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It is quite something – 90,070 people at a football match, not making a sound. The pre-game observance ceremony for the annual Collingwood-Essendon Anzac Day AFL blockbuster creates an incredible atmosphere.
The military pomp, Major General David McLachlan’s solemn reciting of the Ode, the ghostly Last Post – it is a touching way to reflect on the horrors and heroism of Australia’s wartime history.
But for all of that, it’s the reverential silence that sends chills up your spine.
Even before the first bounce, this is a memorable occasion.
The two clubs deserve all the plaudits for how well they have developed it as the second-biggest game of the year, only behind the grand final.
But in two respects, the Magpies and Bombers have become victims of their own success.
First, there is a growing debate about whether it is time to share the clash among other clubs.
Part of the argument is, why should Collingwood and Essendon have this all to themselves? – to which they quickly reply, because we have built it up over the last 15 years.
Secondly, Anzac Day has become a very bad day to be bad, as a player, team or coach.
The MCG is packed and the national spotlight has become so intense for the match, with the Prime Minister attending this year.
For all the cliches – that the season is a marathon, not a sprint; that each home-and-away game is worth four points – some games are inevitably bigger than others.
Collingwood were great in the 16th Anzac Day clash, but the bigger story is that Essendon were awful.
The pressure on Bombers coach Matthew Knights will go up several notches after this disaster.
Essendon were coming off a so-so season last year when they made the finals, but were only making up the numbers in the top eight.
Star forwards Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas retired and there is plenty of speculation that Lloyd was encouraged to hang up his boots.
The Bombers had only one win from four games heading into Sunday and were hoping the occasion would lift their team, as it did in last year’s epic April 25 win.
But Essendon were woeful, with their ball use particularly bad.
Collingwood were no doubt keen to atone for last year’s Anzac Day loss and they smashed Essendon early to lead by 44 points at quarter-time.
The Bombers only fell another two points behind in the second term, but a damning statistic at the main break summed up their performance.
Collingwood had scored 46 of their points – the half-time margin – from Essendon turnovers.
The second half was inconsequential, it was a matter of the ‘Pies by how much.
Over the summer, Essendon extended Knights’ contract to the end of 2012.
Essendon have put a lot of faith in him, but Knights should be shifting uneasily after this.
There’s a blowtorch under his seat and the temperature is rising.
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