Game Day Round 7 - ANZAC DAY - Essendon v Collingwood, MCG, Thursday 25/4/24, 3.20pm AEST

[VelvetSledge]

I wrote this some years ago. I had intentions to make a new piece this year but work and family commitments have left me with very little time. Fair to say the still sentiments echo now, though.
​

The ANZAC story is well documented, and the importance of it in relevance to our great game is utmost; the bravery and vigor shown by our troops is one that still makes the efforts shown on the field, no matter how selfless they are, seem like nothing. It's been over 100 years since that fateful day on the shores of Gallipoli, and the story still sends shivers up the spine.

In 1914, the British, French, and Russian Alliance was teetering towards a full-scale war against the ever-strengthening German Empire. Strained relations and an overwhelming sense of dominance emanating from the Germans pushed the British alliance to declare war on Germany; a move that changed the face of the world forever. News travelled to Australia, which was enjoying a Bank Holiday Monday at the time. When the country returned to work the following day, however, the news was bleak. Joseph Cook, the Australian Prime Minister at the time, said in relation to Britain’s declaration of war, “If the Old Country is at war, so are we”. The timing was advantageous to the Australian politicians – we were in the middle of an election campaign – and those who sat in the capital used the war to push their respective parties to appeal to the Brits. Andrew Fisher, the opposition leader at the time, declared that we would send Great Britain “our last man and our last shilling”, whilst Cook responded with, “Our duty is quite clear – to gird up our loins and remember that we are Britons”.

The mood of young men in Australia was not what you would expect – many were jubilant, ecstatic that they would be home by Christmas and that the adventure and excitement, paid for by the government, would be absolutely worth any danger. Surely it couldn’t be that dangerous, how ruthless could the German empire actually be?
Australia pledged 20,000 men to go and fight over the world. Canada, as the largest Commonwealth nation outside of Europe, pledged 30,000, while New Zealand already had compulsory military training. For the war in Europe, Australia went the extra mile to appease the British Alliance, forming the AIF – the Australian Imperial Force. Recruiting began within days of the announcement of the war.

Those who were too young to conscript faked their ages, simply to experience the adventure. A little over a month later, they marched the streets of Melbourne and Sydney, trying to convince others to join them in the fight. These new recruits were known as “six bob a day tourists”, as the pay was relatively high for the time and most thought of the war as more of a holiday than a tour of duty. This convoy of Australian troops merged with the New Zealand equivalent in late October of 1914 on the way to the Suez Canal and formed the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps – The ANZACs. They disembarked in Egypt, dug themselves in near the Great Pyramids of Egypt, and began the war with Turkey, which had joined the German cause.

The Russians were fighting on the Eastern Front and needed the British and French to tackle Turkey, taking pressure off of the Russian border. As such, the British forces commanded the ANZACs to land on the beach at Gallipoli. They didn’t expect much resistance – 40,000 Turks if anything – and anticipated that the shore would be open to landing on easy terms. What followed was the most iconic story of Australian resilience and endurance. The maps and location of the ANZACs had been misread and skewed, and the ANZACs were far, far away from where they had intended to land.

On the 25th of April, 1915, the ANZAC troops approached the hard cliff face of Gallipoli after receiving open fire from the trees from the Turkish troops. They landed at a difficult and desolate spot on the peninsula, with the Turks completely ready for them. The ANZACs made minuscule headway under the rocky outcrops and thorn-laden scrub. The losses for the ANZACs were immense, and their forces were wasting away to nothing with casualties and sickness. The Turks knew the land and were able to reinforce their front line whilst continuing to wipe the ANZAC troops out.

One such soldier who was caught in the crossfire was Herb Hunter.

Hunter was a quality dentist who studied at Melbourne Grammar and graduated in 1904. Prior to his graduation, he was a supreme athlete, dominating all comers in the track events, but also playing for our beloved Essendon Football Club. Hunter played 3 games in the 1900 season, before beginning his service in the Australian military. He debuted, perhaps somewhat meaningfully, against today’s opponents in Collingwood. The game had been delayed from the previous week to be played on a Wednesday – a public holiday to celebrate the Relief of the Siege of Mafeking. He played two more matches in wet weather which he didn’t play well in – against St Kilda and Carlton – before heading back to play at Melbourne Grammar. Hunter was part of the landing at Gallipoli and was marked Killed in Action some two weeks later during the Assault of Krithia, on the 8th of May 1915. He was wounded in the trenches of Walker’s Ridge, and while he was being stretchered to the hospital encampment down the hill, he and his two handlers were struck by a Turkish shell, killing all three men instantly.

