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Vote for the 1998 retrospective ANZAC Day medal
In the build up to this year’s ANZAC Day clash, the Essendon website is giving fans the opportunity to vote in a special online poll for the awarding of retrospective ANZAC Day medals from 1995-1999.
In the build up to this year’s ANZAC Day clash, the Essendon website is giving fans the opportunity to vote in a special online poll for the awarding of retrospective ANZAC Day medals from 1995-1999.
Watch highlights from the 1998 blockbuster here on BomberTV ?
In an Essendon Football Club initiative, officially Essendon, Collingwood and the AFL have come together to award retrospective ANZAC Medals.
A three-person panel was appointed to judge each game and the Herald Sun newspaper will reveal each of the five medal recipients over the next five days. Official medals will be awarded to each recipient at this year’s ANZAC Day match at the MCG on Monday.
The winner of the 1998 ANZAC Medal has been announced today, with former Collingwood forward Saverio Rocca winning his second retrospective medal.
Six second half goals to Collingwood forward Saverio Rocca sparked a 20-point Magpie victory over Essendon in the 1998 ANZAC Day clash in front of 81,542 fans.
The two biggest AFL clubs lived up to the Anzac Day tradition in proud fashion with a fierce battle in wet and swirly conditions in a Grand Final like atmosphere.
The match was remembered for the standout performance of Rocca and, to a lesser extent, Essendon’s Matthew Lloyd in tough conditions who were both exceptional up forward combining to kick 11 goals.
The Bombers began well with Lloyd proving too mobile and classy for Collingwood defender Andrew Schauble, while Justin Blumfield minimised the dominance of Magpie superstar Nathan Buckley keeping him to just four possessions in the opening term.
Essendon shot out to a 21-point lead halfway through the second quarter with goals to Lloyd and roaming forward Darren Bewick.
The Magpies looked to be in all sorts of trouble until Rocca stepped up to mark on the 50m line moments before the half time siren.
His team lifting long bomb after the siren kept the Magpies in touch as they went in at half time trailing by just two goals.
In the third quarter, the Pies kicked 5.5 to the Bombers six behinds to take a commanding 17-point three-quarter time lead.
The Pies began to dominate all over the ground with Buckley and Alex McDonald on top in the middle while Rocca continued to spark the revival up forward. Early goals to Bewick and Blumfield in the final term helped the Bombers reduce the margin to just two points before the Magpies took the ascendency once again with goals to McDonald and Rocca.
Rocca’s seventh goal put the game out of reach late in the last quarter with the Magpies overpowering the Bombers to record a third straight Anzac Day victory.
SCORES:
Collingwood 15.18 (108)
Essendon 12.16 (88)
GOALS:
Collingwood: S Rocca 7, Fullar 3, Watson 2, Wright, McDonald, A Rocca
On the eve of this year's ANZAC day clash, BomberTV caught up with the players to find out what it's like to be involved in one of the most important days on the football calendar. Essendon forward Angus Monfries said it is an emotional day for the players.
