Collingwoodfc.com.au breaks down the facts and figures that help make up the story of Collingwood and Essendon’s ANZAC Day meetings since 1995.

1,674,712 – The number of people who have attended Collingwood and Essendon’s ANZAC Day clashes since 1995.

94,825 – The largest ANZAC Day crowd between Collingwood and Essendon in the inaugural clash in 1995. 

57,294 – The smallest ANZAC Day crowd between Collingwood and Essendon in 2004. The MCG redevelopment caused a reduced capacity from 2003 to 2005.

1995 – First official Anzac Day match between the two sides.

111 – The score of both teams when the final siren sounded on the first ANZAC Day match in 1995. It remains the only draw between the two sides on ANZAC Day.

97 – Collingwood’s average score against Essendon on ANZAC Day. The Bombers average 92.

42 – The amount of times Dane Swan got his hands on the footy on ANZAC Day, 2012. It was enough to see Swan take out the ANZAC Day Medal and get Collingwood over the line by a single point.

32 – Number of disposals Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury had in the 2011 ANZAC Day match that saw him receive his second ANZAC Medal.

30 – The amount of disposals collected by Nathan Buckley in the first ANZAC Day clash in round 4, 1995. Buckley’s coaching counterpart on the weekend James Hird won’t remember the game so fondly – he managed just 14 possessions.

23 – The margin in favour of Collingwood the last time these two teams met on ANZAC, in round six, 2014.

20 – Years that have passed since the first ANZAC Day match between Collingwood and Essendon.

17 – Age of Collingwood midfielder Mark McGough when he won the 2002 ANZAC Day medal in just his second senior game. McGough had 24 disposals, six marks and three tackles in torrential conditions, leading to the development of a reputation as a ‘wet weather specialist’.

11 – Collingwood victories on ANZAC Day. Essendon have eight victories, with one draw between the two sides.

9 – Number of goals kicked by Sav Rocca for the Magpies in the inaugural ANZAC Day clash between the Collingwood and Essendon. Sav clearly fancied ANZAC Day – he kicked 6.3 the following year.

9 – The amount of goals Collingwood kicked in a row to overcome Essendon’s control of last year’s ANZAC Day Match. In the second and third quarters, Jesse White and Steele Sidebottom and Dane Swan kicked three goals each to give Collingwood an 18-point lead at the three quarter time break.

7 – The number of goals Essendon kicked to Collingwood’s one in the first term of the 1999 Anzac Day match. The struggling Magpies finished bottom of the ladder that year, but still managed to stage an incredible comeback across the remaining three quarters to drag themselves back into the game. Ultimately the brave Collingwood side fell short, going down to the Bombers by eight points, but provided the crowd with a classic contest that few who witnessed it would ever forget. 

6 – Number of goals kicked by Essendon forward Matthew Lloyd on ANZAC Day in 1999 to help sink the Magpies by eight points.

6 – ANZAC Day crowds with attendances above 90,000.

5 – ANZAC Day games that have been decided by under 10 points. Another five have been under 20 points.

4 – The number of goals kicked by Dane Swan on ANZAC Day last year. It was the fourth time Swan has kicked four goals in a game, each time at the MCG.

2 – Dual ANZAC Day medallists currently rotating through the Collingwood midfield (Dane Swan and captain Scott Pendlebury).

1 – The amount of times Collingwood has been held to a total under 10 goals on ANZAC Day. The Magpies still managed to claim a 33-point victory on this occasion – ANZAC Day 2002. 

1 – David Zaharakis’ career goal tally after slotting home the match-winning major against Collingwood on ANZAC Day, 2009. Many supporters had already begun leaving as the rain began to fall, when somehow the Magpies let slip a 14-point lead with less than five minutes to play. That one still burns.

1 – Collingwood’s lead after Jarryd Blair managed to get boot to ball and scrounge a goal from the square in the dying seconds of the Round 5, 2012 ANZAC Day battle. The game looked just about won when Brent Stanton snapped truly with two minutes left in the match to give the Bombers a five-point lead, but as history shows, the Magpies weren’t done with yet. The decision survived a nerve-wracking video review to determine whether Blair had in fact made contact with the ball, but after being given the green light the Pies held on for the final minute for a thrilling victory.

0 – The number of goals Collingwood kicked to the Bombers five in the first quarter against Essendon on ANZAC Day last year.