Not many footballers play on the hallowed MCG turf and have to sit in an English class the next day.

Even fewer do so having won the ANZAC Day medal as a teenager, but that was the story of Mark McGough who will forever carry his incredible second-game performance with him.

McGough – now a 39-year-old school teacher residing in Western Australia – was a driver's licence-less, Year 12 studying, 17-year-old in 2002, but it didn’t stop him from producing a performance that would live in Collingwood history.

His 24 disposals in the wet earned him the ANZAC Day medal, still holding him in rare air to this day as the youngest winner in the game’s now 29-year history.

And while it is now McGough who teaches and deals with students all day, it was the teenager who was fielding media requests from his principal’s office on that Friday, 22 years ago, having starred on the MCG on the Thursday.

“I was doing my Year 12 so I came down from Yarrawonga and did it at Northcote High because they didn’t have as strict draft rules then. I think they changed it the year after,” McGough said.

“It was a little bit surreal, I remember going to school the next day and I was sitting in an English class and I didn’t really know that many people there because I’d only just started at Northcote High.

“The principal announced over the loudspeaker for me to come up to the front office to help him deal with the media that were calling up.

“It was a bit crazy, but I was just there to get an education and help promote the school.”

The right-footer remembers that despite the occasion, nerves weren’t really on his mind as he entered the ‘G for the second time ever, helping him back up his debut performance from five days earlier which earned him two Brownlow votes.

“Probably early in my career I didn’t get given so many specific instructions about what to do and you weren’t overthinking it,” he said.

“For me as a 17-year-old I was able to go out there and just play football.

“I started on the bench and came on at the end of the first quarter and was just able to play. It’s something that comes natural because you’ve been doing it since you were four or five years old.”

As we approach the 29^th edition of the ANZAC match on Thursday, it is an apt time to reflect on the importance of the day for the nation.

The ANZAC Day game was still in its infancy during its eighth year in ’02, but the significance of the occasion was immediately evident for the first-year player.

McGough remembers legendary coach Mick Malthouse’s pre-game address that left the room in tears, helping steel the side for a famous win.

“I remember going to the rooms for the pre-match address and Mick did it with a sort of reverence I hadn’t seen before,” he said.

“He was talking about the players that had never returned after fighting in the world war and there were people on the cusp of tears.

“Mick was crying and it was really quiet which was different because you go into the rooms before a pre-match address and you walk out ready to go for it.

“People go to ANZAC day not necessarily being Collingwood or Essendon fans but just fans of footy.

“It did take on that extra significance but now that the other teams are doing it across the board it’s great.”

McGough is still involved in football over in WA, coaching Guildford Grammar for the past three years following a 103-game career with East Fremantle that ended in 2015.

While time has flown for the 37-game Pie, ANZAC week always offers opportunity for reflection on what was a whirlwind time in his life.

“The last few years I think people were starting top forget because it was over 20 years ago, so the last couple of years it’s been a little bit quiet,” he said.

“But I’m going on some shows this week and things like that so a few things have popped up and it’s nice to reflect.

“Around this time of year, you always reflect a little bit, but as I say it was 20 years ago and time does go very quickly, you certainly realise that.”