Collingwood’s AFL Anzac Day Optimism
Collingwood is preparing for two significant boosts ahead of the AFL Anzac Day games, with captain Darcy Moore expressing confidence in his return and Essendon facing another setback with Jordan Ridley’s injury.
Moore, who has missed most of the season due to a hamstring injury, is optimistic about making a comeback this Saturday against Essendon. His first game of the season in round four ended abruptly when he was forced out after just 20 minutes. However, Moore has been working hard to recover and recently had a successful training session that provided a positive outlook.
“I’m feeling pretty good – in great news, I had a really good session last Friday, so I made a couple of really big breakthroughs,” Moore said. “The body feels awesome coming into this week … watch this space.”
Moore also reflected on the challenges he has faced this season. “It’s been a challenge, obviously. Clearly, getting injured 20 minutes into my first game of the season was not ideal. Sometimes that just happens.”
Meanwhile, Essendon has lost Jordan Ridley to another injury. The backman returned for their drought-breaking win over Melbourne but suffered a calf injury in their narrow loss to Gold Coast. Given his history of limited appearances last season, the Bombers are being cautious with his recovery.
“Obviously Jordan is a really important member of our team – culturally, and on the field,” said captain Andrew McGrath. “We’ll see how the injury unfolds. I feel for ‘Rids’ at the moment, it’s been a tough run for him.”
Preparing for Anzac Day
The two captains spoke after a wreath-laying ceremony at the Shrine of Remembrance on Monday, marking the start of their preparations for the Anzac Day game. Moore expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to be part of such a significant event.
“It feels really nice to be here on Monday when we play in six days,” Moore said. “It gives us the whole week to prepare for what is such an enormous occasion … we’re so blessed to be a part of it.”
Moore added that the time leading up to the game allows the players to fully immerse themselves in the meaning of the occasion. “To be able to have the whole week to really soak it in and have really rich experiences, like today … it adds to the layers of meaning for the game.”
Essendon’s Form and Morale
Despite the challenges, Essendon’s form has improved, with a near-upset victory over the Suns. McGrath acknowledged the team’s progress but emphasized that the mood within the club has remained strong throughout the season.
“Our form has turned a little bit, but the mood hasn’t wavered from the very beginning,” McGrath said. “There was obviously a lot of noise around our football club in the first couple of weeks and rightly so – we weren’t performing up to our own expectations.”
However, McGrath noted that the team has been building regardless of the results. “But we felt like we were building, regardless of the result … (now it’s) much more how we want to play.”
