The ANZAC Day clash
Encyclopedia
The Anzac Day clash is an annual Australian rules football
match between Australian Football League
(AFL) teams Collingwood
and Essendon
, held on Anzac Day
(25 April) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
(MCG).
and Vietnam
as a celebration of Australian culture and as a bonding exercise between soldiers. Despite this, professional football was not played on Anzac Day for many years; in 1959 for example, when all VFL
games were played on Saturday afternoons and when Anzac Day also fell on a Saturday, the entire round was withheld and played on the following Saturday.
The first VFL matches played on Anzac Day occurred in 1960 following an Act of Parliament which lifted the previous restriction on this activity. Over the years these games sometimes drew huge crowds, with the 1975 Carlton
versus Essendon game attracting 77,770 fans to VFL Park
, a then record for the day, while two years later in 1977 Richmond
and Collingwood would easily surpass this, drawing 92,436 to the MCG.
In 1986 the league used Anzac Day to attempt its first ever doubleheader
. Held at the MCG, Melbourne
and Sydney
played in the afternoon, followed after a short break by a North Melbourne
and Geelong
match in the evening under lights; with a total crowd of only 40,117 and various logistical problems, the league has never attempted another doubleheader. Through the years until the mid-1990s it was common for at least two matches to be played on the Anzac Day public holiday.
to Richmond in 1969, thought back to the success of the Collingwood–Richmond game in 1977, and considered how the football on Anzac Day could pay suitable tribute to those who had served their country. Sheedy organised a meeting with officials from Essendon and Collingwood, and the then Victorian Returned and Services League (RSL)
President Bruce Ruxton
, who was also a keen Collingwood supporter, and proposed his concept for the match day and game which would honour the Anzac spirit
. Despite their previous opposition to football on Anzac Day, Ruxton and the RSL agreed with Sheedy's proposal, as did the AFL.
The first annual Anzac Day match between Collingwood and Essendon was played on Tuesday, 25 April 1995 at the MCG. The round-four match received limited publicity as there had already been AFL matches played on 25 April. Essendon had won its first three games of the season, however, Collingwood were without a victory. Soon after the Anzac Day march in the city, patrons flocked to the ground. Crowds outside the ground were so substantial at 12.30 pm, that Collingwood coach Leigh Matthews
thought the gates to the ground must have still been locked. When the gates were closed at 1.30 pm—still 40 minutes before the start of the match—20,000 additional people had to be dispersed by mounted police, while they attempted to gain admission into the stadium. Thousands of these people descended to the nearby Fitzroy Gardens, where they listened to the match on radio.
Played on a sunny autumn day, both teams kicked six goals in the first quarter. Before a three-goal-to-one second quarter helped Essendon lead by 16-points at half-time. However, the momentum swayed in the third-quarter, when Collingwood kicked seven-goals-to-two, giving them a 14-point lead at the break. Essendon started strongly in the final term, and when James Hird
snapped a goal late in the quarter, he gave his team a six point advantage. Saverio Rocca
leapt and took "one of the marks of the year" in the forward-line soon after. At the 28-minute mark he capitalised by kicking the goal and levelling the scores. With just seconds left, Nathan Buckley
had an opportunity to score; however, he elected to kick to Rocca, who was cut off. Seconds later, the siren sounded; both team's score on 111. Roars from the 94,825 crowd during the match could easily be heard from a kilometre away; and the crowd remains the second-highest home and away crowd in VFL/AFL history, surpassed only by the 99,346 who attended the Collingwood–Melbourne Queen's Birthday clash in 1958.
Today, this game is often considered the biggest match of the AFL season outside of the finals, sometimes drawing bigger crowds than all but the Grand Final
, and often selling out in advance. As a point of comparison, in the National Rugby League
, the Sydney Roosters
and St. George Illawarra Dragons have played on Anzac Day since 2002, but generally without the increase in crowd numbers compared to other games as seen in the AFL. However, Anzac Day matches have been a regular part of the rugby league season for over 80 years.
In recent years, other clubs and some sections of the media have lobbied for the game to be shared amongst all clubs, not just Collingwood and Essendon. Since 1996, one year after the team's inception, Fremantle
has held the Len Hall Tribute Game, named in honour of Western Australia's last Gallipoli
veteran. This game is regularly held on Anzac Day as a Western Australian featured game. With Anzac Day falling on a Saturday in 2009, four games were scheduled for the day, yet the largest fixture (the MCG) continued to host Collingwood and Essendon at the exclusion of other clubs. Critics have argued that this fixture should be shared.
