Characteristic of Collingwood’s dominant seasons of 2010 and 2011, the ANZAC Day matches too went their way, with the Pies 65 and 30 point victors.
However, 2012 would see a return to the classic ANZAC Day match, with the Pies holding out a fast-finishing Bombers’ team to win their third-straight ANZAC Day, but only by a point.2012: Essendon 11.13 (79) defeated by Collingwood 11.14 (80)
It seemed as though the nightmares of 2009 for the Magpies (or the heroics for Essendon) would return in 2012 as Bomber Brent Stanton put his side in front with two minutes to go, giving Essendon the lead for the first time since the opening minutes of the match.The Bombers had trailed the match since the first few scores of the game, although a three-goal run in the third term brought the scores level for a period of time, but it wasn’t until the dying moments of the final quarter that they were able to get on top of their Magpies counterparts.
With two minutes left on the clock, and Essendon now in front by five points, the match hung in the balance and it was anyone’s to win.
A well-timed soccer-style kick from Jarryd Blair in the goal square sealed the match for Collingwood, as the Pies held on to claim a one-point win in one of the epic ANZAC Day encounters.
Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher, who matched-up against Blair for periods of the match, remembers the one point loss as a tough, but classic, encounter.
“We were on the other end of it that day, and it’s tough to lose by a point, but that’s footy,” Fletcher said.
“All losses hurt in AFL, but when it’s Collingwood and Essendon at the MCG on ANZAC Day and you lose it by a point, you know the next week is going to be tough,” Fletcher said.
New to the helm in just his fifth match as Senior Coach of Collingwood, Nathan Buckley recalls the 2012 ANZAC Day clash as one of his all-time favourites.
“In those last couple of minutes we made some really smart decisions, kept our head and never gave up on what we needed to do, and as my first ANZAC Day match as coach, it was pretty special as well,” Buckley said.
“We were definitely excited in the Coaches Box when Blairy kicked the goal, but then also very quick to look onto the next play because there was still 1 minute 20 on the clock so you need to make sure the opposition don’t kick a goal in that time also.”
Indeed with just over a minute left in the match and Essendon on the attack twice in that time, there was little savouring of the moment for Buckley in the Coaches Box.
It may have been Jarryd Blair with the match-winning goal, but it was Dane Swan who starred throughout the match to take the ANZAC Day Medal, with one of his best games of his career – 42 possessions and three goals.
Claiming his first ANZAC Day victory as coach, and third win since taking over the reins, Buckley admits that being a coach in the final few minutes of that match was not for the faint-hearted.
“As a young senior coach you probably believe you have more influence in the moment than you actually do.
“It’s really over to the players in those moments, but I probably took a little bit more credit for what we were able to achieve that day than was actually deserved,” Buckley chuckled.
