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Essendon's Brent Stanton and Collingwood's Brent Macaffer dive for a loose ball during the AFL ANZAC Day Round 05 match between the Essendon Bombers and the Collingwood Magpies at the MCG. Slattery Images
Enough is enough! As ANZAC Day comes around, the old debate about ending the Collingwood-Essendon exclusiveness of that day’s football is brought up like a big night out. Well, I’m sick of it as I reckon the two teams deserve to keep the day to themselves.
Before I start, I am not a Bombers or a Magpies supporter (I’m a Crows fan), so I am not biased or one-eyed in this debate.
Since 1995, these two teams have battled in front of big crowds on ANZAC Day and it has upset other clubs. I can understand how jealous some clubs can be when the two ANZAC teams will make $700,000 in gate takings off one match, but so what?
The reason these two clubs own the day is because they had the initiative to make ANZAC Day their own.
Let me explain. Before 1995 two or more matches were played on ANZAC Day and they were just like any other match. However, the great thinker Kevin Sheedy came up with the idea of two teams battling on ANZAC Day to honour our diggers.
Most clubs were approached about the concept but rejected it. However, Collingwood came on board with Sheedy’s idea and with the AFL’s blessing it was penciled in for 1995.
The first match became famous for locking 20,000 fans out of the MCG a couple of hours before the game began. In a great match, the teams played out a thrilling draw and a legend was born.
Now today, it is the biggest match outside the grand final with over 80,000 spectators attending on average.
While other clubs grumble and groan, they dropped the ball on this over 15 years ago. Essendon in particular went to great pains to get this game going and they should be rewarded for this. Other clubs can whinge and moan, but the game belongs to the Magpies and Bombers.
In future the AFL may look at an ANZAC Nnght match but they must not destroy the tradition of the Collingwood versus Essendon game.
The two clubs put in the hard yards and despite the moaning of clubs, the likes of Graham Cornes and fans, Essendon and Collingwood own the day and deserve it.
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