Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Anna Harrington

Thirty years on, Anzac Day blockbuster as big as ever

Nick Daicos will step up to lead Collingwood in the big Anzac Day clash with Essendon at the MCG. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Thirty years after Essendon and Collingwood played out an enthralling draw in the first Anzac Day blockbuster, one thing has become clear: expect the unexpected.

On Anzac Day 1995, Collingwood's Saverio Rocca starred, thousands of fans were locked out of the sold-out MCG and the two teams couldn't be split.

Since then, the game has staged red-hot contests, upsets and seen players, like Mark McGough or Paddy Ryder, make a name for themselves or, in the case of James Hird and Scott Pendlebury, underline their superstardom.

But above all, the game, which pays tribute to the servicemen and women of Australia, has become known for the spine-tingling moment when a packed MCG falls silent as The Last Post plays.

moment
It's always an emotional moment when the players line up for the playing of the Last Post. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Leigh Matthews, who coached Collingwood in that 1995 encounter, is amazed at how big the game has become.

"I don't think anyone could necessarily foresee what was going to happen," Matthews said.

"I guess the thought was it would be an annual event forever. That would have been the thought when it first started. But I didn't know what was going to transpire.

"It's been a fantastic event. 

"With footy teams, the team's got to be bigger than the individual, and this is bigger than the sport, the football teams. This whole occasion, that's what it's become.

"The sanctity of it all is something I think we're all really proud of."

Former Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, one of the masterminds behind the game, appreciates the role it plays in educating younger generations about the sacrifices of past and current servicemen.

"The education part of it has been brilliant, because a lot of people haven't seen war," he said.

"We live in a pretty easy-going society which our defence forces allow us to do."

sheeds
Kevin Sheedy says the MCG occasion plays an important role in society. (Michael Dodge/AAP PHOTOS)

The game itself often lives up to the occasion, too.

In the 2025 edition, red-hot Collingwood will go in as comfortable favourites, but well aware an improving Essendon could yet prove a thorn in their side.

Collingwood have won five games on the spin while the Bombers are enjoying a three-game winning run.

The Magpies will be without skipper Darcy Moore on Friday, with Nick Daicos to step up as captain against the Bombers, spearheaded by resurgent forward Peter Wright.

Mason Cox and Ed Allan have been dropped by Collingwood, with Tim Membrey and Lachlan Sullivan recalled and Dan Houston back from suspension.

Kyle Langford (hamstring) is back alongside Wright in attack for Essendon, who have turned to veteran Todd Goldstein to replace injured ruckman Sam Draper (Achilles). 

Wright
Peter Wright leads the Bombers from the front. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

"We've had some ding-dong battles," Collingwood coach Craig McRae said. 

"And the amazing thing about these games is that you don't have to worry about ladder position. 

"You just know you're going to get a cracking game and form sort of goes out the window. It's a finals-like atmosphere.

"Even if they hadn't won three in a row, this game's a different one. 

"We rock up, bounce the ball. Let's go."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.