The Seven Network
currently have the broadcasting rights to this match, from 2012 onwards. Previously, the Nine Network
(2002–2006) and Network Ten
(2007-2011, except 2010) had the broadcasting rights to the match. In 2010 the Seven Network
had the broadcasting rights to this match, its first since 2001, however, for the 2011 season the rights were handed back to Network Ten
. As consolation, Seven televised a rare Tuesday afternoon match between rivals and instead. For the 2012 season, the Seven Network
will retain the broadcasting rights to the match; Network Ten
having lost the broadcasting rights to the AFL from 2012 onwards.
. This ceremony includes the recognition of Australian War Veterans as well as a Flag Ceremony, including the playing of the Last Post
and Australian National Anthem.
Sydney
based journalist and former Australian rugby
national representative player Peter FitzSimons
commented in the Sydney Morning Herald of the 2008 game that he had:
The Collingwood Football Club asserts:
Conversely, some commentators such as Liz Porter, Chris Fotinopoulos and Ruby Murray have criticised the Australian Football League for the way it promotes the event, alleging that it has exploited the sacredness and solemnity of the Anzac story for the purpose of financial profit. According to Porter:
Also the subject of criticism have been the comments often made in relation to the game by the AFL, sports journalists, media personalities, club officials, coaches and some sections of the media which conflate the Anzac spirit at Gallipoli with the fighting spirit on the football ground. In the opinion of Fotinopoulos, "the real meaning of Anzac Day has become distorted by slick marketing campaigns designed to pass footballers off as war heroes." These criticisms were highlighted in 2009 when Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse stated that his team had "let the Anzacs down" in losing the game, and that "Essendon showed true Anzac spirit, the reason why we play here." Journalist Patrick Smith
responded in The Australian
that this comparison between the game of football and the sadness and bravery of war "belittles and trivialises the suffering of the men and women which Anzac Day is set aside to remember and thank." In a subsequent article, Smith argued:
– skill, courage, self-sacrifice, teamwork and fair play – has been awarded the AFL Anzac Medal. This medal has been won three times by retired Essendon star (and current Essendon coach) James Hird
, the most of any player. In 2001, Collingwood's Chris Tarrant
became the only player to have won the medal despite playing in the losing team.
Before the start of the 2011 ANZAC Day match, the AFL presented retrospective ANZAC Medals to their intended recipients for all of the matches prior to the introduction of the medal in 2000.
* Retrospective medals awarded in 2011, for games from 1995 to 1999, as the first official Anzac Medal was awarded in 2000.
^ Capacity of ground reduced due to redevelopment for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Dustin Fletcher
of Essendon has played in the most Anzac Day games, with 15 as of 2011. The most of any Magpie is Scott Burns
with 11 appearances.
The most goals kicked in one game by a Collingwood player is Saverio Rocca
with nine in 1995. The most goals kicked in one game by an Essendon player is Scott Lucas
with six in 2000 and Matthew Lloyd
with six in 1999 and again in 2003.
Nine players have made their AFL debut in an Anzac Day match:
Several milestones have been reached during an Anzac Day match:
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
match between Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL) teams Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, held on Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
(25 April) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
(MCG).
Early history of Australian rules on Anzac Day
During many wars, Australian rules football matches have been played overseas in places like northern AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
as a celebration of Australian culture and as a bonding exercise between soldiers. Despite this, professional football was not played on Anzac Day for many years; in 1959 for example, when all VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
games were played on Saturday afternoons and when Anzac Day also fell on a Saturday, the entire round was withheld and played on the following Saturday.
The first VFL matches played on Anzac Day occurred in 1960 following an Act of Parliament which lifted the previous restriction on this activity. Over the years these games sometimes drew huge crowds, with the 1975 Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
versus Essendon game attracting 77,770 fans to VFL Park
Waverley Park
Waverley Park was an Australian rules football stadium in Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia. For most of its history, its purpose was as a neutral venue and used by all Victorian based Victorian Football League/Australian Football League clubs. However, during the 1990s it became the home ground of...
