Carlton coach Mick Malthouse wants every AFL player to have the chance to play on Anzac Day.
Malthouse will be involved in an Anzac Day clash this year for the first time since 2011 when St Kilda host the Blues in Wellington.
It will be the third time the Saints have played in New Zealand to mark the day.
Malthouse coached Collingwood from 2000-11 and was a staunch supporter of the Magpies’ annual match against Essendon at the MCG – the biggest AFL game outside the finals.
Saints coach Alan Richardson played for the Magpies in the first Anzac Day match, 20 years ago.
Anzac Day is on a Saturday this year and the AFL has scheduled five matches to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing.
But most AFL players go through their careers without playing on the day.
“The disappointing thing with football, and this will cause a little bit of controversy, is that Alan has played in it, I’ve coached in it and played on Anzac Day – it was a fluke of nature, way back,” he said.
“But not every player will have that opportunity.
“It is the grandest day in Australian history.
“It is a great opportunity to experience that feeling when you play or coach or be part of it.
“It should never be regarded as just a right … it’s a real privilege.”
Speaking at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance on Thursday, Malthouse also hoped the St Kilda-Carlton game could become an annual Anzac Day fixture.
The two clubs will honour St Kilda player Claude Crowl and Carlton’s Fen McDonald.
The pair made their VFL debuts in the same 1911 match and were both understood to have died in the initial April 25 landing at Gallipoli.
“It’s quite incredible and humbling to think that 100 years ago to the day when we play our game in NZ, those two young men and many others were killed at Gallipoli,” Richardson said.
“They were just 22 and 23 years of age which is the average age of an AFL player.
Malthouse added he was guilty as many Australians of forgetting New Zealand on Anzac Day.
A keen student of military history, Malthouse has always tried to make his players more aware of the significance of Anzac Day.
“I think they know it, but I’m always bemused by young players who come into the club,” he said.
“You start to mention a few historical dates and significant things that take place – they scratch their head and think you’ve come out of Mars.
“Unfortunately, there’s still an ignorance.”
PartTimeZombie
Guest
Don't forget the NZ part in ANZAC. It's a scared day here too, and I'll be heading to Wellington this year to watch the Saints v Carlton match and think of my Great Uncle who still lies somewhere in Gallipoli.
PartTimeZombie
Guest
This might help with the Christmas Truce football match(es): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce#Football_matches
MJ
Guest
Melbourne have a Friday Night game this year, ironically the day BEFORE ANZAC Day.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Jeremy ...where are you, i have given you a NZ heritage team with 18 AFL listed players, a couple of players from the NZ national team and K Hunt who has gone to rugby but played in 2014. The requirements for that team are actually more stringent than for a International RL team. This team of course does not include the thousands of kids and adults that play football either here or in NZ in country, suburban, ammos etc that have the same backgrounds, .... at least one parent or themselves are born in NZ. But according to you there are stuff all instances of expat kiwis playing footy.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Melbourne was keeping the Swans honest.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Jeremy you need to learn how the bid process and draft actually work if you are going to comment about it. Melbourne bid their first round pick for Heeney and all the Swans had to do was match that bid with their first round pick, which happened to be 18 this year. So you are wrong and Melbourne did not draft Heeney. Those are the rules that the AFL put in the place and the clubs agreed to. To bad if Swans have first rights on Heeney. Talking about leg-up how many more leg-up's do the Demons need? They get handed both Brayshaw and Petracca because of a compensation pick for Frawley which was completely unworthy.
