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It’s the biggest game of the home and away season: Collingwood against Essendon at the MCG on ANZAC Day. Join us for live scores and a minute-by-minute description from the first bounce at 2.40pm AEST.
These two teams played the first ANZAC Day clash in 1995 in front of 95,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The scores ended level that day and the tradition began.
Collingwood have won nine of 17 on ANZAC Day and five of the last six. In recent times, Essendon have a poor record at both the MCG (two wins, one draw and seven loses under coach James Hird) and against Collingwood (having lost the last five encounters since ANZAC Day 2009).
But the Bombers had their best win on the MCG in at least three seasons when they accounted for arch-rivals Carlton at the weekend.
Collingwood play their best footy at their home track, the MCG, and have a 15-5 record there since the start of 2010.
Both these teams are on the sharp back-up, having won on Saturday afternoon; Essendon by 30 points and Collingwood by 24 against Port Adelaide across town at Docklands.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley made two changes to Saturday’s team. Key defender Nathan Brown has been named and will play his first match since the 2010 grand final replay, while debutant Kirk Ugle will play his first match of AFL football on the biggest stage, in front of 90000 people.
Youngsters Tom Young and Jackson Paine are the two omissions.
Essendon coach James Hird said that there could be up to three late changes to his side on game day. At this stage the Bombers have made one change for today; star forward Michael Hurley injured his hamstring on Saturday and he is replaced by Jake Carlisle.
Stuart Crameri and 37-year old defender Dustin Fletcher could be the two struggling most to get up for the match.
Essendon are 4-0 this year and are enjoying their strongest start to a season since 2000 when they won their first 20 matches on the way to the Premiership.
2011 Grand Finalists Collingwood has started the season slowly. The Pies are 2-2 and were blown away in their two toughest tests against Hawthorn, when they tired in the final quarter, and in a 60-point loss to Carlton.
The Pies have been crippled with injuries – Andrew Krakouer, Brent Macaffer, Ben Ried, Luke Ball and Chris Tarrant weren’t considered for selection this week and all of them bar Reid and Tarrant will be out for long periods.
Essendon will need to be at their best to win this match, so any complacency will be detrimental (just ask North Melbourne who lost to Sydney at the weekend after beating Geelong the week before).
Collingwood could be the slightly-better rested team. They haven’t travelled once this season and had an eight-day break before their comfortable win against Port.
The Bombers travelled to Gold Coast two weeks ago before getting a seven-day rest for their grudge match against the Blues.
I’m tipping the Pies today because I think they play the MCG better than the Dons, have a good record against Essendon and may be slightly-better rested than their opponents. Collingwood to win on ANZAC Day by 11 points.
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