, a then record for the day, while two years later in 1977 Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
and Collingwood would easily surpass this, drawing 92,436 to the MCG.
In 1986 the league used Anzac Day to attempt its first ever doubleheader
Doubleheader
Doubleheader may refer to:*Doubleheader - Two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day.*Doubleheader - An all-inclusive sports broadcast of two games back-to-back....
. Held at the MCG, Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
and Sydney
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
played in the afternoon, followed after a short break by a North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
and Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
match in the evening under lights; with a total crowd of only 40,117 and various logistical problems, the league has never attempted another doubleheader. Through the years until the mid-1990s it was common for at least two matches to be played on the Anzac Day public holiday.
History of Collingwood–Essendon Anzac Day clash
The modern version of the Anzac Day clash was conceived by then Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy while pottering in his garden in the mid-90s. Sheedy, who had done two years service in the army after being draftedConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
to Richmond in 1969, thought back to the success of the Collingwood–Richmond game in 1977, and considered how the football on Anzac Day could pay suitable tribute to those who had served their country. Sheedy organised a meeting with officials from Essendon and Collingwood, and the then Victorian Returned and Services League (RSL)
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
President Bruce Ruxton
Bruce Ruxton
Bruce Caryle Ruxton AM, OBE is an Australian ex-serviceman and former President of the Victorian Returned and Services League.-Early life:Ruxton grew up in Kew, Victoria...
, who was also a keen Collingwood supporter, and proposed his concept for the match day and game which would honour the Anzac spirit
ANZAC spirit
The Anzac spirit or Anzac legend is a concept which suggests that Australian and New Zealand soldiers possess shared characteristics, specifically the qualities those soldiers are believed to have shown on the battlefield in World War I. These qualities cluster around several ideas, including...
. Despite their previous opposition to football on Anzac Day, Ruxton and the RSL agreed with Sheedy's proposal, as did the AFL.
The first annual Anzac Day match between Collingwood and Essendon was played on Tuesday, 25 April 1995 at the MCG. The round-four match received limited publicity as there had already been AFL matches played on 25 April. Essendon had won its first three games of the season, however, Collingwood were without a victory. Soon after the Anzac Day march in the city, patrons flocked to the ground. Crowds outside the ground were so substantial at 12.30 pm, that Collingwood coach Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
thought the gates to the ground must have still been locked. When the gates were closed at 1.30 pm—still 40 minutes before the start of the match—20,000 additional people had to be dispersed by mounted police, while they attempted to gain admission into the stadium. Thousands of these people descended to the nearby Fitzroy Gardens, where they listened to the match on radio.
Played on a sunny autumn day, both teams kicked six goals in the first quarter. Before a three-goal-to-one second quarter helped Essendon lead by 16-points at half-time. However, the momentum swayed in the third-quarter, when Collingwood kicked seven-goals-to-two, giving them a 14-point lead at the break. Essendon started strongly in the final term, and when James Hird
James Hird
James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
snapped a goal late in the quarter, he gave his team a six point advantage. Saverio Rocca
Saverio Rocca
Saverio "Sav" Giovanni Rocca is a punter for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and former Australian rules footballer for both and in the Australian Football League. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.He is one of a few players who have converted from...
leapt and took "one of the marks of the year" in the forward-line soon after. At the 28-minute mark he capitalised by kicking the goal and levelling the scores. With just seconds left, Nathan Buckley
Nathan Buckley
Nathan Charles Buckley is a former professional Australian rules football player, commentator and coach, best known for his time as captain of the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
had an opportunity to score; however, he elected to kick to Rocca, who was cut off. Seconds later, the siren sounded; both team's score on 111. Roars from the 94,825 crowd during the match could easily be heard from a kilometre away; and the crowd remains the second-highest home and away crowd in VFL/AFL history, surpassed only by the 99,346 who attended the Collingwood–Melbourne Queen's Birthday clash in 1958.
Today, this game is often considered the biggest match of the AFL season outside of the finals, sometimes drawing bigger crowds than all but the Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
, and often selling out in advance. As a point of comparison, in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
, the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
and St. George Illawarra Dragons have played on Anzac Day since 2002, but generally without the increase in crowd numbers compared to other games as seen in the AFL. However, Anzac Day matches have been a regular part of the rugby league season for over 80 years.
