Anzac Day Clash - Early History of Australian Rules On Anzac Day

Early History of Australian Rules On Anzac Day

Further information: The VFL during the World Wars and VFL/AFL players who died in active service

During many wars, Australian rules football matches have been played overseas in places like northern Africa and Vietnam as a celebration of Australian culture and as a bonding exercise between soldiers. Despite this, League football was not played on Anzac Day for many years; in 1959, for example, when all VFL games were played on Saturday afternoons, Anzac Day also fell on a Saturday, and the entire round was postponed to the following Saturday. The first VFL matches played on Anzac Day occurred the next year after an Act of Parliament which lifted the previous restrictions on this activity.

Over the years these games sometimes drew huge crowds, with the 1975 Carlton versus Essendon game attracting 77,770 fans to VFL Park, a then record for the day, while two years later Richmond and Collingwood drew 92,436 to the MCG.

In 1986 the league used Anzac Day to attempt its first ever doubleheader. Held at the MCG, Melbourne and Sydney played in the afternoon, followed after a 30 minute break by North Melbourne and Geelong in the evening under lights; due to a total crowd of only 40,117 and various logistical problems, the league has never attempted another doubleheader as of 2012.

Through the years until the mid-1990s, it was common for at least two matches to be played on the Anzac Day public holiday.