On a day of national significance for Australians and New Zealanders, April 25, AFL fans will again fill the MCG to watch Essendon and Collingwood play the annual Anzac Day match.
On a day of remembrance, the match represents more than just a game. It’s a chance for those attending to pay their respects to soldiers who’ve given their lives in national service.
The inaugural Anzac Day match played in 1995 was the brainchild of Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, who wanted to create a game to honour the Anzac spirit he so admired.
During his time as a Richmond player, Sheedy recalls playing against Collingwood on Anzac Day in 1977 when over 92,000 fans packed out the MCG. It was then that he got the idea to hold a commemorative annual event.
Exceeding all expectations, the first Anzac Day match in 1995 attracted an audience of 94,825 and still holds the record for the largest crowd on Anzac Day. For the almost-30 years since Essendon and Collingwood have played every year, with an average crowd of over 80,000 and a televised audience in the millions.
The year 2000 brought changes to the annual match, with a cup made from glass, silver, and bronze awarded to the winning team. Created with a base of ironbark wood derived from an ammunitions wagon used in service at Villers-Bretonneux during WWI and bronze made of metal savaged from the Gallipoli battlefields, it’s a cup imbued with significance.
The same year also saw the beginning of a best and fairest award for the player who displayed the Anzac spirit characterised by skill, courage, self-sacrifice, teamwork and fair play best. It was also awarded retrospectively for the years 1995-99.
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