Eddie McGuire not a fan of Richmond-Melbourne plan to stage Anzac Day eve clash

COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire yesterday railed against a proposed Anzac Day eve clash between Richmond and Melbourne.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire believes clubs should work on something new, saying A

COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire yesterday railed against a proposed Anzac Day eve clash between Richmond and Melbourne.

The aggrieved Magpies boss likened the plan to “having Christmas twice” and said footy’s Anzac Day calendar was “oversubscribed already”.

Yesterday’s Herald Sun revealed the Tigers and Demons are lobbying the AFL to stage an annual match at the MCG on the night of April 24.

Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale last night maintained the Anzac Day eve concept would be a positive for the AFL.

An AFL spokesman said no decision on next year’s fixturing would be made until the completion of the 2014 season.

Collingwood is fortunate to be involved in a couple of regular blockbusters, as Herald Sun cartoonist Macca illustrates.

“The AFL does not make any determinations in relation to match-ups for specific slots for the upcoming season until it has a far more detailed view of the whole fixture,” the spokesman said. “Those decisions are discussed in greater depth from August onwards and finalised in October.”

Collingwood and Essendon have clashed on the public holiday since 1995, while St Kilda tonight hosts its second Anzac Day match in New Zealand.

A third Anzac Day fixture will be played at Subiaco between Fremantle and North Melbourne tonight.

“People will think I’m talking through my pocket at Collingwood, but part of having something significant is the exclusivity of it,” McGuire said.

“Already we have got three games on (today) as it is and to go to the Anzac Day eve, what do you do? The same ceremony do you? Is there a repeat on the day itself?

“Look, good luck to them (Richmond and Melbourne) I suppose. Play nine games on Anzac Day now. We may as well miss out, just do the whole lot.

“Its stuns me ... come up with something fresh. We are oversubscribed on Anzac Day already”.

Told the Richmond-Melbourne game would be staged the night before the Anzac Day holiday, McGuire told Triple M: “If you have the same sort of thing the night before, it’s like having Christmas twice.

“But if they can turn Richmond-Melbourne into a ‘blockbuster’, then knock themselves out.

“I just shake my head sometimes and go ‘Why do we go after the things that are working and tamper with them’ ... “

Gale said he did not believe the game would steal the thunder from Collingwood and Essendon.

He said new ideas around fixturing should be embraced not ridiculed.

“It is very easy to find reasons not to do something. We prefer to focus on the positives and how we could make this game happen but ultimately it is up to the AFL,” he said.