On Thursday 24 April, one of the AFL’s most poignant traditions will take place—the ANZAC Day Eve match between Melbourne and Richmond.
Now in its tenth year, this powerful event has grown into far more than just a game of football. It stands as a heartfelt tribute to the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our country with courage and sacrifice.
As the match draws near, the atmosphere shifts.
The usual roar of the crowd softens. Fans, families, and first-time attendees rise together in quiet reflection. The lights dim. The haunting notes of The Last Post drift across the stadium, creating a moment of profound silence that unites everyone in shared respect.
On the field, players stand shoulder to shoulder, proudly wearing their commemorative ANZAC Day Eve guernseys. Among them, Melbourne’s Kade Chandler and Daniel Turner reflected on what that moment means to them.
Kade Chandler
“It gives me a perspective. We're out there playing a game that we love and you can't help but cast your mind back to what all of the Anzacs went through to provide us with the freedom we have today," Chandler says.
"I think about everything that they experienced to allow us to do what we love… It's pretty incredible. I think about the sacrifices they made… a bunch of 18-year-olds going overseas, not knowing what they were in for and it led to us to having the life that we have today.
"We’re so lucky we get to experience such a spine-tingling moment.”
Daniel Turner
“You’re standing there, pitch black, with twenty-two of your best mates, it gives you chills," Turner says.
"It also just gives you extra courage and bravery to go out there and put your body on the line because you know what the Anzacs did for us when they were our age, or even younger.
"For them to put their bodies and lives on the line for the freedom of our country is just unbelievable.
"It gives you more motivation to go out there and go that extra bit harder. It's just such a privilege.”
