Essendon vs Collingwood LIVE: All the latest updates from the AFL’s Anzac Day match

The Bombers gain the first rebound through Sam Draper who takes the ball with both hands but can’t make good use of it and there is a quick ball before Essendon quickly advances it and Kyle Langford kicks accurately. First blood for Brad Scott’s men.

The crowd has observed the traditional period of silence, the Last Post and the New Zealand and Australian national anthems have been played, with a flyover during the Advance Australia Fair, and we are all ready for the blockbuster.

We are about 10 minutes from kickoff and the veterans have waved to the crowd as they complete a circuit around the most famous field in football.

Some of them will be old enough to remember Anzac Day in 1959, which fell on a Saturday, when all VFL games were played that weekday afternoon.

Instead of playing the round, all matches were postponed by a week due to the restrictions in place at the time. They were raised in 1960, when the first VFL fixtures were played on one of the holiest days in the Australian calendar.

Radio host Greg Martin has called for a highly controversial change that, if it came to fruition, would almost certainly enrage fans.

Here’s why he wants to eliminate tradition…

The Essendon boss said today is a “day of reflection” for him and his family.

“Dad served several tours in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot in the Army and returned from Vietnam and ultimately passed away at age 41 from injuries sustained,” he said before the game.

Anzac matches always attract a large turnout, and this year is no different, as you can see in the photo below.

However, it was not taken this afternoon; Surprisingly, the photographer captured the image around nine in the morning.

Talk about wanting to make sure you don’t miss anything…

Thank you for joining us as we cover today’s much-anticipated Anzac Day clash between the Bombers and Magpies from the MCG.

Stay with us for all the latest updates, scores and drama from one of the biggest days in the AFL calendar.