In recent years, other clubs and some sections of the media have lobbied for the game to be shared amongst all clubs, not just Collingwood and Essendon. Since 1996, one year after the team's inception, Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
has held the Len Hall Tribute Game, named in honour of Western Australia's last Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
veteran. This game is regularly held on Anzac Day as a Western Australian featured game. With Anzac Day falling on a Saturday in 2009, four games were scheduled for the day, yet the largest fixture (the MCG) continued to host Collingwood and Essendon at the exclusion of other clubs. Critics have argued that this fixture should be shared.
The Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
currently have the broadcasting rights to this match, from 2012 onwards. Previously, the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
(2002–2006) and Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
(2007-2011, except 2010) had the broadcasting rights to the match. In 2010 the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
had the broadcasting rights to this match, its first since 2001, however, for the 2011 season the rights were handed back to Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
. As consolation, Seven televised a rare Tuesday afternoon match between rivals and instead. For the 2012 season, the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
will retain the broadcasting rights to the match; Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
having lost the broadcasting rights to the AFL from 2012 onwards.
Meaning and significance
For many people the clash may be their closest involvement with Anzac Day remembrance services. Before the match, a special Anzac Day service is held at the MCGMelbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
. This ceremony includes the recognition of Australian War Veterans as well as a Flag Ceremony, including the playing of the Last Post
Last Post
The "Last Post" can be either a B♭ bugle call within British Infantry regiments or an E♭ cavalry trumpet call in British Cavalry and Royal Regiment of Artillery used at Commonwealth military funerals and ceremonies commemorating those who have been killed in war.The two regimental traditions have...
and Australian National Anthem.
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
based journalist and former Australian rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
national representative player Peter FitzSimons
Peter FitzSimons
Peter John FitzSimons AM is an Australian journalist and author, based in Sydney. He is a former radio presenter and national representative rugby union player.-Early life:...
commented in the Sydney Morning Herald of the 2008 game that he had:
...rarely seen something so impressive in the world of sport. As they played the Last Post and the national anthem, the 100,000-strong crowd [sic] uttered not a peep, whispered not a murmur. The atmosphere was electric and the general mood in the air one of reverence for the diggers and anticipation of the game to come...Somewhere, someone has done a superb job organising that landmark day in Australian sport.
The Collingwood Football Club asserts:
The Anzac Day blockbuster between Collingwood and Essendon has become one of our biggest national sporting events ... The Anzac Day match pays tribute to the sacrifice of the servicemen and women of Australia and celebrates the Anzac spiritANZAC spiritThe Anzac spirit or Anzac legend is a concept which suggests that Australian and New Zealand soldiers possess shared characteristics, specifically the qualities those soldiers are believed to have shown on the battlefield in World War I. These qualities cluster around several ideas, including...
– courage, sacrifice, endurance and mateship.
Conversely, some commentators such as Liz Porter, Chris Fotinopoulos and Ruby Murray have criticised the Australian Football League for the way it promotes the event, alleging that it has exploited the sacredness and solemnity of the Anzac story for the purpose of financial profit. According to Porter:
The commodification of "the Anzac spirit" as an AFL marketing device appears to have begun with the 1995 Essendon-Collingwood clash, after which a commemorative poster of the game was produced, bearing the words "Lest we forget". A solemn pledge was reborn as an advertising slogan.
Also the subject of criticism have been the comments often made in relation to the game by the AFL, sports journalists, media personalities, club officials, coaches and some sections of the media which conflate the Anzac spirit at Gallipoli with the fighting spirit on the football ground. In the opinion of Fotinopoulos, "the real meaning of Anzac Day has become distorted by slick marketing campaigns designed to pass footballers off as war heroes." These criticisms were highlighted in 2009 when Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse stated that his team had "let the Anzacs down" in losing the game, and that "Essendon showed true Anzac spirit, the reason why we play here." Journalist Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith (journalist)
Patrick Smith is an Australian sports journalist.He is noted for his pieces in The Australian newspapers' sports section. He also appears on Hungry for Sport with Kevin Bartlett on SEN 1116....
responded in The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
that this comparison between the game of football and the sadness and bravery of war "belittles and trivialises the suffering of the men and women which Anzac Day is set aside to remember and thank." In a subsequent article, Smith argued:
The AFL itself is in danger of manipulating Anzac Day. The commission is looking to play more games than the traditional Essendon-Collingwood match which had previously been set aside as the code's mark of respect. To play more matches around the country is to move uneasily close to a ratings and money-making tool. Given that bravery and commitment in war is acknowledged with medals, the AFL seeks to capitalise on that with awarding the Anzac Medal to the best player on Anzac Day. On reflection, that is bordering on tacky.
