Overall neither side was convincing, neither scored easily, but Collingwood kept their composure and managed to pull away in the second half. Essendon looked like it might be their day during the second quarter, but could barely score after half time, and wasted the few chances they had to put pressure back on the Magpies. Both teams worked hard in trying conditions, and Collingwood - right now, at least - are in the top four. Hawthorn could bump them back to fifth if the Hawks can beat Port over in Adelaide later tonight.
That’s it from us - farewell to Anzac Day for another year, and enjoy the rest of the round.
Other good performers: Taylor Adams with 29 stats, Pendlebury with 30, Elliot with 2 goals and 6 tackles, Cloke with a couple of goals.
Essendon’s standouts were Heppell with 33 possessions and 8 tackles, Stanton with 30 stats and 2 goals, Goddard with 28 possessions and Hibberd with 27.
Paul Seedsman wins the Anzac Medal - a coming-of-age game perhaps for the 23 year old. 31 disposals, 4 tackles and a goal. He gives a decent speech thanking the Anzacs, before Nathan Buckley burbles something or other into a microphone and receives a perspex trophy.
This day is really odd.
Full time - Essendon 6.13 (49) def by Collingwood 9.15 (69)
You can’t fault the effort - that last 60 seconds was a frenetic series of tackles, scrabbling up and down the ground. No one gave up, even though the game was gone, and even though the standard of play was... well.
There’s plenty of debate about the politics of associating remembrance and football in this way, and what relevance they have to each other. Either way, the Anzac Day pageantry was probably the only memorable thing we saw today, but winning a scrappy game is still meaningful to the team who gets the points.
Essendon goal - 4th quarter (2:30 remaining), Essendon 6.13 (49) - Collingwood 9.15 (69)
Too late to make a difference, but Essendon at least break their goal drought as Daniher kicks one from the goalsquare after some good work from Hurley - swung forward - and Heppell. They combined further up the ground, Heppell provided a good shepherd and Hurley was able to draw an opponent then handball over the top.
4th quarter (6:30 remaining), Essendon 5.11 (41) - Collingwood 9.15 (69)
Sums up the difference in this second half - a long ball into Essendon’s forward line, players waiting for it, but it’s Collingwood’s Goldsack who backs into the pack and takes a saving mark.
Collingwood goal - 4th quarter (7:52 remaining), Essendon 5.11 (41) - Collingwood 9.15 (69)
A fierce passage of play results in another Collingwood goal. The ball was in the goalsquare for an age, buried under a pile of bodies, frantic tackles, fighting to get it clear. Eventually it came out into the pocket, but the sub Dwyer was the man waiting there for it, and he slammed back the snap toward goal. Not much daylight to aim it, but he nailed a very difficult shot.
Collingwood goal - 4th quarter (10:41 remaining), Essendon 5.11 (41) - Collingwood 8.15 (63)
That should do it. Some neat work by Blair outside 50, a long ball in to full forward, and on a very low-scoring day, Travis Cloke takes a big chest mark and drills the set shot from 20.
4th quarter (12:40 remaining), Essendon 5.11 (41) - Collingwood 7.14 (56)
You can extrapolate what’s been happening from the lack of updates - lots of wrestling, scragging, fighting for the ball. Collingwood keep trying to push it wide. Essendon need to go straight but keep being spooked into going wide. Eventually Carlisle wins a free kick 15 metres from goal - a tricky angle in the left pocket but he should kick it, except he shanks it across the face of goal. Gault runs a long point through at the other end. This is not a game that’ll take up much space on the highlight reels.
4th quarter
The rain is coming down hard now. Going to make it really hard for the Bombers.
Three-quarter time - Essendon 5.10 (40) - Collingwood 7.12 (54)
Collingwood kicked three goals to Essendon’s one in that quarter. The Bombers were flat, especially when going forward. Collingwood weren’t exactly blazing, but produced a couple of clean passages of play that have given them the break. It’s gonna be a stodgy old last quarter.
Pies: Sam Dwyer subbed on for Adam Oxley.
Bombers: Will Hams on for Chapman.
Collingwood goal - 3rd quarter (6:00 remaining), Essendon 5.10 (40) - Collingwood 7.12 (54)
Magpies skipping away! Back out to 14 points, which equals the biggest lead of the day. A long ball into the 50, it clears the pack and Swan is there to crumb and goal behind the contest. The ascendancy shifts.
Updated
3rd quarter (09:29 remaining), Essendon 5.10 (40) - Collingwood 6.11 (47)
You can see how hard finesse is today, mind. Elliot is run down on the wing, holding the ball, then as Melksham tries to take advantage he falls over and is holding the ball as well. Two of the day’s sharpest players can’t twist or turn.
Collingwood goal - 3rd quarter (10:30 remaining), Essendon 5.10 (40) - Collingwood 6.11 (47)
Crisp running goal from Crisp. Streams down the half forward flank and launches a long goal from outside 50. That’s the kind of rare moment of pure skill that could be the difference in a game like this.
Updated
3rd quarter (11:46 remaining), Essendon 5.10 (40) - Collingwood 5.11 (41)
Daniher misses a straightforward set shot after a strong mark.
