The Anzac Day medal is a highly prestigious and sought after piece of hardware for Collingwood and Essendon players.
In what is the biggest game on the AFL calendar outside of the Grand Final, fans pack out the MCG as thousands more tune in across the country.
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The Pies and Bombers have locked horns 27 times on Anzac Day with Collingwood holding the 16-10 advantage with one draw, the Pies have won three of the past four contests.
But it’s the medal just as much as the outcome that captures the attention of the footy faithful watching on.
The contest gives players an opportunity to display their best on the biggest stage of all and to join an exclusive list of star talent.
Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury sits atop the Anzac Day medal leaderboard with Essendon legend James Hird, both have won the hardware three times.
Only once in the history of the highly-anciticpated contests has a player on the losing team been called to the podium as the winner.
Collingwood’s Chris Tarrant remains the only player, achieving the rare feat back in 2001 when the Bombers won by eight points.
But fans believe no matter the outcome of this years contest, a Collingwood player will be the one with the medal around their neck.
Outrage kicked into gear on Monday afternoon when the AFL announced the four-person judging panel for the medal.
The panel consists of Channel 7’s Brian Taylor, the Herald Sun’s Jay Clark, Triple M’s Kate McCarthy and AAP’s Anna Harrington. Taylor has been assigned the chairperson for the panel.
Fans however were quick to point that two of the four judges strong links to Collingwood, leaving many to believe the Pies were in the drivers seat for the medal.
One user wrote: “So can they just pick the Collingwood player now?”
Another added: “BT? So it’ll be a Pies player then.”
20-year-old Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos enters the Tuesday contest as the red-hot favourite to capture his first ever Anzac Day medal.
Daicos has put together one of the greatest starts to a season for a second-year player, with pundits labelling him the early Brownlow Medal frontrunner.
Essendon’s Darcy Parish is the second best backed player with the 2021 winner again producing a blistering season through the middle of the ground.
It’s elder statesman Pendlebury that is the widely tipped player to nab his fourth medal after the judges were announced.
Along with being a favourite of commentary teams, he and Clark had a podcast together that ran for 68 episodes.
ANZAC DAY MEDAL WINNERS
2022: Jack Ginnivan (Collingwood)
2021: Darcy Parish (Essendon)
2020: N/A
2019: Scott Pendlebury (3) (Collingwood)
2018: Adam Treloar (Collingwood)
2017: Joe Daniher (Essendon)
2016: Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood)
2015: Paul Seedsman (Collingwood)
2014: Dane Swan (2) (Collingwood)
2013: David Zaharakis (Essendon)
2012: Dane Swan (Collingwood)
2011: Scott Pendlebury (2) (Collingwood)
2010: Scott Pendlebury Collingwood
2009: Paddy Ryder Essendon
2008: Paul Medhurst Collingwood
2007: Heath Shaw Collingwood
2006: Ben Johnson Collingwood
2005: Andrew Lovett Essendon
2004: James Hird (3) Essendon
2003: James Hird (2) Essendon
2002: Mark McGough Collingwood
2001: Chris Tarrant (Collingwood)
2000: James Hird (Essendon)