Anzac Medal
A best-on-ground player has been named for each of the Anzac Day clashes. Since 2000, the player in the match considered to best exemplify the Anzac spiritANZAC spirit
The Anzac spirit or Anzac legend is a concept which suggests that Australian and New Zealand soldiers possess shared characteristics, specifically the qualities those soldiers are believed to have shown on the battlefield in World War I. These qualities cluster around several ideas, including...
– skill, courage, self-sacrifice, teamwork and fair play – has been awarded the AFL Anzac Medal. This medal has been won three times by retired Essendon star (and current Essendon coach) James Hird
James Hird
James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
, the most of any player. In 2001, Collingwood's Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant (footballer)
Chris Tarrant is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club, and has also played for the Fremantle Football Club. He announced at the end of the 2010 AFL season that he would return to Melbourne for personal reasons and would not extend his contract with Fremantle...
became the only player to have won the medal despite playing in the losing team.
Before the start of the 2011 ANZAC Day match, the AFL presented retrospective ANZAC Medals to their intended recipients for all of the matches prior to the introduction of the medal in 2000.
Match results
| Year | Winner | Collingwood score | Essendon score | Attendance | Anzac Medallist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Draw | 17.9 (111) | 16.15 (111) | 94,825 | Saverio Rocca Saverio Rocca Saverio "Sav" Giovanni Rocca is a punter for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and former Australian rules footballer for both and in the Australian Football League. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.He is one of a few players who have converted from... * |
| 1996 | Collingwood | 17.15 (117) | 16.9 (105) | 87,549 | Scott Russell Scott Russell (footballer) Scott Russell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood and Sydney in the Australian Football League. He played all possible 26 games in his debut season in 1990, winning a premiership medalion at the end of the year.... * |
| 1997 | Collingwood | 14.15 (99) | 10.10 (70) | 83,271 | Damian Monkhorst Damian Monkhorst Damian Monkhorst is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL/AFL.'Monkey' came to Collingwood from Woori Yallock and made his debut in 1988. The 202cm, 116kg big man was classed as a no.1 ruckman as soon as he got to Victoria Park, and his early career headed him to become a... * |
| 1998 | Collingwood | 15.18 (108) | 12.16 (88) | 81,542 | Saverio Rocca Saverio Rocca Saverio "Sav" Giovanni Rocca is a punter for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and former Australian rules footballer for both and in the Australian Football League. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.He is one of a few players who have converted from... * |
| 1999 | Essendon | 15.10 (100) | 15.18 (108) | 73,118 | Mark Mercuri Mark Mercuri Mark Mercuri was a professional Australian rules football player for Essendon. He played in the 1993 Grand final winning team which defeated Carlton... * |
| 2000 | Essendon | 15.10 (100) | 21.14 (140) | 88,390 | James Hird James Hird James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.... |
| 2001 | Essendon | 14.11 (95) | 15.13 (103) | 83,905 | Chris Tarrant Chris Tarrant (footballer) Chris Tarrant is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club, and has also played for the Fremantle Football Club. He announced at the end of the 2010 AFL season that he would return to Melbourne for personal reasons and would not extend his contract with Fremantle... |
| 2002 | Collingwood | 9.12 (66) | 4.9 (33) | 84,894 | Mark McGough Mark McGough Mark McGough is an Australian rules football player who played with the Collingwood and St Kilda football clubs in the Australian Football League .-AFL career:He was selected by Collingwood in the third round of the 2001 AFL Draft... |
| 2003 | Essendon | 12.9 (81) | 23.9 (147) | 62,589^ | James Hird James Hird James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.... |
| 2004 | Essendon | 11.13 (79) | 17.10 (112) | 57,294^ | James Hird James Hird James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.... |
| 2005 | Essendon | 10.9 (69) | 11.17 (83) | 70,033^ | Andrew Lovett Andrew Lovett Andrew Lovett is an Aboriginal Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League for Essendon between 2005 and 2009... |
| 2006 | Collingwood | 15.16 (106) | 12.17 (89) | 91,234 | Ben Johnson |