Essendon goal - 3rd quarter (14:00 remaining), Essendon 5.9 (39) - Collingwood 5.11 (41)
Essendon get one back, as Howlett is paid advantage at half forward and finds Zaharakis in space with a little chip. Zaharakis goals from about 30 out on the set shot.
Collingwood goal - 3rd quarter (15:44 remaining), Essendon 4.9 (33) - Collingwood 5.11 (41)
More behinds than a Nicki Minaj video, this game - can’t fault the workrate but there’s very little to show for it. That finally changes for Paul Seedsman - picks up a loose ball in the middle of the ground against the run of play, sprints into space, launches a long kick before he’s closed down, and it rolls and rolls through an empty forward line to trickle home.
This crowd is slightly bigger than the one in Wellington I reckon. Probably only 75,000 in it though. #AFLDonsPies
— Titus O'Reily (@TitusOReily) April 25, 2015
Ouch. #Falcon #AFLDonsPies pic.twitter.com/4tlXrbLhbW
— AFL (@AFL) April 25, 2015
Half time - Essendon 4.8 (32) - Collingwood 4.9 (33)
Dempsey did some beautiful work in the centre, had a one-two with Stanton up forward then missed the easy goal. Langdon and Broomhead kicked a couple of points in the final seconds, and so the half ends with the scores almost square.
How many pundits will describe this game as “a real arm wrestle”? It’s not, it’s football. But it’s close. It sure is close. Mainly because everyone’s been a bit too crap in their disposal to make it less close. But five good minutes by either side could blow the other away.
It’s so close and scrappy that it felt like Essendon were trailing way behind when they were 14 points down. Then it felt like they’d staged a massive comeback to get 7 points up. Now Collingwood are back in front. The real story is that both sides have managed four goals in two quarters of football, and missed twice as many shots again. It won’t be a classic for the standard of play, but it’s entertaining in how desperately it’s been played, and it could be another very close one.
Updated
Collingwood goal - 2nd quarter (05:50 remaining), Essendon 4.7 (31) - Collingwood 4.5 (29)
Melksham misses a set shot from 50, Broomhead misses a snap from 30, but as Essendon try to clear defence Zaharakis is run down before he can handball. Advantage paid as the ball comes back to Cloke at the 50, sweeps to Elliot in the pocket, and Elliott angles his run in toward the goals to kick another.
2nd quarter (9:30 remaining), Essendon 4.5 (29) - Collingwood 3.4 (22)
Frost has had a good game but can’t spoil Stanton right in front, 20 out, from Collyer’s square-up kick. But Stanton shanks it, misses his chance for a third, and can’t even score a point.
Essendon goal - 2nd quarter (10:20 remaining), Essendon 4.5 (29) - Collingwood 3.4 (22)
Brent Stanton gets his second - Melksham again from half forward, drove the ball long to a pack, it spilled over the back and Stanton had kept his feet, running onto the loose ball and deeper into the right forward pocket, but having the time to line up his snap and send it home. Bombers by 7.
Essendon goal! 2nd quarter (11:00 remaining), Essendon 3.5 (23) - Collingwood 3.4 (22)
What a moment! Dempsey wins a free at half forward. Hands on to Chapman who finds Goddard out wide. Goddard fakes for the pocket then squares up to who? Dustin Fletcher, marking 55 out. Fletcher’s shot is from inside the centre square, but he unleashes a torpedo and sails it home. Bombers in front.
2nd quarter (13:00 remaining), Essendon 2.5 (17) - Collingwood 3.4 (22)
Five quick points to the Bombers: Dahiher snapping from the pocket, Dempsey from range, Hurley with a massive torp from 60 metres, Collyer with a quick punt from the pocket under pressure, then a rushed behind. They’ve had the ball locked in, but have had to get most of one goal with persistence.
2nd quarter (16:40 remaining), Essendon 2.0 (12) - Collingwood 3.4 (22)
Michael Hurley does very well to defuse a bouncing ball in the goalsquare - it bounce on its point on the line, then back into the field of play, but he smacks it through. Then another Collingwood point from an errant snap.
Quarter time - Essendon 2.0 (12) - Collingwood 3.2 (20)
As can often happen in these big games, it took the teams a while to settle through that first quarter. Both were intent on attacking the ball hard and not being seen to be shirking, but that also meant there was a lack of finesse on the field. Jamie Elliot had polish for the Pies, while Cloke and White were involved in a couple of good bits of play, and Adams was important. For Essendon, Goddard and Chapman grew in prominence as the quarter wore in, while Travis Collyer pulled a few neat tricks to help balance Elliott.
Essendon goal: 1st quarter (0:00 remaining), Essendon 2.0 (12) - Collingwood 3.2 (20)
Great vision from Melksham. There was a Swan free kick from the centre square into Collingwood’s forward line, the ball rebounded hard, Zaharakis attacked a loose ball in the centre square, found Melksham further up the ground, then Melksham snapped a 50-metre pass to Stanton in the forward pocket. Stanton seals the set shot after the siren to keep Essendon well in touch.
