Shortly after leading the Magpies to a stunning comeback triumph over Essendon on Anzac Day last year, Collingwood captain Darcy Moore managed the near impossible.
Amid contrasting emotions, with the Magpie Army gleeful while Essendon supporters lamented a loss after their side led by 28 points at the final change, Moore united supporters of the rival tribes at the MCG.
With the Anzac Day trophy nestled under his left arm, the Magpies skipper praised a record crowd of 95,179 before focusing on the proper significance of the day in an address that drew a standing ovation.
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“It means a lot to us that we can come together with (Essendon) and commemorate the sacrifice of not just the Anzacs, but all service men and women who have served Australia all around the world,” Moore said.
“I want to thank and mention all men and women who are serving our country’s interest both at home and abroad in war and in peacekeeping operations. It means a lot to me and the team and the whole club that we can commemorate your service today by doing what we do.
“To the veterans – there are over 600,000 veterans in this country who have returned from service – we also extend our thanks to you for your sacrifice and hope that, again, doing what we do today somehow honors your legacy and what you have done for our country.
“Finally, to the families of those serving and of those veterans, too often your stories go untold and on behalf of the Collingwood footy club, we just want to acknowledge the pain of war that runs through so many families across this country.
“It is a real honor for us to run out here and play our game in honor of you and your service. So the families of those who have served, thank you so much for your service.”
It is the type of message that should resonate with everyone attending Anzac Day matches in all codes across the country on Thursday.
The game is important as a fixture of the competition. But the broader significance and reflection on the day ensures matches serve a commemoration rather than a celebration.
The eloquence with which Moore discussed the true reason for Anzac Day last year has been a topic of discussion leading into Thursday’s outing.
Collingwood forward Brody Mihocek has played in four Anzac Day matches for three triumphs, which included a four goal performance in 2022. An Essendon fan in his youth, it is an occasion he considers with fondness.
But for all the fanfare associated with the Anzac Day fixture dating back to a draw in the first match in 1995, the post-match speech by Moore a year ago is a clear highlight for him.
“Growing up, I knew how big the day was … and we have had a few close wins and a few bigger wins. But the occasion, the build-up, is significant,” he told foxsports.com.au.
“We like to experience the build-up and to talk about the history of it. ‘Fly’ (coach Craig McRae) definitely talks to us about what it means.
“But Darcy Moore’s speech was a highlight for me. It just shows you what kind of leader he is and what kind of team we are. We know the occasion and what it means to a lot of people, so we love to put on a show when it comes to Anzac Day.”
McRae this week said the impact of service on wider families is something that has touched him, while Essendon captain Zach Merrett said the speech demonstrated why Moore was considered a leader across the entire AFL.
Asked whether the speech was scripted, Moore said on Tuesday the words flowed from the heart and stemmed from the insight he had gleaned through his decade with Collingwood.
“(It was) definitely not pre-planned. It came about pretty organically,” he said.
“Our club does a really great job of helping our staff and players understand the significance of Anzac Day and what an honor and privilege it is to play on that day.
“We had a few meetings and presentations and visits to The Shrine that week and lots of powerful stories were shared and many of them related specifically to Collingwood past players and their families and the legacy of war and their experience of war.
“Hearing those stories and the gravity of it, you aren’t human if it doesn’t hit you and have an effect on you and that was certainly the case for me. I think what came out was pretty natural. It was a culmination of that week and reflecting on what it means to be an Australian on Anzac Day.”
Those involved in representing the AFL on Anzac Day this year have spent the past week receiving education about its significance, be it through speeches or via visits to The Shrine.
They have also heard from former players about the significance of the match and what it meant to them at the time.
Dermott Brereton addressed the Magpies on Tuesday, while Essendon greats Jobe Watson, Dustin Fletcher and former Magpie Travis Cloke, who is now a runner for the Bombers, spoke to players at the club’s Tullamarine base on Monday.
“It gave us all tinkles and butterflies thinking about the opportunity at hand, but we also know we are playing a small role in the grand scheme of things, so we are very fortunate to do it with a club like Collingwood,” Merrett said.
“To hear from Travis Cloke, (who had) Mick Malthouse and Nathan Buckley as his coaches, it is obviously as important to them as it is to us through education and really putting a spotlight on those who have come before us and the sacrifices they have made.”
Brereton, a Hawthorn legend who played for the Swans and Collingwood in the twilight of his career, featured in the draw in 1995 and told the Magpies this week it was a memorable occasion for many reasons.
“I just spoke about what it was like to see the crowd there on that day, and embark on what has become the journey of Anzac Day,” the Fox Footy pundit told The Age.
“We didn’t really know what we were doing, other than we ran out and there was a monster of a crowd there that we hadn’t really catered into our mindset. For me, it was very nice to be invited back to a footy club that was very good to me at that time of my life.”
The pomp and ceremony associated with this year’s Anzac Day clash at the MCG begins at 1.45pm on Thursday with the Australian Army Band to perform.
It is a rare occasion where the match, which begins at 3.20pm, does not deliver when it comes to excitement and intensity and Fox Footy analyst Cam Mooney believes that is due to the circumstances surrounding it.
“When I look back at my time, I wish we had older players coming back to our club and saying, ‘This is what it means to be pulling on this jumper’. I think it is fantastic,” he said.
“When it comes to Anzac Day, it is probably the only time I was ever envious as a player of not being able to play, the only time I was envious of not being a Collingwood or Essendon player. It is every player’s dream to play on that occasion.
“And for those guys, if you have someone who comes to your club who has been through war, and you are worried about chasing a little leather ball around, it puts it into perspective, doesn’t it? I think it would be spine-tingling to listen to someone like that.
“Those football clubs, they get taught so much history and they talk and listen to people and go to the services and all of those things. I’d be disappointed if a player didn’t embrace it. It is the most special day on our calendar.”
The significance of the day is respected, the match itself shapes as an important early season juncture for both clubs.
Reigning premiers Collingwood have rebounded from a slow start to win three in succession and now sit just outside the eighth, while Essendon is in seventh position with four wins from six games.
“It’s weird. I wouldn’t even know the ladder. Early on in the year, teams win and lose and you just want to settle yourself, but our last three weeks have been awesome,” Mihocek said.
“It is a big game and the Dons are four and two, so they will be up and about. Hopefully with the momentum we are taking in, we can get the win.”
Collingwood has won the last four clashes between the two sides and thumped Essendon by 70 points in the final round of the home-and-away season last year.
With the magnitude of the loss still firmly in mind, Merrett said the Bombers will use the clash as a gauge to judge their improvement this year.
“The important part for us is that we were able to play them when they were flying late last year, in the last game of the year, and were not able to compete with them across any quarters, really,” he said.
“So to be able to play them now … gives us a really good sounding board and reference as to what we have done in the pre-season and our first six or seven weeks (as) to what we have improved on or have not improved he.
“In terms of importance, that will be a great reference point to look back and compare and review those two games.”
Tags: Essendon Collingwood game history Darcy Moore speech Dermott Brereton memories Zach Merrett latest news
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