The spirit and emotion of ANZAC Day has helped fuel one of the great sporting traditions of Australia.
Over the past fifteen years the ANZAC Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon at the famous MCG has become the biggest club match in Australia’s biggest national sport - second only to the AFL Grand Final.
Huge crowds attend the ANZAC Day blockbuster each year, and millions watch on television. The 2010 game will be televised live nationally by Channel Seven.
This year’s game will be the 16th annual clash between the two clubs since the tradition began with the memorable 1995 drawn match played in front of 94,825.
That first match still represents the second biggest home and away crowd in AFL history, behind the 99,346 fans that saw the 1958 Queen’s Birthday clash between Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG.
Collingwood and Essendon have each won seven ANZAC Day matches since 1995.
The ANZAC Day match pays tribute to the sacrifice of the servicemen and women of Australia and celebrates the ANZAC spirit - courage, sacrifice, endurance and mateship.
This year’s match recognises the 60th Anniversary of the commencement of the Korean War and the departure of Australia troops to join a United Nations Force in Korea.
The traditional Veteran’s Motorcade will take place prior to the observance ceremony and the commencement of the game.
Pre-Match Program
The Collingwood Football Club, in association with the AFL and the MCC, will present a special pre-match program of activities and entertainment.
This year’s pre-match will feature
• The Australian Army Band.
• Australian singer and entertainer, David Campbell.
• Australian country music legend, Troy Cassar-Daley.
• Motorcade of ANZAC Veterans.
• Observance Ceremony
o Catafalque Guard slow march, flags are lowered to half-mast
o Major General David McLachlan recites “The Ode”
o One minutes Silence
o Last Post
o Reveille
o National Anthem
Public Gates open at 12.30pm. Main entertainment begins from 1.20pm and the match will begin at 2.40pm.
Presentation of Match Footballs
Representatives from Collingwood and Essendon will present the footballs to the umpires on the MCG.
Collingwood is delighted that Ray Buckley, the father of Collingwood legend and assistant coach Nathan Buckley, will represent the club in presenting the match footballs to the umpires. Ray Buckley served in Vietnam and recently undertook a journey back to Vietnam with Nathan, the subject of a documentary by Channel Seven.
Former Essendon player Keith Gent, who also served in Vietnam and made the trip back to Vietnam, will represent the Essendon Football Club.
Coin Toss
World War 2 Veteran Philip Hocking will toss the coin before the start of the match.
Mr Hocking served in the 2nd/1st Machine Gun Battalion which served in five battle zones of World War 2 including in Great Britain during the Battle of Britain in 1940, Egypt, Greece and Crete, Palestine and Syria and Papua New Guinea. He became a Sergeant with B company of the unit which was attached to 7 Division for the invasion of Borneo in 1945, the biggest invasion by Australian troops since ANZAC 1915.
Mr Hocking is a life time Collingwood supporter and has assisted in this year’s ‘Raise A Glass Appeal’ to raise funds for Legacy and the RSL.
Cheer Squad Banner
The ANZAC Day match is unique in that the players from each team join together to run through a single cheer squad banner created by the cheer squads of both clubs - in recognition of the ANZAC spirit and the way Australians came together as one in times of war.
The banner lists the names of footballers from each club who lost their lives in war.
Players to shake hands pre-game
In 2010, for the first time, players from Collingwood and Essendon will shake hands prior to running through the banner on ANZAC Day.
Motorcade of ANZAC Veterans
A motorcade of eight cars prior to the commencement of the game will include returned veterans, nurses and servicewomen representing WW2, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and Vietnam along with representatives currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lexus Australia has kindly provided Lexus IS250C cars for the motorcade.
Mr Jack Pimm
Collingwood is absolutely delighted that Jack Pimm is able to attend the match as a guest of the club this year. Mr Pimm saw active service in New Guinea and Bougainville in the 15th Brigade 58/59th Battalion. He was awarded the military cross “for inspired and gallant service” in Bougainville in 1945 He played 58 games for Collingwood and kicked 113 goals before retiring in 1950. Mr Pimm is a life member of the Collingwood Football Club.
ANZAC Day Logo
The Returned & Services League, Australian Football League, Collingwood and Essendon Football Clubs have established an ANZAC Day Logo. Each year the logo is proudly displayed on the Guernseys of both clubs and the cheer squad banner.
RSL Collection
A collection for the Returned & Services League will be held at the match. 120 volunteers will collect at the gates prior to the beginning of the match.
ANZAC Day Trophy
A presentation of the ANZAC Day Trophy will be made on the field at the conclusion of the match.
The President of the Victorian RSL, Vietnam Veteran Major General David McLachlan, will present the trophy to the captain of the winning team.
The trophy comprises a silver bowl, which is supported by four bronze columns and a central glass pillar. The glass pillar has images of servicemen and footballers and is etched with the names of all VFL footballers that gave their lives on active service.
The wooden footing of the trophy comes from an ironbark plank, part of an ammunition wagon, which saw service in Villers-Brentonneux in France. The bronze columns incorporate metal salvaged from Gallipoli battlefields.
The trophy and ANZAC Medal were kindly donated to the RSL by UNIBIC, makers of ANZAC Biscuits.
ANZAC Medal
A presentation of the ANZAC Medal will be made on the field at the conclusion of the game. The ANZAC Medal is awarded to the player in the match who best exemplifies the ANZAC Spirit - skill, courage, self-sacrifice, teamwork and fair play.
The medal is an engraved bronze disk, incorporating battlefield metal, surrounding a glass centre into which is set an image of the RSL badge. It was first awarded in 2000.
Previous winners of the ANZAC Medal
2000 - James Hird (Essendon)
2001 - Chris Tarrant (Collingwood)
2002 - Mark McGough (Collingwood)
2003 - James Hird (Essendon)
2004 - James Hird (Essendon)
2005 - Andrew Lovett (Essendon)
2006 - Ben Johnson (Collingwood)
2007 - Heath Shaw (Collingwood)
2008 - Paul Medhurst (Collingwood)
2009 - Patrick Ryder (Essendon)
