Opinion
After the Anzac matches were wiped out by COVID-19 last year, both the eve and day matches return in 2021 for arguably their biggest and most important editions yet.
Saturday night sees the undefeated Melbourne up against the reigning premiers Richmond, who after two straight losses rediscovered their premiership-winning form to thrash St Kilda by 86 points at Marvel Stadium last Thursday night.
After just missing the finals by one game last season, the Dees have won their first five games in convincing fashion, recording their best start to a season since 1994 when Jack Viney had only just been born.
In doing so they also became the first team since Collingwood in 2011 to win their first five games of the season by at least 18 points.
Last week, they shook off a determined challenge from Hawthorn, with the margin being no greater than 11 points either way until the Demons ran riot in the final quarter, kicking eight goals to two including a seven-goal run in between the Hawks’ two goals.
Captain Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Ed Langdon and Christian Petracca were among their best and fans will be hoping for more as they look to end a five-game losing streak against the Tigers dating back to 2017.
Max Gawn (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Meantime, after losses to the Sydney Swans and Port Adelaide, the Tigers unleashed on the Saints to produce their biggest winning margin of the year, with Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt amassing 34 disposals and five goals respectively.
There will be extra incentive for the Dees to win, with club veteran Nathan Jones to play his 300th match, nearly 15 years after debuting in 2006 and playing in a winning final against St Kilda in just his seventh match.
Since then, the club has endured plenty of rock-bottom times including the death of much-loved club president Jim Stynes, as well as the sackings of Dean Bailey and Mark Neeld.
During these times, Jones stood tall with his on-field performances and when Paul Roos brought stability to the club, he was promoted to the captaincy in 2014.
He will become just the second player, after David Neitz, to bring up the triple-ton for Melbourne and remains on track to break the club’s games record later in the season.
The Tigers will also have their own incentive to win, with Martin to bring up his 250th game, having achieved just about everything possible in the game, including a Brownlow Medal, three Norm Smith Medals, and being best-on-ground in last year’s State of Origin for Bushfire Relief match.
This will be the sixth edition of the Anzac eve match, and the best player will receive the Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes Medal in honour of the man who won flags as a player for the Tigers, and as a coach for both the Tigers and Dees.
Also making a comeback in 2021 is the annual Anzac Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon at the MCG this Sunday afternoon, the Pies having won 15 of the 25 contests.
While there was no such clash last year, the two sides did face each other inside an empty MCG on a Friday night while wearing the guernseys they would’ve worn in an otherwise normal world. The Bombers won by 15 points after they had led by as much as 28 points in the final quarter.
And while the Dons got the chocolates last time, they will be seeking their first win against Collingwood on Anzac Day since 2017, when Joe Daniher kicked three goals to win the Anzac Day Medal, though it was Adam Treloar (Collingwood) who earned the three Brownlow Medal votes.
The last clash between these sides saw the Magpies win a thriller by four points – at one stage, they led by as much as 33 points before five straight Bomber goals saw the black and white lead cut to just three points.
In the end, the Pies were forced to repeatedly repel the Essendon attack in the final quarter before holding on to win, with Scott Pendlebury joining James Hird as the only men to have won the Anzac Medal three times.
If Bombers fans want an omen, it is that their side is due for a win this year having won the Anzac Day contest every four years in the last 16 years – in 2005, 2009, 2013 and most recently 2017.
With the Victorian Government set to tick off on full capacity attendance at all major sporting stadiums in time for this clash, we can expect the first 90,000+ crowd at the MCG since the 2019 grand final.
It will be a major boost for both the Pies and Bombers, whose clash on Anzac Day typically draws the highest crowd of the regular season regardless of the teams’ ladder position.
Both sides have started this season poorly, with the Pies’ only win coming against Carlton in Round 2, while the Bombers’ only points came via a 75-point thrashing of St Kilda at Marvel Stadium in Round 3.
Last week, an injury-hit Pies went down to the West Coast Eagles by 27 points in Perth while the Bombers suffered humiliation at the hands of the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba, losing by 57 points.
Thus, a win for either side would not only be important, but it could also prove to be a firestarter as both sides attempt to revive their flagging seasons nearly a quarter into the regular season.
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Diplomatically answered, Darcy!
For all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the now-traditional Anzac Day clash at the MCG, there has been one thing conspicuously lacking over…
Old mate summing it up better than anyone possibly could!
