Firelight, Footy, and Something More: Anzac Eve at the MCG Draft

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25 Apr

Written By Emily Amelia

The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) lit only by phone lamp. - Anzac Eve

There are moments when travel isn’t about seeing something new—it’s about feeling something real. That’s exactly what happened last night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where I joined more than 71,000 people for the annual Anzac Eve match between Melbourne and Richmond.

I’ve been lucky enough to attend the traditional Anzac Day clash at the ‘G’ between Collingwood and Essendon—a fixture steeped in history and emotion. But the night game on Anzac Eve holds something else entirely. It’s gentler. More reflective. And somehow, even more moving.

As we arrived, the energy was already building. Yellow and black, red and blue—a tide of colour streamed from Jolimont Station, flooding across Yarra Park and through the gates of the stadium. Richmond and Melbourne supporters alike moved with reverence and anticipation. I came as a neutral—my beloved Brisbane Lions weren’t playing until Saturday—but by the end of the night, I’d felt everything a supporter does: passion, pride, and a powerful sense of place.

Then, as the sky turned to inky black, the ceremony began.

Two Light Horsemen entered the field, a striking tribute to the mounted troops who fought in World War I. One of them carried the eternal flame, brought from the nearby Shrine of Remembrance. The flame was carried around the entire field before being used to ignite the ceremonial cauldron—set on a stage in the Ponsford Stand, directly opposite where we sat. It was a moment that held the breath of the stadium still.

Then came the anthems. First New Zealand’s, then Australia’s. A reminder that Anzac Day commemorates the courage and sacrifice of both nations—united across oceans and generations. The final notes faded into the hush of the Last Post, a lone bugle ringing out into the silence of 71,000 people standing shoulder to shoulder.

And then… stillness.

A full minute. No noise. No movement. Just pure reflection under the lights of the ‘G’.

It was one of the most soul-stirring silences I’ve ever stood in.

And then, the siren. The first bounce. The spell lifted, and the game began.

The crowd rode every bump, every mark, every goal. Richmond supporters willed their side to a third win in what’s been a promising rebuild year—especially with the raw talent of their latest draft picks shining through. Melbourne’s fans were just as hungry, rallying behind their team in pursuit of a second win for the season and a shot at proving that their 2021 premiership wasn’t a flash in the pan—that the Dees’ premiership window is still wide open.

When the final siren sounded, it was Melbourne who emerged victorious.

And then it came: “It’s a Grand Old Flag” rang loud and proud through the speakers. Their fans—voices hoarse from cheering—sang with absolute gusto.

“It’s a grand old flag, it’s a high-flying flag,

It’s the emblem for me and for you…”

And in that moment, I was swept back in time. To 2015. To the final season of the Mallee Football League, when my team—the Ouyen United Demons—won the B Grade netball premiership. We sang that very same song, over and over, arms wrapped around each other, hearts pounding with pride. And just like on that unforgettable night, my niece was beside me again last night, singing the same words with the same pride. Full circle. A song, a team, a memory—alive again.

Travel doesn’t always look like temples and oceans and mountaintops. Sometimes it looks like this: lights in the dark, shared silence, a flame carried in from history, and a chorus that links strangers together.

If you’re in Melbourne in April, do everything you can to experience the Anzac Eve game at the MCG. Come for the footy, stay for the ceremony. Come curious, leave changed.