Some months later, in August, another assault was thrown at the coast of Gallipoli, but it was another comprehensive failure. Heavy casualties meant that the entire campaign was an utter debacle, and due to military censorship, the story of how the Brits threw the ANZACs like a sacrificial lamb to the Turks was in danger of disappearing forever. That was until a young journalist known as Keith Murdoch (yes, those Murdochs) caught wind of the story of the Dardanelles and ran with it to the Australian Prime Minister. He forwarded the story to the British Prime Minister, who was no fan of the British Military establishment. The captain who ordered the ANZAC Assault, Sir Ian Hamilton, was immediately dismissed, and never held a leadership role again.

The British government issued an immediate evacuation of the ANZACs. By day, it appeared as though more ANZAC troops were landing whilst the troops that had already landed were continuing to fight. By nightfall, the troops were rapidly evacuated from the battlefield under almost complete silence, save for sporadic rifle rounds and gunfire. By the 20th of December 1915, the evacuation was entirely complete, and the Turks unknowingly continued to bomb the empty trenches. On 9 January 1916, the Turks carried out their last offensive on Gallipoli, revealing only that the entire force had withdrawn without casualty. The evacuation was the Allies' most successful operation in Gallipoli.
The Anzacs went on to serve with distinction in Palestine and on the Western front in France.

Australia had a population of five million - 330,000 served in the war, and 59,000 were killed.

New Zealand, with a population of one million, lost 18,000 men out of 110,000 and had 55,000 wounded. These New Zealand figures (62%) represent the highest percentage of all units from the Anglo-Saxon world.

The horrors of war and its ripple effect continue to this day. While there are no more remaining veterans from the assault on Gallipoli, their memory and sacrifice continues throughout the entire country on this day.

A day of respect, solace, and remembrance – one that continues to mean more than most other days to all Australians. Whether you were born in this country or came from shores abroad, we all should acknowledge today for what it is.

The marking of a day that will live forever in the memory of this country. The making of an alliance between countries, that stays bulletproof to this day.
Football is not the most important subject. Sure, we will probably forget the ANZAC side of things once the siren blows and our two teams do their thing for the following few hours. We will cheer, rant, rave, and celebrate, even with the incredibly solemn subject on which this day was founded.
The result today will be forgotten. It’s a game of football.

What happened to young men, 109 years ago today, will not. Their sacrifice will live on through our great country forever.​

ESSENDON

Unfortunately, the whole game will be summarised by controversy in the dying seconds, but make no mistake, the better team won.
A Nic Martin bomb from 55m out sealed a win at Adelaide Oval, much to the ire of that racist Taylor Walker

13

Taylor Walker

Age

34

Ht

194cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.7

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.0

2star

K

6.4

3star

HB

1.6

2star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.6

5star

who kicked up a massive stink.
A highly underrated game from former Saint Jade Gresham

11

Jade Gresham

Age

26

Ht

177cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.4

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

7.2

4star

M

3.2

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

10.8

4star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

2.0

3star

G

0.5

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

0.4

3star

saw him finish up with 26 touches and a crucial goal, whilst skipper Zach Merrett is charging up the Brownlow market. He dominated the first term with 13 touches and four clearances.
When Stringer snapped truly in the second, we held a 22 point lead, but, in true Essendon style, it wasn't going to last.
The third quarter saw the Crows put on a four-goal burst which threatened to take away the game from us, but, in not-so-true Essendon style, the boys fought hard and they ground it out.
The renaissance of Harry Jones has been an utter joy to watch.
Kyle Langford

4

Kyle Langford

Age

27

Ht

192cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.7

4star

K

8.3

3star

HB

7.3

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

3.3

5star

G

0.7

4star

D

17.4

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.4

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.6

3star

G

0.7

4star

D

8.2

2star

K

3.2

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

G

0.6

3star

doesn't appear to be doing as much this year as he did last year, but he's still popping up with multiple goals every week. Jet.

ADELAIDE 11.9 75
def. by
ESSENDON 10.18 78

BEST: Merrett, Martin, Caldwell, Hobbs, Gresham, McKay, Durham
GOALS: Jones, Langford 2, Gresham, Parish, Hobbs, Stringer, Merrett

-----------

COLLINGWOOD

Well, we've learnt you can never write this Collingwood side off.
From 0-3 to an utter thumping of a Port side that are starting to get the real stink of flat track bullies.
The Pies conceded five of the first six goals and trailed by 31 points late in the first, but it was all Collingwood from there on in.
Darcy Cameron

14

Darcy Cameron

Age

28

Ht

204cm

Wt

103kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.3

1star

HB

2.7

2star

CL

0.3

2star

HO

5.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

CL

0.5

3star

HO

3.5

5star

D

6.0

2star

K

3.3

2star

HB

2.7

3star

CL

0.3

2star

HO

5.3

5star

looks to be a solid ruck in a strong start to the year, whilst Will Hoskin-Elliott

32

Will Hoskin-elliott

Age

30

Ht

186cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.0

4star

K

9.3

4star

HB

4.7

3star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.2

4star

MG

232.7

4star

D

11.1

3star

K

7.6

3star

HB

3.6

2star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.0

2star

MG

180.6

3star

D

12.4

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.2

3star

played arguably the best match of his career whilst scoring two goals.
Nick Daicos will likely get some votes for 30 touches after a slow start, whilst De Goey and Mitchell were both busy in the guts.
Pat Lipinski had a PB of four goals, and Brodie Mihocek was as reliable as ever in front of the big sticks.
I felt a lot more confident about today before they smacked Port. Who smacked us.
Sigh.

