WITH the 15th annual Anzac Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon imminent, Leigh Matthews has spoken of his pride of being part of a match written into football folklore.

Matthews, in his last year as Collingwood coach in 1995, knew he and his players had taken part in something special when the final siren sounded.

A titanic struggle between two powerhouse sides had unfolded in front of 94,825 fans at the MCG – a crowd that remains the second-largest home and away attendance in history.

"You had this fantastic game with a gigantic crowd that was really close and high scoring – all the things that you want footy to be – and that all happened in that first Anzac Day game," Matthews said.

"After the game the overriding thought I had more than anything, apart from the disappointment that we didn't actually win, was that I was still able to remove myself from the specifics of the game to appreciate what the whole game was as a celebration of the sport.

"Draws are kind of strange. No-one gets any great vibe. Most of the time for the two teams a draw is more like a loss than a win, but I got the sense that day that this was just a fantastic football occasion."

Matthews had an inkling the game would be unique in the days leading up to it, and his feeling was confirmed as the team made its way to the 'G.

"One of my main recollections of '95 was that we decided to get a bus to the ground from Victoria Park," he said. "We turned up about two hours before the game and Brunton Avenue was just wall-to-wall people.

"I thought to myself, 'They mustn't have opened the gates yet'. I remember walking through the rooms and out onto the ground and the stands were packed.

"It was the most eerie kind of feeling."

Matthews has varying recollections of the day's play but clearly remembers the dying stages of the see-sawing match.

Saverio Rocca, who kicked nine, put Collingwood in front late only for James Hird to break from a pack to regain the lead.

Then, with scores level and just seconds remaining, Nathan Buckley scooped up the ball and streamed through the centre square.

"Players know it's late in the game, but they don't know how long there is to go. He was a long way out, but Bucks is a very long kick," Matthews said.

"It's a big if, but if he'd carried the ball an extra five metres and had a shot he would have made the distance and probably scored. With that great benefit of hindsight, running the extra five metres and having a crack yourself [might have seen a different result].

"But if he had kicked it to Sav and he'd marked the ball, we'd all be saying he did the right thing.

"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

Matthews is a strong advocate of Collingwood and Essendon retaining the lucrative Anzac Day blockbuster and argues that all clubs eventually receive its financial benefits via the AFL's competitive balance fund.

But more important than monetary rewards are the community and cultural gains that have flowed from the now-traditional fixture.

"I'm convinced that Anzac Day has a more special place in Australian life now than it did when I was growing up and I do believe that the Anzac Day game has helped in that recognition," Matthews said.

"Anzac Day is more our national day, I think, than January 26. I think most people would believe that.

"It's the day when you can give thanks to the people who have served the country and lost their life, so it's more a day of thanksgiving.

"I think clearly that Anzac Day is just a fantastic part of the footy calendar."