The point was simply about awareness and observance is evidence of that. It was a simple point in response to a simple incorrect statement. As for substance, my daughter is now 8 and my son 11. They know exactly why we observe a minutes silence. They see the diggers in the cars. They see the ritual and hear the last post. They know why. Thy don't yet properly understand war, but they know more about ANZAC day from the obervances than they otherwise would and in time they will understand more about what it all means. They have asked questions that wouldn't otherwise have been on their radar. I have told them abouit their great grandfather who was a non german married to a german women and how the Nazi's annuled the marriage and interrned him. They know about my Italian wife's parents post war immigration to Australia. These aren't related to ANZAC Day as such but they are discussions I doubt we would have had but for thier curiosity. They wouldn't even probably know what the initials stood for. We are just 1 family and a small number amoung the crowd. To say the game achieves zero in this regard is just ignorant. It doesn't move mountans but no claims it does does. If nothing else, what it does do is use something people understand and relate to as part of their life to add to the body of noise and messaging about the day and it's significnace to Australia (we largely ignore NZ but that's anotheer matter again).Fair enough, I can't dispute your personal experience. But it's interesting you focus on the ritual aspects of the day (minutes silence, dawn service) as examples. The fact 90,000 people were deliberately quiet for a minute when they otherwise might not have been means nothing in isolation...to be honest I think it's further proof of the abstraction of the day. We go through the rituals, don't engage with the substance.
I don't know if you have ever been to the game but let me assure you that minute silence is very moving and the last post is haunting. A lot of people do reflect.
Last edited: