MORE: AFL Teams - Round 6 | AFL Round 6 Preview: Collingwood v Essendon Anzac Day Clash
Heroes
1995: Collingwood 17.9 111 drew with Essendon 16.15 111: Saverio Rocca
It's tough to go past Saverio Rocca in this encounter in front of the second-biggest home and away crowd of all time as 94,825 packed the MCG. With Dermot Brereton providing ample assistance, Rocca produced one of his greatest performances in the black and white as he scored 9.2 in a seesawing encounter that went right down to the wire. In a mark of how dominant Rocca was in this match, a young Nathan Buckley automatically kicked the ball in his direction in the dying seconds instead of going for goal himself, with any score likely to have delivered a win for the Magpies. Che Cockatoo-Collins was also pretty handy in this match with three goals.
1996: Essendon 16.9 105 lost to Collingwood 17.15 117: Saverio Rocca/James Hird
It's not as widely remembered as 1995, but the 1996 ANZAC Day encounter was almost just as action packed in a match that really consolidated this game as one of the season's showcase matches. Essendon produced a seven-goal first quarter but had never really put away a Collingwood side that hadn't nailed their chances. And in Tony Shaw's first ANZAC clash as coach, the Magpies stormed home through a six-goal final term. The big Sav kicked another bag of six while Scott Russell posted 29 touches. But a young James Hird also impressed on his way to the 1996 Brownlow, booting four goals of his own.
1997: Essendon 10.10 70 lost to Collingwood 14.15 99: Damian Monkhorst
With two massive games behind them, the 1997 ANZAC Day was another sell-out at the MCG. But it was a somewhat forgettable encounter that lacked the drama of past meetings as the Magpies led from the outset and never really let up. In a sign of a match lacking in quality, big ruckman Damian Monkhorst was the most dominant player on the ground with 20 disposals and 13 hit-outs.
1998: Collingwood 15.18 108 def Essendon 12.16 88: Saverio Rocca
Another ANZAC Day, another big performance from Sav as he booted 7.4 to see Collingwood over the line by 20 points.
1999: Essendon 15.18 108 lost to Collingwood 15.10 100: Matthew Lloyd
Essendon finally won their first ANZAC Day clash but were forced to do it the hard way as the Magbyes (Collingwood were so bad in 1999 they were often referred to as the bye) produced one of their best performances of the season. From the outset, this match looked like a disaster for Collingwood as Essendon led by 32 points at quarter time. They appeared an unstoppable force as Matthew Lloyd booted six, the forward operating beautifully in tandem with Scott Lucas further up the ground. But against the odds, Collingwood fought back through a five-goal performance from Paul Williams, although ultimately they fell short.
2000: Collingwood 15.10 100 lost to Essendon 21.14 140: James Hird/Scott Lucas
People often forget that this match was actually a one-versus-two encounter at that stage of 2000. Essendon were unbeaten while Collingwood had lost their first match for the season the previous week after a 5-0 start under new coach Mick Malthouse. But despite an even opening to this game, Essendon eventually stormed away with a domineering win on the back of Hird's 29 possessions and six goals from Lucas this time. Lloyd wasn't bad with five majors either.
2001: Essendon 15.13 103 def Collingwood 14.11 95: Chris Tarrant
It was around about this time that Channel 7 commentator Bruce McAvaney declared: "His name should be Chris Talent, they just call him Tarrant for short." That may have been paraphrased but it's pretty close to what he said in a year where Tarrant was really announcing himself as a dominant forward. And, in this encounter on ANZAC Day 2001 against the reigning premiers, Tarrant almost saw his side over the line with a five-goal performance. Essendon still enjoyed another 24-possession performance from Hird while Paul Barnard posted four goals.
2002: Collingwood 9.12 66 def Essendon 4.9 33: Mark McGough
Mark McGough announced himself in this encounter as his heroics helped Collingwood to their first ANZAC victory since 1998 in a muddy slugfest at the MCG. With 24 disposals to his name in the atrocious conditions, McGough helped Collingwood to a win Magpie supporters still cherish to this day. Indeed, in many ways this match - along with the win over reigning premier Brisbane two weeks later - were an indicator that the dark days of the late 1990s were well and truly over.
2003: Essendon 23.9 147 def Collingwood 12.9 81: Damian Cupido
James Hird may have collected the ANZAC medal for his brilliant five-goal performance in this match, but the real talking point following the game was a sterling performance from youngster Damian Cupido. Playing just his 18th match, Cupido also booted five goals as he helped tear Collingwood a new one in a match the Magpies went into as heavy favourites. Mick Malthouse rated it as the worst performance the side had displayed under his watch to that point.
2004: Collingwood 11.13 79 lost to Essendon 17.10 112: James Hird
According to the stats James Hird only had 26 touches to go with his three goals as he added another ANZAC Medal to his pool room cabinet. That's not how this little Collingwood supporter remembers that game. Although I've tried to repress it, my dominant memory of this match is Hird with the ball on a string, spinning out of about six tackles to set up an attack every time he touched it. Mark McGough actually had three more touches than Hird in this match, but couldn't go close to the Essendon skipper for influence.
2005: Essendon 11.17 83 def Collingwood 10.9 69: Andrew Lovett
The Magpies may have gone in as favourites but in a fiery clash, Andrew Lovett dominated this game to win the ANZAC medal with 20 touches and two goals. A fired-up Malthouse was so incensed by the lacklustre effort he sat the Collingwood players down and lectured them at three-quarter time.
