The Anzac Day blockbuster between Collingwood and Essendon has become one of Australia’s biggest national sporting events.

The match pays tribute to the sacrifice of the servicemen and women of Australia and celebrates the ANZAC spirit – courage, sacrifice, endurance and mateship. 

This year’s blockbuster will be a celebration of the 25^th Anniversary of the Game between the two clubs since the tradition began with the memorable 1995 drawn match played in front of 94,825. The rivalry now stands at 14 victories to Collingwood, 9 victories to Essendon and a draw.

The minute’s silence before the game, in respect of those who have served, is one of the great moments of Anzac Day and of Australian sport.

Whilst no comparison is made between war and football, the game provides a platform to highlight the spirit of Anzac, with its human qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice – qualities that are a part of our sense of national identity. 

The traditional Veteran’s Motorcade will take place prior to the observance ceremony and the commencement of the game. 

The clubs and the AFL make a significant donation to the Anzac Appeal from the gate receipts in addition to collections at the match and other fundraising initiatives.

The biggest home and away crowd in AFL history was the 1958 Queen’s Birthday clash between Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG with 99,346 fans attending.

Collingwood and Essendon have worked closely with the RSL for the past 24 years to develop the Anzac Day match into one of Australia’s great sporting events. The clubs and the AFL make a significant financial contribution to the RSL from the gate receipts in addition to the collection at the match and other fundraising initiatives.

Essendon v Collingwood
Date: Thursday 25 April
Game time: 3.20pm
MCC Gates Open: 12.00pm
Public Gates Open: 12.30pm
Location:  Melbourne Cricket Ground

Other key timings:
2.08pm: Australian Army Band
2.30pm: Motorcade of Veterans
2.40pm: Birds of Tokyo Performance                               
2.52pm: Joint Cheer Squad Banner Display
2.52pm: Presentation of Match Day Footballs
2.57pm: Collingwood Enters
3.08pm: Anzac Day Observance Ceremony
5.55pm: On-field post-match presentation and Anzac Trophy & Anzac Day Medal winner announced

Collingwood and Essendon are fresh off impressive round five wins and both will aim to further consolidate their form with a win on Anzac Day.

The last time the two teams met Collingwood ran out 16-point victors.

Click here to read the match preview.

Public tickets for the Essendon v Collingwood, Anzac Day match on Thursday April 25 at the MCG are now sold out. No further tickets will be released for sale. No general admission membership scans or public tickets will be available on match day.



Come down to the Glasshouse at the Holden Centre from 12pm where hot food and beverages will be available for purchase. Social Club members will receive a $5 food and beverage voucher upon entry. Plus, the 2010 Premiership Cup will be on-site and it’s the perfect opportunity for you to get a photo and catch the VFL in action!

Date: Thursday 25 April
Time: 12pm – 2.45pm
Location: The Holden Centre

Unleash your Passion in 2019 as an official Collingwood member. Visit membership.collingwoodfc.com.au or call 1300 MAGPIE (62 47 43) and join today.

Cheer Squad Banner: The ANZAC Day match is unique in that the players from each team join together to run through a single cheer squad banner created by the cheer squads of both clubs - in recognition of the ANZAC Spirit and the way Australians came together as one in times of war.  The banner lists the names of footballers from each club who lost their lives in war. The Captains and players both teams will meet to shake hands before they run through the banner together.

Membership hub and marquee: For all membership related enquiries, come down to our membership hub or marquee and visit the team.

Locations: Outside gate 3 and in between gates 1 and 2

Cap collections: Collingwood members who purchased a membership prior to January 31 2019 can come and collect their cap from the following locations.

Member Dining: The Anzac Day Member Dining experience has sold out. To book a future experience click here. 



Car Parking at Yarra Park: Car parking spaces in Yarra Park will be very limited and in high demand.

Gate 3: 9.30am Disability permit and pass holders only
Gate 5: CLOSED
Gate 6: CLOSED
Gate 7: CLOSED

We strongly encourage fans to take public transport, or to park in the CBD if driving to the match.

By public transport:  Click here to plan your trip to the MCG using Melbourne's public transport network. Please note, rail and road construction projects may impact some public transport services. Visit the PTV website linked above to find out how your journey may be affected.

Transport Disruptions: There are many pedestrian and cyclist disruptions in the Melbourne Olympic Park Precinct as a result of the works. Please refer to the list below for specific crossings and footpaths that have been closed and alternative routes available.

Closed the pedestrian footpath along Olympic Boulevard at Gosch’s Paddock to build a shared user path. Closed both pedestrian crossings at the Punt Road and Swan Street intersection.

Click here to learn about the alternative footpaths and crossings available

Click here to find out more about the current works in place

For the latest news on disruptions to transport networks in Melbourne, please click here to visit Victoria’s Big Build website.

MCG Footbridge closure: The MCG Footbridge will be partially closed to allow construction works to take place. There are alternative pathways available to the public. These include the use of William Barak Bridge and Edwin Flack Bridge for pedestrians and low mobility patrons to travel north to south across the precinct.

At the ground:
- Arrive early: Security measures such as wanding and bag checks will have an impact on the time taken to admit patrons to enter the stadium. Please allow extra time and don't leave your arrival until the last minute.
- Be patient: Security inspections take time, so please understand it will take a little longer to move people into the stadium. 
- Limit the number of bags you bring: Each bag will be inspected, so the more you bring the longer it will take.





Follow Collingwood’s official social media channels for all the latest news and behind-the-scenes action on game day.

Join the conversation with the official hashtag #AFLDonsPies 
FACEBOOK: @Collingwood_fc
INSTAGRAM: @Collingwoodfc
TWITTER: @Collingwoodfc

Download the Official Collingwood App for LIVE scores and stats of every game.
iPhone: Download from the App Store  
Android: Download from Google Play



Thanks to Melbourne Airport Parking, all Collingwood fans travelling from interstate to watch the game can enjoy 5% off* all Melbourne Airport parking when you book online at melbourneairport.com.au using promo code PIES2019. 

*Discount and promo code is valid for the official AFL 2019 home and away season and the finals series. Excludes Business car park. Minimum 24 hour required stay. Subject to availability. Melbourne Airport parking T&C’s apply.

With Collingwood’s AFL team all wrapped up earlier in the week, be sure to get down to Windy Hill to see the VFL team in action.

Essendon v Collingwood 
Date: Saturday 27 April
Game time: 2:00pm
Location: Windy Hill