Fantastic. Tiges v Dees. Has PJ written all over it too!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/melbourne-and-richmond-request-to-play-an-annual-anzac-eve-night-match-at-the-mcg/story-e6frf7jo-1226893699973

Read this with a smile......great idea and has strong traditional heritage behind it. Be nice to make another event for the dees!

fantastic

maybe change the title to ANZAC Eve game - Melbourne vs Richnond

Im sure a lot of people wont open this thread otherwise

Edited April 23, 201411 yr by hogans_heroes

As much as I am opposed to war and glorifying it in any way, I have to admit I like this concept. My grandfather became a MFC supporter during his service in WWII and I am sure he would have been proud to see the Dees play on this occassion.

Offer PJ 800k for a 5 year deal, back/forward line role including CEO.

Love the idea, and it doesn't feel ridiculously forced unlike other attempts at taking advantage of public holidays. Two heritage clubs, both clubs with war ties (especially Melbourne) and guaranteed to play at the G.

Also really like the part that they've got the blessing of the RSL as it shows the clubs did they're due diligence to make sure they weren't going to upset the people this day is all about.

Would be a very good thing.

As much as I am opposed to war and glorifying it in any way, I have to admit I like this concept. My grandfather became a MFC supporter during his service in WWII and I am sure he would have been proud to see the Dees play on this occassion.

This does not glorify war in any manner, it is a chance to enjoy the freedoms won by people who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, and thank them for it.

Love the idea, very good concept the night before the most important day on our calendar. They have done their homework well on this I would think. IMO all teams or at least states should share in Anzac day in some way

This does not glorify war in any manner, it is a chance to enjoy the freedoms won by people who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, and thank them for it.

That all depends on how the event is framed, which we don't know yet. But admittedly I come from a very radical perspective on such matters and I don't want to go into that now as I am here to talk and read about footy not politics.

That all depends on how the event is framed, which we don't know yet. But admittedly I come from a very radical perspective on such matters and I don't want to go into that now as I am here to talk and read about footy not politics.

So why bring it up in the first place

As much as I am opposed to war and glorifying it in any way, I have to admit I like this concept. My grandfather became a MFC supporter during his service in WWII and I am sure he would have been proud to see the Dees play on this occassion.

In what way would this "glorify war"? Surely it is more a matter of reminding all us of this (largely) fortunate generation of the horrors, the futility and incredible waste of war.

Edited April 23, 201411 yr by monoccular

Excellent. Night game at the G. Anzac Day means so much.

I will not watch tomorrow as i disagree with Essendon representing our diggers.

The MFC lost 16 boys and did not play for 3 years.

The MFC paid the price.

Thanks PJ.

Edit. We lost 32 boys not 16.

Even more reason to pay respects on our home turf.

Edited April 24, 201411 yr by why you little

Brilliant idea. As good as if not better than a regular Friday night game which we have none of.

Would the gate receipts be shared evenly between the two clubs, go to the home team or go to the RSL? Should get at least 55K if the Dees aren't a basketcase by then.

Its a great idea, a night game before a public holiday is smart, people will go. This is forward thinking and a legit chance to get a big game. Anzac day is now a packed market.. look outside the square.. good job.

Great news, hope it happens

Good initiative, I was just thinking yesterday "why is there no footy on Thursday night" - out of all the weeks you'd think last week (before Good Friday) and this week (before ANZAC Day) would've been monties.

Only question I guess is do we skip the years the game falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday night? Probably not as we have to build this game (if it gets approved) so you can't take years off but those years would be a pain.

Actually what could happen is for the years that Anzac Day falls on a Monday or Tuesday it could then be Melb v Ess on the next Sunday to allow both teams coming from a short turn around to play teams in the same boat. That way we could turn 1 early season blockbuster in to 2 big early season MCG games. Or is that just getting greedy!

If it proceeds it might protect us from the potential of losing the Queen's Birthday game should Australia ever become a republic and that public holiday disappears.

I would go to it for sure being the night before a public holiday but are we just piggybacking a bit?

While a block buster game would be awesome, it just sound like the AFL cash grabbing and taking away from the significance of the day a little bit. Kind of watering it down.

I know a lot of d'landers hate the fact that it has become exclusively Essendon and Collingwood, but it is a formula that works. Essendon and Collingwood did all the hard work at the start to make it what it is today and quite frankly the Demons could never make it as big as what the Pies and Bombers do. We just aren't a big enough club to pull 95,000 to the MCG without it being a final. The fact we only have 33,000 members is proof of that.

Id love to have a big block buster game against the Tigers but I just don't think ANZAC day (eve) is the right time just because it seems like we are just milking a day that should be about remembering and commemorating the service sacrifices of our armed forces.

I would go to it for sure being the night before a public holiday but are we just piggybacking a bit?

While a block buster game would be awesome, it just sound like the AFL cash grabbing and taking away from the significance of the day a little bit. Kind of watering it down.

I know a lot of d'landers hate the fact that it has become exclusively Essendon and Collingwood, but it is a formula that works. Essendon and Collingwood did all the hard work at the start to make it what it is today and quite frankly the Demons could never make it as big as what the Pies and Bombers do. We just aren't a big enough club to pull 95,000 to the MCG without it being a final. The fact we only have 33,000 members is proof of that.

Id love to have a big block buster game against the Tigers but I just don't think ANZAC day (eve) is the right time just because it seems like we are just milking a day that should be about remembering and commemorating the service sacrifices of our armed forces.

I see it more as taking advantage of the night before the public holiday and therefore it doesn't have to interfere at all with the ANZAC day game and ANZAC day as a whole. I agree that Ess and Coll do a great job of the ANZAC day game which is why I think using the night before is fine.

I hope this calling for the coll ess game to be shared won't whinge if that time slot gets shared by other clubs.

I think it's a great idea! (I'm still spewing that we lost the Anzac Day fixture! Wasn't THAT long ago that it was Melbourne vs Collingwood!)

I guess with Anzac day falling on a saturday next year someone has to play on a friday night. I think it would be good however and I dont want this to come out the wrong way and sound disrespectful but I hope we dont do all the ceremony stuff. I think Anzac Day is Anzac day and that day should be the day where we do the ceremony and minutes silence. I hate it when we get to Sunday we still have the ceremonies going on. I know the AFL like to acknowledge at each ground. But by sunday I just thik it doesnt have the same emotion as the day itself.

And yes I cant believe im going to defend essendon and collingwood but they do do it well on Anzac day. Having been to a game the atmosphere is electric and sitting amongst a crowd over 90,000 is breathtaking.

Hopefully its our home game first.

Excellent. Night game at the G. Anzac Day means so much.

I will not watch tomorrow as i disagree with Essendon representing our diggers.

The MFC lost 16 boys and did not play for 3 years.

The MFC paid the price.

Thanks PJ.

Yep - that Carlton flag in 1945 must be the cheapest of all time.