2006: Collingwood 15.16 106 def Essendon 12.17 89: Ben (Craig) Johnson
Collingwood finally cracked it for their second ANZAC day win since 1998 in a thrilling encounter as the Magpies produced an exceptional start to this season after missing the finals the two previous years. Running off half-back, Johnson earned 30 disposals but there was confusion after the match as the ANZAC medal was awarded with the winner being called Craig Johnson.
2007: Essendon 11.13 79 lost to Collingwood 12.23 95: Heath Shaw
After a disappointing end to 2006 when they were bundled out during the first week of the finals, Collingwood started 2007 with some good and sometimes very bad form. However, everything clicked for the Magpies in this encounter as Heath Shaw posted 32 disposals. Wins over Adelaide and Carlton followed for the Magpies and while they would have a win-loss-win-loss record for the remainder of the season, these three wins on the trot consolidated them as a finals side once again.
2008: Collingwood 23.16 154 def. Essendon 12.9 81: Paul Medhurst
One of the real blowouts in this encounter, and it was Paul Medhurst doing most of the damage with a six-goal performance.
2009: Essendon 13.15 93 def Collingwood 12.16 88: David Zaharakis
It was the most thrilling finish since 1995 as Essendon came from the clouds to take the points in this game. In atrocious conditions, the Bombers booted three goals in four minutes to earn victory, the last of the coming from the coolest of finishes by David Zaharakis. Zaharakis may have proved the hero of the hour, but the hero of the day was Anzac medallist Paddy Ryder, who bravely took on the mantle of No.1 ruckman after David Hille suffered a serious injury early in the match.
2010: Collingwood 18.12 120 def Essendon 8.7 55: Scott Pendlebury
Collingwood showed off their premiership credentials with a comprehensive victory as they led from whoa to go in this encounter. Having almost earned an ANZAC medal in 2008, Scott Pendlebury finally won it this season with 34 disposals and three goals.
2011: Essendon 11.11 77 lost to Collingwood 16.11 107: Stewart Crameri
This match was substantially closer than the scores indicate as Essendon fought tooth and nail under new coach James Hird. Scott Pendlebury won another ANZAC medal for his performance, especially as his late goals eventually overcame the Essendon challenge, but it was Stewart Crameri in just his eighth game that really shone as he booted four goals and kept the Bombers right in the game after they struggled early on.
2012: Collingwood 11.14 (80) def. Essendon 11.13 (79): Dane Swan
The tightest finish since 1995 saw Collingwood squeak over the line through Jarryd Blair's late toe-poke goal, an effort that looked likely to be disallowed as the goal umpire went for a video review to eventually confirm it as a major. However, the real talking point of this game was Dane Swan's 42-possession haul in the wet as the Magpies midfielder shrugged off some indifferent early-season form and accusations he was too heavy to play a blinder.
2013: Essendon 18.13 (121) def. Collingwood 10.15 (75): David Zaharakis
Essendon finally snapped a seven-match losing streak to the Magpies with this 46-point win in front of 93,373 people, the third-largest official crowd in VFL/AFL history. A four-point game at half-time, the Bombers booted six goals to three in the third term to put their stamp on the game, two of them coming from wily forward Jason Winderlich, who'd kick three for the day. But the Bombers true hero was again Zaharakis. There was no need for 2009-style late heroics, instead, he just posted 34 possessions and four goals as Essendon defied all the dodgy supplement-related headlines at the time to remain unbeaten in 2013.
Villains
1995: Damian Monkhorst and Nathan Buckley
The initial clash in 1995 had a dramatic post-script as Bombers' midfielder Michael Long accused Monkhorst of racially abusing him. Coming just two years after Nicky Winmar had famously lifted his jumper to Collingwood fans at Victoria Park the accusation continued a poor run for the Magpies in terms of racial issues during the early part of that decade. However, the incident did have a positive result as it paved the way for racial vilification laws in the AFL, even if Monkhorst remains every April 25. "I reacted the wrong way in the heat of the moment, and I've had to live with that ever since," he told the Herald Sun two years ago.
Collingwood fans will also suggest that Buckley, in just his second year at the club, was a villain during the match's dramatic final moments. With four minutes to go and scores level, the then 22-year-old laid off a poor handball in the middle that led to James Hird snapping truly. And, with scores level once again in the last 30 seconds, Buckley elected to short pass the ball to Rocca despite the forward being covered by two defenders instead of firing at goal himself from 55. Any score would have won it for the then winless Magpies but David Grenvold cleared instead and a legend was born.
1997: Michael Prior
The 1997 ANZAC Day encounter saw another racial episode as Collingwood's Robbie Ahmat claimed he was vilified by Bomber Michael Prior. Prior, though, has always maintained Ahmat mis-heard him and that he never uttered a racial insult.
1999: Anthony Rocca
Everything appeared to be going against Collingwood in this game. The talismanic Buckley was absent and Sav Rocca was taken from the field early in the game with back spasms not to return. The Bombers appeared as dominant as ever against a young Collinwood outfit, but led by Paul Williams' five goals they produced a stirring effort to storm back into contention. Eight points down, Anthony Rocca had the chance to make it a two-point game as he marked 30 metres out deep in the final term. But short distances always troubled Rocca and the youngster's toe-poke didn't register a score.
2012: Brent Stanton
He may have gone into ANZAC Day in a rich vein of form as Essendon won their first four matches of the season but Brent Stanton had a tough day at a wet MCG on Anzac Day last year as Marty Clarke completely blanketed him. Stanton almost covered himself in glory with a late goal that gave the Bombers the lead, only for Blair to seal the points for the Magpies moments later.