COLLINGWOOD 17.21 123
def.
PORT ADELAIDE 12.9 81

BEST: Hoskin-Elliott, De Goey, Cameron, N. Daicos, Lipinksi, Mitchell, Hill
GOALS: Lipinski 4, Mihocek 3, Hoskin-Elliott, Schulz, Cox 2, McInnes, McCreery, Elliott, Hill

ESSENDON OUTS: Elijah Tsatas (Omit)
ESSENDON INS: Peter Wright

COLLINGWOOD OUTS: Reef McInnes (Omit)
COLLINGWOOD INS: Harvey Harrison

ROUND 24, 2023
MCG
25/8/2023

ESSENDON 3.13 31
def. by
COLLINGWOOD 16.5 101

---------

ESSENDON GOALS: Weideman 2, Langford
COLLINGWOOD GOALS: Mihocek, Ginnivan 3, Elliott 2, Pendlebury, Mitchell, McStay, De Goey, J. Daicos, Lipinski, Cameron, Hill

ESSENDON BEST: Uhhh
COLLINGWOOD BEST: Mitchell, Crisp, Ginnivan, Pendlebury, Maynard, Mihocek

----------

CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:

ESSENDON OUTS: Tsatas, Zerk-Thatcher, Setterfield, Perkins, Snelling, Bryan, Phillips, Weideman, Menzie, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Baldwin
ESSENDON INS: McKay, Duursma, Kelly, A. Davey, Draper, Wright, Goldstein, Caldwell, Gresham, Jones, Stringer

COLLINGWOOD OUTS: Adams, Markov, Ginnivan, McStay, Macrae
COLLINGWOOD INS: Schultz, Moore, N. Daicos, McCreery, Harrison

Biggest game of the year. Let's get it done, and, most importantly..

They shall grow not old,
As those that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

Essendon by 8.​

 

[VelvetSledge]

Nervous.

 

[Vindicater]

Ok.

I got all my complaints about bad selection in the preview thread.

Time to get that win boys!

My boy McGrath to get the Anzac medal!

 

[Yoda_]

Need to shut down sidebum from getting out the back. Elliot needs to be stopped who always has a field day against us. Wouldn't mind De Goey or Daicos from doing a hammy early,

sigh,


as long as its a good game and we don't get blown away

 

[Seb78]

But of drizzle. Late change incoming??

 

[Beerfish]

But of drizzle. Late change incoming??

More talls maybe?

 

[bommer16]

Complete faith in the process under Bradley.

Essendon Football Club to get it done

Anzac medal: merrett - to make up for the susp last year. Double the hunger. Release the kraken.

 

[dank420_]

I’m only nervous because I think we are a chance.

 

[Happyskeret]

It’s funny Brad gets bagged for copying Collingwood with Marto and half back but when he differentiates the team from Collingwood with the extra talls he gets bagged so I don’t know.

 

[mcgrath_truther]

divine intervention revealed this to me while i was dropping a log but guelfi will come in for draper late*

*if he doesn’t it was simply a higher beings test to try and trick me

 

[Ati Tude]

We will remember it...

 

[DERO]

Looking a little bit not dry at the ground right now.

 

[bommer16]

divine intervention revealed this to me while i was dropping a log but guelfi will come in for draper late*

*if he doesn’t it was simply a higher beings test to try and trick me

Sounds like you had a flush of inspiration

 

[Halloween Jack]

Please win

 

[naraku]

We have to start well and do NOT want to try to chase them down.

Caldwell for Anzac medal

Dons by 4pts.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Dons by 69pts
Nik Cox to win the Anzac Day Medal

 

[Gabe251]

 

[Ati Tude]

Dons by 69pts
Nik Cox to win the Anzac Day Medal

 

[MiguelM]

But of drizzle. Late change incoming??

Nah, some sunny patches here (Melb side of Ballarat). Clearing if anything!

 

[bommer16]

Essendon will rise to this challenge. Good test for them.

 

[Happyskeret]

Nah, some sunny patches here (Melb side of Ballarat). Clearing if anything!

My app says no rain.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Sun's out!! (Briefly)

 

[mike ross]

In Star Wars style, I've got a bad feeling about this.

 

[ant555]

 

[Knighta21]

Any late changes? Don’t see Caldwell out there