Why is such a big deal made of the ANZAC game?

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good4footy

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Some of us are old enough to remember plenty of Anzac Days prior to 1995 :rolleyes:

The AFL, Collingwood and Essendon did not invent Anzac Day, nor add anything new to what has long been a solemn public holiday

Perhaps it's been an education process for all the Collingwood bogans who weren't paying attention in the 3 years they repeated Grade 2 in primary school and didn't learn about Anzac Day. They needed the AFL to teach them that it's not cool to scream "you black campaigner" at Nicky Winmar & Michael Long, so maybe you're right - they probably needed a Herald Sun liftout and Last Post before a Pies game (for 10 successive years) to realise that young men fought and died for our country and they should shut their pieholes for the minute's silence.
Love it, made my day. That level of saltiness towards my club has put a huge smile on my face.

As to the facts associated with the increased profile of Anzac Day to the consciousness of our society by sport, I'm going to go with the RSL and the diggers and their familes who take part in the day within the sporting events put on- in greater numbers and in addition to the dawn services and the March.

Please don't stop posting, the irony of demeaning a group of people to call out others demeaning a group of people indicates a high level of stupid. Which leads to another example of irony relating to your education remarks.

Please do not stop posting, i await your next installment of saltiness with glee.
 
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Does any of the money from the games for Anzac Day ect actually go to soldiers and there families? or is it just the AFL capitalising on the loss of other people because I can tell you who really needs the money
 
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Does any of the money from the games for Anzac Day ect actually go to soldiers and there families? or is it just the AFL capitalising on the loss of other people because I can tell you who really needs the money
Yes, proceeds from the gate and merch are donated to the RSL. Amount is unknown; it’s not publicised.
 

Back One Out

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Love it, made my day. That level of saltiness towards my club has put a huge smile on my face.

As to the facts associated with the increased profile of Anzac Day to the consciousness of our society by sport, I'm going to go with the RSL and the diggers and their familes who take part in the day within the sporting events put on- in greater numbers and in addition to the dawn services and the March.

Please don't stop posting, the irony of demeaning a group of people to call out others demeaning a group of people indicates a high level of stupid. Which leads to another example of irony relating to your education remarks.

Please do not stop posting, i await your next installment of saltiness with glee.
My “salty” post made your day, huh?

You must lead an exciting life... :rolleyes::thumbsu:
 

good4footy

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Is this true, do the players or other spruikers really suggest that the Anzac Day game is akin to the Gallipoli landing or any other battle? Every once in a while (perhaps in the earlier years of Anzac Day footy) a few blokes made some clumsy association between the two, but the overwhelming narrative is about paying tribute to the sacrifice of others rather than 'going into battle'.

I'm not going to deny that the Anzac Day match has become increasingly commercial, but that shouldn't obscure the fact that most of the club officials, players and fans approach the day with a sense of profound respect. The notion that they see the game as anything like the experience of WWI soldiers is largely, in my opinion, an outdated fiction.
Well said. Better than i did. You must have only repeated grade 2 once.
 

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JimDocker

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ANZAC Day in Australia was dying a slow death a few years ago. The marches were getting smaller, the dawn services were ill attended and the idea that is was a glorification of war had taken over a whole generation. The ANZAC Day game may not have been the only reason that interest, education and respect have been restored to the day, but it certainly helped.

Australia Day was resurrected by John Howard into a jingoistic, boganfest.

ANZAC Day has become the true national day. A day of contemplation, with the AFL providing a platform for many. The Len Hall game is my favourite H & A game of the year. Always get there early to watch the ceremony, when I don't care about any other pre game ceremony.

I went with my wife, son and daughter last year to the MCG for the game and it was sensational. My daughter was visiting from the US, so she sees plenty of jingoism and she commented on how respectful and sombre the occasion was.

It is easy to criticise the AFL for countless things. I don't think the ANZAC Day game is one of them.
 
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Does anyone else think ANZAC eve is the most contrived bullshit the AFL has come up with? ANZAC eve isn't even a thing, it's literally something the AFL has made up out of nowhere to make more money. And people have got their backs up about Birds of Tokyo.
AFL just caving in to more whinging from clubs wanting to be part of the event.

who cares though anyway?
yeah well stiff shit to malthouse.
 
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I don't care about who plays on Anzac Day. What really annoys me is the "language" used surrounding it. The terms hero, brave etc used by the commentators is over emphasised because it is ANZAC day, they over do it and it is cringeworthy. The real heroes were 15 year old boys lying about their age so they could enlist and get killed in ww1
 
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Yeah, it's as though Hirdy stormed the beaches at Gallipolli (as opposed to being named BOG against a bottom 4 team)

3 Anzac medals!!!!

What a hero!!!!
No one epitomises the ANZAC spirit more than James "Hurricane" Hird.

Great to see him back in the media and in the public eye after being falsely accused and suspended, rising from the ashes like a Phoenix.

Hird has risen!!
 
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Seems like there are a lot of people pretending the match is portrayed in a disrespectful way (which it isn't) to seem intellectual. I'll just say that as a modern vet, I think it's well done and the vast majority of commentary and player interviews throughout the round hit the right note. I think it's a great way to keep the day in public consciousness. (the band is a bit shit though tbh)

On CPH1701 using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

PumpyChowdown

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Good on Essendon and Collingwood for kicking this off, but the hype and the cringing, wank of a build up is offensive. It's just way OTT. Would be far more respectable if they just scaled everything back, and focussed on the footy rather than comparing teams to gladiators or countries at war.
 
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