Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Essendon captain Zach Merrett remembers it vividly.
It was Anzac Day 2014 and the then third-gamer was ushered into the starting side by Bombers coach Mark Thompson.
Merrett had previously played two games of AFL but was required on only limited minutes as Essendon’s substitute.
“It was my first full game, I was the sub a couple times, but I probably blacked out pre- game I was that nervous,” Merrett recalled of his first Anzac Day.
Merrett, the most recent Anzac Day Medalist, still remembers the advice Thompson gave him before his first look at the showpiece match.
Now as Essendon’s captain, Merrett is keen to see the other side of those pre-game butterflies through the young Bombers who will run out in their first Anzac Day on Friday.
“I was very lucky to have Mark Thompson, who was coaching that season, he gave me so much belief and just said ‘go out, have fun and enjoy the moment’,” he said.
“I didn’t probably realise how big that moment was until the game, running out in front of 90,000 people and getting hit by Travis Cloke, Dane Swan and these players I idolised growing up.
“It was an amazing experience and we’ve got a few guys who will hopefully play their first Anzac Day game, which is always fun to watch their emotions, their feeling and their excitement.”
This week’s clash is the 30th anniversary of the first blockbuster Anzac Day match at the MCG in 1995.
Merrett says the Bombers don’t take the occasion, which he believes continues to grow each year, for granted and are keen to put on a show for the Anzacs.
“As a footy club we’re very fortunate to do this with Collingwood every year,” he said.
“I think the legacy and the game continues to somehow build year on year, as neutral fans or as Collingwood and Essendon fans, I think there’s a mutual respect for the day and the game.
“It’s a very small part of the day, to run out through that banner together is a weird feeling but something Darcy and I are very fortunate to do.”