| 2007 | Collingwood | 12.23 (95) | 11.13 (79) | 90,508 | Heath Shaw Heath Shaw Heath Shaw is an Australian rules footballer playing for Collingwood in the Australian Football League-AFL career:... |
| 2008 | Collingwood | 23.16 (154) | 12.9 (81) | 88,999 | Paul Medhurst Paul Medhurst Paul Medhurst is a former professional Australian rules football who played for the Fremantle Football Club and the Collingwood Football Club.... |
| 2009 | Essendon | 12.16 (88) | 13.15 (93) | 84,829 | Patrick Ryder Patrick Ryder Patrick "Paddy" Ryder is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Essendon in the Australian Football League .-Early career:... |
| 2010 | Collingwood | 18.12 (120) | 8.7 (55) | 90,070 | Scott Pendlebury Scott Pendlebury Scott Pendlebury is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Early life :... |
| 2011 | Collingwood | 16.11 (107) | 11.11 (77) | 89,626 | Scott Pendlebury Scott Pendlebury Scott Pendlebury is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Early life :... |
* Retrospective medals awarded in 2011, for games from 1995 to 1999, as the first official Anzac Medal was awarded in 2000.
^ Capacity of ground reduced due to redevelopment for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Trivia
Four players have represented both clubs in an Anzac Day clash.- Andrew UkovicAndrew UkovicAndrew Ukovic is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and Collingwood in the Australian Football League ....
(1998 with Essendon and 2000 with Collingwood) - Scott CummingsScott CummingsScott Cummings is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon, Port Adelaide, the West Coast Eagles and Collingwood in the Australian Football League....
(1996 with Essendon and 2002 with Collingwood) - Blake CaracellaBlake CaracellaBlake Caracella is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League .-Essendon career:Selected by Essendon in the 1995 National Draft at pick 10, Caracella finally debuted with the Bombers in 1997...
(1997–2002 with Essendon and 2005 with Collingwood) - Mal MichaelMal MichaelMalcolm Roberto "Mal" Michael is a former Australian rules footballer. He is notable for his successful professional Australian Football League career. Following a career spanned 238 games and three clubs in two Australian states he is best known as a triple premiership full-back with the...
(1998 with Collingwood and 2007–2008 with Essendon)
Dustin Fletcher
Dustin Fletcher
Dustin Fletcher is an Australian rules footballer with the Essendon Football Club. He is renowned as one of the finest defenders in the AFL, and has played at full-back for his team for many years. He is the son of former Bombers captain Ken Fletcher...
of Essendon has played in the most Anzac Day games, with 15 as of 2011. The most of any Magpie is Scott Burns
Scott Burns
Scott Burns is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.-Football career:Originally from Norwood Football Club in the South Australian National Football League, Burns was drafted by the Collingwood Football Club with the 90th selection in the 1992 National Draft...
with 11 appearances.
The most goals kicked in one game by a Collingwood player is Saverio Rocca
Saverio Rocca
Saverio "Sav" Giovanni Rocca is a punter for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and former Australian rules footballer for both and in the Australian Football League. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.He is one of a few players who have converted from...
with nine in 1995. The most goals kicked in one game by an Essendon player is Scott Lucas
Scott Lucas (footballer)
Scott Lucas is a former Australian rules footballer for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League, and is noted as the other major forward for the Bombers, along with Matthew Lloyd...
with six in 2000 and Matthew Lloyd
Matthew Lloyd
Matthew James Lloyd is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and was the captain of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League...
with six in 1999 and again in 2003.
Nine players have made their AFL debut in an Anzac Day match:
- Brent MacafferBrent MacafferBrent Macaffer is a Collingwood footballer in the Australian Football League. He was recruited in the 2006 AFL draft.Macaffer is one of a string of players to have been recruited by Collingwood from Gippsland. Despite his small stature, Macaffer led the TAC Cup U/18 goalkicking in 2006, and was...
(2009) - Sharrod WellinghamSharrod WellinghamSharrod Wellingham is a professional Australian rules football player currently playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League....
