Thursday 25 April 2024

ANZAC eve football match

 Last night had a game of footy but because the game was a ceremony honouring the ANZACS.

It's always held at the MCG or Melbourne Cricket Ground. Soldiers ride horseback from the war memorial carrying a flame lit from the Internal flame. It's a ride of approx 2 KMs and they enter the grounds just on sunset.

After the sun goes down, the ceremony continues with all the lights off at the G, people do use their mobile phone torches which makes it look like it's stars in the sky. 

All arms of the forces are in attendance and the New Zealand anthem is sung, last night it was sung by a young private from the New Zealand army, first in Maori then in English, then the Australian anthem, the bugle played The Last Post, very moving when there was over 85,000 people standing in the stands and the only sound was the bugle. A minutes silence before the game. 

I watched three quarters before going to bed as my team is playing today. Always Collingwood and Essendon on ANZAC day, the two oldest clubs.

They usually have special jumpers made, Essendons usual jumper is black with a red diagonal stripe. The stripe today is made up from red poppy's.  Collingwood's jumpers have names of previous players who have served.

The jumpers are auctioned off after the match with the proceeds going to Legacy which is the charity that looks after service personnel and their families.

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