April 25.
A day that celebrates and acknowledges the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.
In an attempt to pay tribute to those who served their country, and inspired by the successful Collingwood-Richmond 1977 game, Kevin Sheedy proposed how football could play its part.
Sheedy, who was the Bombers coach at the time, went to Essendon and Pies officials, as well as the Victorian RSL President Bruce Ruxton, and delivered a new concept for a game that would honour the Anzac spirit.
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Descending on the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the first modern Anzac Day match between Collingwood and Essendon was held on Tuesday, 25 April 1995.
Led by legends Sheedy and Leigh Matthews, there were stars on every line, including Nathan Buckley, James Hird, Saverio Rocca, Dermott Brereton and Dustin Fletcher.
In a gruelling and tough match that was a precursor to the Anzac Day clashes which would follow, both clubs could not be split come the final siren, playing out a 111-111 draw in front of the second biggest home-and-away crowd in history (94,825), only behind 1958's Queen's Birthday contest between Melbourne and Collingwood (99,256) at the MCG.
After five years as a permanent fixture on the calendar, the clubs introduced a best-on-ground player.
Since 2000, the player in the match considered to best exemplify the Anzac spirit - skill, courage, self-sacrifice, teamwork and fair play - were awarded the AFL Anzac Day Medal.
Now in its 30th edition, this game is considered the biggest AFL match outside the finals, motivating other clubs to get involved to celebrate the day.
MORE: The complete 2025 AFL fixture
Anzac Day match results
In honour of April 25, both Collingwood and Essendon opted to pay tribute to the war veterans, taking the field for the first time in 1995.
| Year | Winner | Score | Attendance | Record (Coll-Ess) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Collingwood | 107-66 | TBC | Collingwood 18-10 Essendon |
| 2024 | Draw | 85-85 | 93,644 | Collingwood 17 - 10 Essendon |
| 2023 | Collingwood | 90-77 | 95,179 | Collingwood 17 - 10 Essendon |
| 2022 | Collingwood | 93-82 | 84,205 | Collingwood 16 - 10 Essendon |
| 2021 | Essendon | 109-85 | 78,113 | Collingwood 15 - 10 Essendon |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Collingwood 15 - 9 Essendon |
| 2019 | Collingwood | 73-69 | 92,241 | Collingwood 15 - 9 Essendon |
| 2018 | Collingwood | 101-52 | 91,440 | Collingwood 14 - 9 Essendon |
| 2017 | Essendon | 100-82 | 87,685 | Collingwood 13 - 9 Essendon |
| 2016 | Collingwood | 142-73 | 85,082 | Collingwood 13 - 8 Essendon |
| 2015 | Collingwood | 69-49 | 88,395 | Collingwood 12 - 8 Essendon |
| 2014 | Collingwood | 83-60 | 91,731 | Collingwood 11 - 8 Essendon |
| 2013 | Essendon | 121-75 | 93,373 | Collingwood 10 - 8 Essendon |
| 2012 | Collingwood | 80-79 | 86,932 | Collingwood 10 - 7 Essendon |
| 2011 | Collingwood | 107-77 | 89,626 | Collingwood 9 - 7 Essendon |
| 2010 | Collingwood | 120-55 | 90.070 | Collingwood 8 - 7 Essendon |
| 2009 | Essendon | 93-88 | 84,829 | Collingwood 7 - 7 Essendon |
| 2008 | Collingwood | 154,81 | 88,999 | Collingwood 7 - 6 Essendon |
| 2007 | Collingwood | 95-79 | 90,508 | Collingwood 6 - 6 Essendon |
| 2006 | Collingwood | 106-89 | 91,234 | Collingwood 5 - 6 Essendon |
| 2005 | Essendon | 93-69 | 70,033 | Collingwood 4 - 6 Essendon |
| 2004 | Essendon | 112-79 | 57,294 | Collingwood 4 - 5 Essendon |
| 2003 | Essendon | 147-81 | 62,589 | Collingwood 4 - 4 Essendon |
| 2002 | Collingwood | 66-33 | 84,894 | Collingwood 4 - 3 Essendon |
| 2001 | Essendon | 103-95 | 83,905 | Collingwood 3 - 3 Essendon |
| 2000 | Essendon | 140-100 | 88,390 | Collingwood 3 - 2 Essendon |
| 1999 | Essendon | 108-100 | 73,118 | Collingwood 3 - 1 Essendon |
| 1998 | Collingwood | 108-88 | 81,542 | Collingwood 3 - 0 Essendon |
| 1997 | Collingwood | 99-70 | 83,217 | Collingwood 2 - 0 Essendon |
| 1996 | Collingwood | 117-105 | 87,549 | Collingwood 1 - 0 Essendon |
| 1995 | Draw | 111-111 | 94,825 | Even |
Anzac Day Medal winners
The Anzac Day Medal was introduced in 2000 to the player that best exemplified the Anzac spirit - skill, courage, self-sacrifice, teamwork and fair play.
