ANZAC Day games - not what they're cracked up to be?

[Dry Rot]

Take away all the day's hoopla and the great finish, it was an ordinary game of footy today IMO. Poor skills and the Pies were pretty boring.

How many ANZAC Day games would rate as one of the top 5 games of the year each season?

Not many is my guess.

[azabob]

Take away all the day's hoopla and the great finish, it was an ordinary game of footy today IMO. Poor skills and the Pies were pretty boring.

How many ANZAC Day games would rate as one of the top 5 games of the year each season?

Not many is my guess.

Same could be said about the Grand Final. What are you trying to really say DR?

[ledge]

I thought it was great as you had Essendon trying the run down the corridor and Collingwood trying to go around the wings.

Only thing it lacked was forwards who could take marks, and remember it rained in the last quarter making the skills harder.

For mine Essendon should have won comfortably, very impressed with the speed they have, in years to come if they find a good forward to take over from Lloyd they will be hard to beat.
Thought Fletcher was exceptional.
Courageous effort from Ryder, Hille out for the year i believe.

[Sockeye Salmon]

The best thing about the game was listening to the Collingwood fans after the game complaining about the free against Rocca.

And listening to Kevin Bartlett try to defend it.

[AndrewP6]

From an impartial view, (though I HATE Collingwood!) a close finish like that would've been great to watch...plenty of contests that "should" have been won easily, have finished close. It's what makes sport so great. Maybe skills were down, but a win in the last few seconds is exciting...that said, I don't think this match should be limited to the Pies v Dons...

[ledge]

I think you should earn it and it should be the grand final replay from the year before.

[Rocco Jones]

Same could be said about the Grand Final. What are you trying to really say DR?

The difference is that teams earn the right to play in the GF . I would like to see the ANZAC day game being between the reigning Grand Finalists. The Round 1 re-match is a bit too soon for me. I guess the fixture is all about TV dollars, so if Dons vs Pies brings in the biggest ratings, it's here to stay.

[gohardorgohome]

This game should be between the two highest placed Victorian teams from the previous yeur. All too often the pies or bombers have been ordinary teams and it ruins the spectical.

Interesting to hear James Hird say today the the day is not about Essendon or Collingwood, its about the Anzac tradition...well if a guy like Hird has that opinion then why not play the best teams for this showcase games.

Also I heard Robert Walls on todays coverage say how the MCG was 90% Essendon or Collongwood Supporters. What a shame that supporters of the other 80% of Victorian clubs will never get a chance to watch their team play in this show piece game.

Out of exisiting clubs Melbourne was the club that lost the most players in War...what a shame if things go unchanged that it will never get a look in at recognising these diggers on ANZAC day on their home ground.

I was there watching the first two of these games in the 90s....nothing mentioned about "Tradition" there. Im pretty sure I went to many other ANZAC day games before the Duopoly on this fixture was set by the AFL programmers.

Its a real bug bear of mine...I would have sat down eagerly to watch Geelong and Hawthorn,,,,,,I just cant be bothered investing three hours of my day off watching these two also ran teams....

[AndrewP6]

This game should be between the two highest placed Victorian teams from the previous yeur. All too often the pies or bombers have been ordinary teams and it ruins the spectical.

Interesting to hear James Hird say today the the day is not about Essendon or Collingwood, its about the Anzac tradition...well if a guy like Hird has that opinion then why not play the best teams for this showcase games.

Also I heard Robert Walls on todays coverage say how the MCG was 90% Essendon or Collongwood Supporters. What a shame that supporters of the other 80% of Victorian clubs will never get a chance to watch their team play in this show piece game.

Out of exisiting clubs Melbourne was the club that lost the most players in War...what a shame if things go unchanged that it will never get a look in at recognising these diggers on ANZAC day on their home ground.

I was there watching the first two of these games in the 90s....nothing mentioned about "Tradition" there. Im pretty sure I went to many other ANZAC day games before the Duopoly on this fixture was set by the AFL programmers.

Its a real bug bear of mine...I would have sat down eagerly to watch Geelong and Hawthorn,,,,,,I just cant be bothered investing three hours of my day off watching these two also ran teams....

With all due respect to Melbourne, who'd pay to watch them play the ANZAC day game? At the moment, the Auskick games are more entertaining...

