property hosted a team of local junior players.

A founding member of both the VFA in 1877 and the VFL in 1896, Essendon is one of Australia's best-known football clubs.

On 7 June 1873 the club played its first recorded match against Carlton, with Essendon winning by one goal.

Essendon played 13 matches during its first season in the VFA, winning seven, with four draws and losing two.

Essendon's first VFL game was in 1897 was against Geelong at Corio Oval in Geelong.

The club won its first VFL premiership in the 1897 Grand Final.