Collingwood delivered a stunning victory over Essendon in the Anzac Day match, much to the dismay of Bombers legend Matthew Lloyd. The highlight of the day was Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury, who earned the Anzac Day medal for his exceptional play at the age of 38, accumulating a career-best 43 disposals along with 19 score involvements, two goals, and two goal assists. With this win, Pendlebury secured his fourth Anzac Day medal, breaking the record previously shared with Essendon’s James Hird.
The final score of 20.17 (137) to 8.6 (54) marked the largest margin in Anzac Day clash history, surpassing the previous record set in 2008. Collingwood dominated the second half, scoring 15 goals to Essendon’s five, turning the last quarter into a celebration for the Pies fans while it became a nightmare for Essendon supporters. Standout performances came from Jordan De Goey, Dan McStay, Angus Anderson, Jamie Elliott, Beau McCreery, Roan Steele, and Pendlebury, all contributing to the scoring frenzy.
Lloyd critiqued Essendon’s inconsistent game plan, questioning their strategy after a promising fortnight. He noted that while their previous efforts had shown improvement, the team lacked a defined approach in this match. Lloyd remarked on the struggles of several veterans, including Darcy Parish and Zach Merrett, while also highlighting the lack of impact from defenders like Ben McKay, who failed to provide the necessary support against Collingwood’s relentless forward pressure.
The Daicos brothers, Josh and Nick, were pivotal in the victory, racking up an impressive 77 disposals between them. For Essendon, Archie Roberts led the defence with 42 disposals, while young forward Nate Caddy managed to score three goals, offering some respite amid a challenging outing for the team.
With this match behind him, Pendlebury is set to equal the all-time V/AFL games played record on Thursday night against Hawthorn, tying with legendary North Melbourne player Brent Harvey at 432 games. This victory reinforces Collingwood’s strong performance this season, underscoring their prospects moving forward while leaving Essendon with questions to address regarding their strategies and player contributions.