Collingwood goal: 1st quarter (1:10 remaining), Essendon 1.0 (6) - Collingwood 3.2 (20)
Swan marks at half forward after a couple of Bombers fall over on the damp deck, finds Pendlebury on the lead, and Collingwood’s captain kicks the set shot truly. That hurts Essendon, they had the ball in their forward line a couple of times in the minutes before that but couldn’t beat the Magpie defence.
1st quarter (5:34 remaining), Essendon 1.0 (6) - Collingwood 2.2 (14)
Seedsman smashes one to the goalsquare but Chapman grabs the crumb and laucnhes a massive torpedo all the way back out to centre wing, where it’s scrambled over the line.
Collingwood goal: 1st quarter (6:28 remaining), Essendon 1.0 (6) - Collingwood 2.2 (14)
Travis Cloke marks in front, kicks the set shot from just inside 50 and sends a swinging ball home.
1st quarter (7:31 remaining), Essendon 1.0 (6) - Collingwood 1.2 (8)
Jamie Elliot is the only player so far who’s looked like he can break open the play. He does so through the middle, gets the ball to White, a beautiful pass to Adams 20 metres from goal, but Adams misses the set shot.
1st quarter (07:49 remaining), Essendon 1.0 (6) - Collingwood 1.1 (7)
It’s wet out there, even though it hasn’t rained during the match. Players are struggling with finesse, it’s more a matter of crashing into the ball and trying to bash it forward. Half-forward line to half-forward line, turnover to turnover.
1st quarter (09:40 remaining), Essendon 1.0 (6) - Collingwood 1.1 (7)
“Daniher getting down, he’s like a long giraffe, isn’t he.” Bruce MacAvaney really upping his simile game.
1st quarter (11:50 remaining), Essendon 1.0 (6) - Collingwood 1.1 (7)
Very open stuff for the last few minutes but no scores. The play hasn’t been scrappy in terms of congestion, but both sides have been poor with disposal going forward, a lot of turnovers.
Essendon goal: 1st quarter (16:00 remaining), Essendon 1.0 (6) - Collingwood 1.1 (7)
Goddard to Bellchambers through the centre, and the ball finds Joe Daniher on the lead in the right forward pocket. He goes back and slots the goal.
Collingwood goal: 1st quarter (17:10 remaining), Essendon 0.0 (0) - Collingwood 1.1 (7)
They’re away, in controversial fashion. It’s been a willing start, lots of heavy tackling but the ball has mostly been in Collingwood’s forward line. The ball breaks wide, is tapped to Jamie Elliot, and he runs around the boundary line, probably past the boundary line, and kicks a goal from outside the boundary, nearly 50 metres out in the right forward pocket. Should have been a throw-in, but what a finish.
Updated
Good interview segment with Essendon’s WWII veteran Jack Jones on the cable channel before the game, too.
The New Zealand national anthem is sung by a New Zealand sailor, and a self-conscious swelling of applause follows it. Then Australia’s anthem by a servicewoman from the Army band. Finally the crowd feel permitted to let their applause loose. The various military personnel march from the ground. There is a lot of power in the Observance Ceremony.
Whatever you make of the slick television commemoration packages, it’s hard not to be stirred by the silence around the mighty ground, broken only by the beats of a single drum on the march to the middle. Major General David MacLachlan reads Laurence Binyon’s except that became the Ode to Remembrance.
The Last Post is played. The crowd stands and is silent. The teams are arrayed in their ranks.
The silence holds for a long, long time.
“Lest We Forget,” is the announcement over the PA.
Hello all, and welcome to the original Anzac Day game - what has become tradition known for close contests, so much so that the first such game was a draw. Geoff Lemon joining you, as Collingwood’s players stream onto the MCG to warm up. The Bombers are already out there.
Geoff will be here soon enough to guide you through the afternoon’s proceedings at the ‘G, so while you’re waiting for him to arrive, here are some of Russell Jackson’s musings on the weekend’s events:
Though every minute of Anzac Day has now been colonized by the McLachlan Imperial Forces, it’s worth remembering that every Australian observes it in their own different ways. I have it on good authority that even given the opportunity of savouring an entire day of bombastically-voiceovered montages full of tortuous battle metaphors and invocations of the spirit of departed diggers, a certain amount of sick freaks don’t even bother with the five games of football now sprawling the rest of us across the sofa like sloths.
Personally and probably in an indication of deep personal flaws, I can no longer separate one from the other. Anzac Day, Footy. Footy, Anzac Day. Anzac Day Footy. I think it’s a marker of the passage of time; the third one now since the passing of my own grandfather, an Anzac given to light-heartedly dismissing his war experience as “a holiday” but for whom Collingwood losses hit so hard it took him three days to get home after the Magpies’ one-point defeat to St Kilda in the 1965 semi-final.
Now that he’s gone – and a few of you might feel this way about Anzac Day and football too – the day serves as an annual and increasingly melancholy memorial of him and two major forces in his life, only one of which the family could truly comprehend and share in. Instead of a parade or a phone call we watch a game of football; nothing cynical, nothing contrived and nothing that can be bought or sold. It’s not often sport can make you feel like that.
