Mick Malthouse: Why Anzac Day shouldn’t belong to Victorian clubs, with at least three games played

I have been blessed to have coached 13 Anzac Day games, 12 for Collingwood against Essendon, and one for Carlton in Wellington, New Zealand, against St Kilda. Each was special and an honour to be part of. The significance of the occasion is never lost on the clubs or the supporters, perhaps more so this year given the uncertainty in the world right now. It reminds us how indebted we are to our armed servicemen and women. I always liked to give my players a history lesson leading into Anzac Day, for them to know that sacrifices made on the footy field in front of 100-thousand people are far different to sacrifices made in war. For my first Anzac Day clash with Collingwood, I didn’t want my players interrupting their sleep for the dawn service, so we had a mock-up service on the eve of the game, delivered by members of our defence force, complete with a bugle. For subsequent games I copied pages from a book titled, Fallen, dedicated to Australian Rules footballers who died in active service in the Boar War in South Africa through to the Second World War. And one year, a letter from a son to his mother about life on the frontline. The dawn service in Wellington that I attended with my match committee was a reminder that ANZAC includes the New Zealand armed forces. I never wanted my players to take for granted who they were representing on that stage on such an important day on the Australian calendar. And they never did. Every game was fought with spirit to the very end. With Anzac Day falling on Saturday this season there are several matches to be played on the day, all important. First game is in Tassie between Hawthorn and Gold Coast, who occupy third and fourth position respectively. Traditional rivals Essendon and Collingwood are at the G, with the Bombers gallant last week and the Pies lucky to have beaten Carlton. An unlucky Port Adelaide is up against a rampaging Geelong. And of course, the in-form Fremantle are hosting a team that is due for a win. The Blues have the eyes of the football world on them. There is probably only one certainty, and that is Geelong. The Western Derby is always a massive game and often leaves either or both sides mentally exhausted. Saturday’s clash is a game where the Dockers’ maturity will be tested. Jye Amiss probably played his best-ever game against West Coast, with a five-goal haul. Josh Treacy was held brilliantly by Rueben Ginbey and may get Jacob Weitering this week, who is a complete blanket for any forward. Leadership will be at a premium. I’ve stated before that Alex Pearce is outstanding in command, while Patty Cripps has the remorseless challenge of trying to get his team on the winners list. For Fremantle to stay top four these games must be won. Their percentage is sound. And they are lucky that Carlton doesn’t have a long midfield list, because that is the Dockers’ Achilles heel - quality mids, but no depth. As they battle for victory they can also bat for future Anzac Day games. It would be fantastic for Freo to have a permanent presence on Anzac Day, hosting a later game in Perth. Personally, I’d like to see a South Australian game nestled into that too, perhaps starting earlier in the day. We bend over backwards for the northern states, so I think we can legitimise the whole of Anzac Day with three distinct matches across the country. It would be huge. The traditional Anzac Day clash has always thrown up unexpected results. The first contest in 1995 ended in a draw. Since then, Collingwood have won 18, Essendon 10, with two draws. On current form you would expect the Magpies to win comfortably, however, they haven’t been able to put sides to the sword yet. Without Jordan Ridley in the Bombers’ backline, this is Collingwood’s opportunity to have a breakaway win. Essendon have been under scrutiny, albeit highly competitive in the last couple of weeks. This will be a test for the former Brisbane teammates coaching against each other, to see who can be first to get a tactical advantage. Brad Scott must come up with a tag for the best player in the competition as Nick Daicos single-handedly got the Pies over the line last week.