Slane
Guest
One of my teams' best players has “Ngati Maru Matai Whetu” tattooed around his neck. Not Maori enough for you?
clipper
Guest
Agree, Bondy, but it's a bit of a double edged sword as the Islanders are generally quite a bit bigger than the average anglo kid, so the parents are sending them to Soccer or AFL to avoid getting smashed a bit.
conchie
Roar Rookie
There is actually plenty of instances of ex pat kiwis, far more than you may realise, this is 2014 version. BP: Jasper Pittard Ben Rutten Greg Broughton HB: Kurt Heatherley Heath Grundy Jordan Russell C: Shane Savage Andrew Howison Nathan Van Berlo HF: Brent Renouf Beau Maister Aaron Edwards FF: Cameron IIlet Shem Tatupu Jay Van Berlo R: Khan Haretuku Dustin Martin Sam Mitchell I/C: Karmichael Hunt Joe Baker-Thomas Ben Miller Max Gawn AFLNZ have made their second annual selection of their Heritage team. To be eligible player must be born in New Zealand or have one parent born there. The team was selected by retired Lions star Simon Black, former Kangaroos and Swans star Wayne Schwass and retired Carlton Premiership winner Warren Jones. All, if still playing, would have been eligible for selection.
Jeremy
Guest
This is what i am saying. Why is AFL going to NZ, China & India trying to get new players and fans when they can't even successfully mine these communities in Melbourne where at least they know what AFL is?
conchie
Roar Rookie
2014 Annual heritge team. BP: Jasper Pittard Ben Rutten Greg Broughton HB: Kurt Heatherley Heath Grundy Jordan Russell C: Shane Savage Andrew Howison Nathan Van Berlo HF: Brent Renouf Beau Maister Aaron Edwards FF: Cameron IIlet Shem Tatupu Jay Van Berlo R: Khan Haretuku Dustin Martin Sam Mitchell I/C: Karmichael Hunt Joe Baker-Thomas Ben Miller Max Gawn AFLNZ have made their second annual selection of their Heritage team. To be eligible player must be born in New Zealand or have one parent born there. The team was selected by retired Lions star Simon Black, former Kangaroos and Swans star Wayne Schwass and retired Carlton Premiership winner Warren Jones. All, if still playing, would have been eligible for selection. Reply
Bondy
Guest
Islanders love league and union I watch the storm from aami park on occasions and you can see them there they look like construction workers of melbourne building sites they're not interested in other sports and I follow the HAL no point in trying to woo them ... With the Islanders also they move out of the SFS when the NRL's over when the HAL starts the Asians then move in for summer, interesting demographics I've noticed ..
Jeremy
Guest
There are stuff all instances of ex pat NZrs of any sort full stop who have appeared in the VFL or AFL even though Melbourne has had a large ex pat NZ community for decades. If the football culture of Melbourne hasn't been enough to get NZrs playing at AFL level then trying to get them interested in NZ itself will be even harder. Sure you will get from NZ the stray who couldn't cut it in rugby as a career so they look to AFL just like with the Swans in Sydney but that's it.
Jeremy
Guest
Stop playing semantics. The Demons placed a bid for him with pick No. 2. Without the AFL's leg up the Swans wouldn't have got him.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Craig Bird, Troy Luff.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Who says the AFL are after just polynesians, many people don't like their kids playing rugby against generally bigger polynesians. There are plenty of expat kiwis where i live who have their kids playing Australian football.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
No, he wasn't drafted by the Dees. Two clubs cannot draft the same player.
Jeremy
Guest
He was drafted by the Dees but the AFL got its way & so he stays at home with the Swans instead. No wonder Victorian AFL clubs were miffed. As if the Swans need yet another leg up for a flag. You can't have a kid from Newcastle sent to live in a dank Melbourne suburb if you want more boys to take up AFL north of Wagga.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Good initiative. Look at what the Swans were able to pick up in a non-AFL region like Newcastle via their Academy: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-11-09/18-days-to-the-draft-meet-isaac-heeney If I'm not mistaken he is the first footballer to have ever been drafted from Newcastle.
Jeremy
Guest
But why go to NZ & spend massive $ to get them playing AFL when there are plenty here in Oz already? According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealander_Australian there are big numbers of ex pat NZrs in the eastern states. In Super Rugby & NRL there are lots of ex pat NZrs or their sons playing with Oz teams. But in AFL? Zip. Even the Rebels and Storm are getting ex pat NZrs from Melbourne suburbs. Melbourne is not without a big Polynesian & Maori numbers. Where are they in AFL teams?