(2008) - Travis ClokeTravis ClokeTravis Cloke is a professional Australian rules footballer playing in the Australian Football League. Cloke was drafted under the father-son rule by Collingwood in the 3rd round of the 2004 AFL Draft...
(2005) - Cameron ClokeCameron ClokeCameron Cloke is former Australian rules footballer. He is the son of former Richmond and Collingwood champion David Cloke.-AFL career:...
(2004) - Craig JacotineCraig JacotineCraig Jacotine is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football LeagueJacotine was an unlucky player considering his credentials. He wasn't picked up until no.41 in the 1998 AFL Draft, when people thought he would have been picked up at a younger age the year before...
(1999) - Dean SolomonDean SolomonDean Solomon is retired Australian rules footballer. He played for the Fremantle Dockers and the Essendon Bombers in his 13 year, 209 games and a premiership career.-Early career:...
(1998) - Matthew BanksMatthew Banks (footballer)Matthew Banks is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Australian Football League .Banks was initially drafted in 1995 but soon lost his place on the senior list, before returning to the list after a strong season in the reserves.He has the distinction of playing in...
(1997) - Scott LucasScott Lucas (footballer)Scott Lucas is a former Australian rules footballer for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League, and is noted as the other major forward for the Bombers, along with Matthew Lloyd...
(1996) - Jason Wild (1995)
Several milestones have been reached during an Anzac Day match:
- Simon PrestigiacomoSimon PrestigiacomoSimon 'Presti' Prestigiacomo is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.-Early career: forward line:...
– 200th game (2009) - Darren BewickDarren BewickDarren Bewick is a former dual premiership Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the AFL. Bewick was known for his game breaking pace and goal sense in the forward 50. His ability to take high flying marks was a spectacle amongst Bomber fans, not to mention his...
– 200th game (1999) - Joe MisitiJoe Misiti"Smokin" Joe Misiti is a former Australian rules football player of Italian descent who played for the Essendon Football Club. Originally from Keilor Park, he made his Australian Football League debut in 1992 and retired at the end of the 2004 premiership season with 236 games to his credit...
– 200th game (2003) - Andrew Welsh – 150th game (2010)
- Adam McPheeAdam McPheeAdam McPhee is an Australian rules football football player who plays for the Fremantle Football Club and formerly for the Essendon Football Club. He is a versatile player who has played both as a forward and defender, and recently has also moved into a tagging role, with high profile clashes with...
– 150th game (2009) - Scott RussellScott Russell (footballer)Scott Russell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood and Sydney in the Australian Football League. He played all possible 26 games in his debut season in 1990, winning a premiership medalion at the end of the year....
– 150th game (1997) - Gavin Brown – 150th game (1995)
- Ryan LonieRyan LonieRyan Lonie is a former Collingwood footballer in the Australian Football League. Lonie is a hard-running back flanker who over the duration of his seven years at the club threatened to become a game-breaking wingman, however he did not make the transition.-Early career :Lonie starred as a junior...
– 100th game (2006) - Michael SymonsMichael SymonsMichael Symons is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Australian Football League during the 1990s....
– 100th game (1999) - Sean DenhamSean DenhamSean Denham is a former Australian rules footballer.Recruited from Melton South, Denham was an unheralded rover, who came to Essendon from Geelong in a swap that saw ruckman John Barnes sent the other way following the 1991 season. His style of play as a tagging run-with player, typified during...
– 100th game (1995) - Gary MoorcroftGary MoorcroftGary Moorcroft is a former Australian rules football player for the Essendon Bombers and Melbourne Demons in the AFL.Moorcroft caught the attention of talent scouts with his winning of the Morrish Medal in 1994 whilst playing for the Northern Knights.Moorcroft was a short, stocky and explosive...
– 50th game (2000) - Andrew SchaubleAndrew SchaubleAndrew Schauble is a former Australian rules football player.For over a decade, he was a consistent player in defence for both the Collingwood Football Club and the Sydney Swans. After being struck down by injury in 2004 and struggling to recapture his solid form, he was restricted to only 4 games...
– 50th game (1998) - Heath HockingHeath HockingHeath Hocking is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Essendon. Hocking played one game late in the 2007 season. He joined Essendon as a 2005 Rookie draft pick and was put on the main list in 2007. Hocking is tall, solid and hard at it midfielder...
- 50th game (2011)