The AFL’s Anzac Day game: how a shared tradition became a two-club monopoly

By Mathew Turner, Associate Teaching Fellow, Deakin University
Tony Joel, Associate Professor in History, Deakin University

On Anzac Day, Collingwood and Essendon will meet at the MCG for their annual blockbuster in front of more than 90,000 people.

The clash, first staged in 1995, honours those who served in the Australian forces.

It is the biggest home-and-away game of the season, and arguably second only to the grand final on the AFL calendar.

Essendon and Collingwood have become synonymous with the occasion. Our research shows this…

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