[LostDoggy]

The difference is that teams earn the right to play in the GF . I would like to see the ANZAC day game being between the reigning Grand Finalists. The Round 1 re-match is a bit too soon for me. I guess the fixture is all about TV dollars, so if Dons vs Pies brings in the biggest ratings, it's here to stay.

I also like the idea of Grand Final replay on Anzac Day. The build up is about the solemnity of the day not Essendon and Collingwood and with the marketing arsenal at the AFL's disposal it would always draw a maximum crowd. Sadly you are right Rocco, the current set up is here to stay.

As for the game today, I tuned in as always and thought it was exciting because of the close finish. Other than that, I didn't think it was a "great" game of football. Two average sides doing trying to do their best, nothing more.

[gohardorgohome]

With all due respect to Melbourne, who'd pay to watch them play the ANZAC day game? At the moment, the Auskick games are more entertaining...

At the moment they are bottom. They would not be in the picture. They would get a go if they were one of the two highest Victorian teams if I had my way...

[boydogs]

I think you should earn it and it should be the grand final replay from the year before.

Thats the first time I have ever heard of that suggestion, though it sounds like others have the same idea reading through posts made since. Sounds like a great way to determine entitlement. Only thing is ensuring a large attendance for atmosphere and spectacle of rivalry to entertain supporters of the other clubs, but you would expect a higher skill level

[hujsh]

For all the build up it's just another game worth 4 points.

I'm no more interested in it because it's ANZAC Day than i would be if it were round 20.

Only Collingwood and Essendon fans should rate it as equal or better than the GF because their bias but everyone else is sucked in

[craigsahibee]

Essendon and Collingwood deserve to have ANZAC Day as "their" day. But it's not their right, but a privilege. As long as they continue to promote the day with the true meaning of the day as the focus, it's all theirs.

The day is not about the quality of the game. It's all about reflection. I was disappointed to hear Malthouse's comments after the game today saying their effort was "disrespectful" to the diggers. That comment tells me that he thinks the players efforts today are comparable with our soldiers in action. Sorry Mick, all these guy did today was chase a footy around a paddock.

[ledge]

Essendon and Collingwood deserve to have ANZAC Day as "their" day. But it's not their right, but a privilege. As long as they continue to promote the day with the true meaning of the day as the focus, it's all theirs.

The day is not about the quality of the game. It's all about reflection. I was disappointed to hear Malthouse's comments after the game today saying their effort was "disrespectful" to the diggers. That comment tells me that he thinks the players efforts today are comparable with our soldiers in action. Sorry Mick, all these guy did today was chase a footy around a paddock.

Quite a disgusting statement isnt it, that statement in itself is disrespectful, has he caught a bit of Maguires arrogance to think how a football team plays in anyway has any relevance to the history ANZAC day represents?

[The Coon Dog]

Quite a disgusting statement isnt it, that statement in itself is disrespectful, has he caught a bit of Maguires arrogance to think how a football team plays in anyway has any relevance to the history ANZAC day represents?

How about showing some respect to the guy you are talking about; it's McGuire! :rolleyes:

[AndrewP6]

How about showing some respect to the guy you are talking about; it's McGuire! :rolleyes:

After his appearance in today's paper dressed in the ump's gear, any shred of respect I had for Eddie Everywhere is gone....:)

[The Coon Dog]

After his appearance in today's paper dressed in the ump's gear, any shred of respect I had for Eddie Everywhere is gone....:)

I won't forget the role he played in us getting a sponsor when we couldn't find one ourselves.

[gohardorgohome]

Don't get too carried away about saying things like "Essendon and Collingwood deserve the Anzac day game" it was the afl fixturing that re scheduled these teams to play on Anzac day again in 1996. They just decided to continue to run with the concept.

[Go_Dogs]

Don't get too carried away about saying things like "Essendon and Collingwood deserve the Anzac day game" it was the afl fixturing that re scheduled these teams to play on Anzac day again in 1996. They just decided to continue to run with the concept.

Did they not have the highest amount of players involved in the war though?

I'm not fussed either way who plays in the game, and thought both teams put on a good spectacle yesterday. A close game is a good game, and the Pies ended up going down. Couldn't ask for much more really ;)

[AndrewP6]

I won't forget the role he played in us getting a sponsor when we couldn't find one ourselves.

Yes, he does look out for other Victorian teams... still, he's a self-centred buffoon...:)