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

Peter Wright takes full advantage of a free for holding right on the 50-metre line and that never looked like missing.

Strong marking has been one of the keys to the Dons’ early supremacy, and Peter Wright just took a nice grab about 20 out before kicking true on an easy angle.

Jamie Elliott and Mihocek can’t convert but this is far better from Collingwood as they mount sustained pressure in the Dons’ forward line.

Draper takes a strong mark but can’t find his man, then the teams trade intercept marks with Darcy Moore stifling an attacking raid in the forward pocket.

A behind to McCreery – then he comes within inches of adding a major to that just seconds later, but he fumbles under huge pressure from the Bombers right in the goal square. Essendon clear it out with a long kick that’s marked strongly by Peter Wright.

A turnover in the forward pocket sees Brady Mihocek snap true from about 10 metres out after some quick handballs put him in great position.

And Seven’s announcers claim last year’s crowd record of 95,179 is likely to be broken today.

Essendon fans could not have asked for a better start. Their team are shifting the ball with ease, constantly getting more numbers around the contest than the Pies, and this time it’s Darcy Parish with the sausage roll.

Another quick drive into the goal square reaps rewards for the Bombers as Harrison Jones scoops up the loose ball and slots home from another acute angle.

They just worked the ball from deep in their own half to Jake Stringer in the forward pocket with three precise kicks. He nails a long shot from a very difficult angle. To say he’s happy with that would be an understatement.

The Pies boss is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve and he did just that moments before play got underway.

The Bombers win the first bounce through Sam Draper, who gets both hands on the ball but can’t make good use of it and there’s a quick ball-up before Essendon quickly work it forward and Kyle Langford kicks true. First blood to Brad Scott’s men.

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

We’re about 10 minutes from kickoff and veterans have waved to the crowd as they complete a circuit of footy’s most famous ground.

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

Instead of playing the round, all matches were postponed for a week due to restrictions in place at the time. They were lifted in 1960, when the first VFL clashes were played on one of the most sacred of days on the Australian calendar.

Radio host Greg Martin has called for the highly controversial change which, if made reality, would almost certainly make fans beyond furious.

Here’s why he wants the tradition axed…

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

‘Dad was quite a few tours through Vietnam as a helicopter pilot in the army and he came back from Vietnam and ultimately passed away at 41 from injuries sustained,’ he said before the match.

The Anzac matches always draw a huge turnout – and this year is no different, as you can see from the pic below.

It wasn’t taken this afternoon, however – amazingly, the photographer captured the image at about nine o’clock this morning.

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

Thanks for joining us for our coverage of today’s highly anticipated Bombers vs Magpies Anzac Day clash from the MCG.

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