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Chris Bryan of Collingwood evades Bachar Houli of Essendon during the NAB Cup Match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Essendon Bombers at the Docklands Stadium. Slattery Images
Some of the best things that happen are accidents. At the time, did anyone have any idea what the Essendon Vs Collingwood Anzac Day clash was going to become? It was just another game on Anzac Day.
The year before, St Kilda played Richmond at Waverley on Anzac Day in an imminently forgettable game. Essendon and Collingwood actually played a few days earlier, on April 23, 1994, in a thrilling match where Essendon prevailed by four points.
It was one of those great pre-Facebook and pre-Twitter occasions where something happened organically as opposed to being choreographed.
The people kept streaming into the ground. So before the opening bounce, the sense of occasion had already been created, and that’s not just because it was Jason Wild’s debut.
The game ebbed and flowed like all great matches do.
When the siren went, Nathan Buckley was just short of firing the game winning shot off. Everyone in the football universe immediately knew they had witnessed something special.
It wasn’t too long before other clubs wanted a slice of an action, saying that it wasn’t fair that Collingwood and Essendon get the Anzac Day limelight for themselves. Other clubs have played on Anzac Day, in addition to the Magpies and Bombers. But, as has been proven, it’s just not the same.
The AFL has also tried to come up with different-themed weeks, but these haven’t had the same impact.
What the other teams don’t realize is that it wasn’t just because it was Anzac Day that this tradition was born – the two sides already had it, they just happened to play a game on Anzac Day.
These two teams have always had a huge rivalry.
When they clash, there is always extra spice, and they have the history of attracting large crowds. There was the 1992 Friday night game, which drew 88,000, and their next two matches in 1993, which also attracted in excess of 85,000.
Chances are that if Hawthorn played the Western Bulldogs on 1995 Anzac Day, 28,000 people would have turned up and no-one would have thought any more of it.
This game is close to being Australia’s equivalent of Arsenal-Manchester United or New York Yankees – Boston Red Sox.
The large fan bases of both sides means this is always going to be a big game, regardless of when it’s played. Other teams simply can’t copy it.
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