It seems everyone wants a piece of the ANZAC day clash, with the notable exception (based on this year's performance) of the Essendon Football Club.  It wasn't always this way. Historically speaking, professional football was always canceled on ANZAC day as a sign of respect to our beloved diggers... take 1959 as an example, ANZAC day fell on a Saturday and the VFL postponed all matches from that round to the following week.   In 1960 an Act of Parliament lifted the ban on professional sporting games for the 25th of April and the VFL began experimenting with some different types of game formats.

It wasn't until the mid-90's, when the visionary (and legendary) Kevin Sheedy rallied up executives from the Essendon Football Club, the Collingwood Football Club and the Victorian RSL and put to them the notion of holding a game each year on ANZAC day to honour our fallen heroes.  No doubt seeing dollar signs float in front of them like they had popped a bad acid trip and headed to Wrest Point Casino, they all agreed.  It may, or may not, have helped that the then-President of the RSL was in fact a Collingwood supporter - but let's not speculate on individual bias. Other than, of course, to have speculated. As we just did. (Cop that).  Probably to everyone's surprise the AFL got on board with the idea also and ANZAC Day @ the G was born.

The first ever ANZAC day clash was held in 1995 and it was popular.  REAL popular. MCG staff were required to close the gates at 1.30pm (forty minutes prior to the first bounce) and then mounted police were required to drive away the 20,000 people loitering around outside still trying to gain access to the game.  After an action-packed and seesawing scoreline for four quarters, the final siren sounded with both teams level on 111 points.  94,825 spectators roared like they'd been stung by a wasp and a new tradition was born.