James Hird and Scott Pendlebury have been honoured a record three times each, while Collingwood's Chris Tarrant (2001) is the only player to have been awarded the medal in a losing team.
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Steele Sidebottom | Collingwood |
| 2024 | Zach Merrett | Essendon |
| 2023 | Nick Daicos | Collingwood |
| 2022 | Jack Ginnivan | Collingwood |
| 2021 | Darcy Parish | Essendon |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | Scott Pendlebury (3) | Collingwood |
| 2018 | Adam Treloar | Collingwood |
| 2017 | Joe Daniher | Essendon |
| 2016 | Steele Sidebottom | Collingwood |
| 2015 | Paul Seedsman | Collingwood |
| 2014 | Dane Swan (2) | Collingwood |
| 2013 | David Zaharakis | Essendon |
| 2012 | Dane Swan | Collingwood |
| 2011 | Scott Pendlebury (2) | Collingwood |
| 2010 | Scott Pendlebury | Collingwood |
| 2009 | Paddy Ryder | Essendon |
| 2008 | Paul Medhurst | Collingwood |
| 2007 | Heath Shaw | Collingwood |
| 2006 | Ben Johnson | Collingwood |
| 2005 | Andrew Lovett | Essendon |
| 2004 | James Hird (3) | Essendon |
| 2003 | James Hird (2) | Essendon |
| 2002 | Mark McGough | Collingwood |
| 2001 | Chris Tarrant | Collingwood |
| 2000 | James Hird | Essendon |
Anzac Day guernseys
As history shows, both clubs tend to alter their traditional game-day guernseys with Anzac Day spins.
The night prior, Richmond and Melbourne provide their own versions.
Here are the 2025 Anzac guernseys:
The remarkable story behind our 2025 Anzac Day guernsey 🌹🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/tjRoiIsF1Z
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) April 24, 2025
Our guernsey to be worn in the 30th anniversary Anzac Day clash.
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) March 30, 2025
Worn with pride to honour those who’ve served.
Anzac Day eve clash
On the eve of the 2015 season, the AFL confirmed that Richmond and Melbourne would host an Anzac Day eve night clash at the MCG.
Like the traditional match between Collingwood and Essendon, the game commemorates those who have served in the Australian and New Zealand armed forced.
As a part of the pre-match ceremonies, a torch lit from the Eternal Flame at the Shrine of Remembrance, light a cauldron on the MCG that burns during the match.
Players, coaches and officials from both sides line up prior to the first bounce while the "Last Post" and "Advance Australia Fair" plays out across the ground.
2021 saw the introduction of the Frank 'Checker' Hughes Medal, which is awarded to the player judged best afield.
Hughes - who served in the 57th battalion during World War I was a VFL player Richmond between 1914-1923 and coached the club and the Demons across 378 games.
Len Hall Tribute game
After their introduction to the AFL, Fremantle hosted their own Anzac tribute in honour of the last Gallipoli veteran from Western Australia, Len Hall (1997-1999).
Not traditionally played on April 25, but over the course of the round, the Dockers have paid homage to Hall since 1996 against various opponents.