Anzac Day footy: Soldiering on in remembrance of our heroes
Taylor Adams sat in a lounge room in Sydney surrounded by GWS Giants teammates glued to the 2013 Anzac Day blockbuster.
Taylor Adams sat in a lounge room in Sydney surrounded by a bunch of his GWS Giants teammates glued to the 2013 Anzac Day blockbuster.
The baby Giants — then only 26 matches into existence and attracting a paltry 6000 to 8000 people to home games — rode every bump and goal as the Bombers rocked the MCG, running out 46-point winners in front 93,373 fans.
“I still remember watching … in one of the boys’ lounge rooms, and thinking ‘Wow, we’re going to play in front of a maximum 10,000 people this week … here’s a game with 95,000 there,” Adams said.
“It’s certainly something, as a player that wasn’t involved, I really envied Collingwood and Essendon players on Anzac Day.”
Unbeknown to Adams then, 12 months later, he too would be at the MCG as a Collingwood player watching Dane Swan and Steele Sidebottom run amok.
“One of the big reasons I wanted to go to Collingwood was to play in big games like Anzac Day. No doubt I think players that don’t get to play on Anzac Day certainly envy (the experience).”
Adams has played in four Anzac Day games since and each time cherished the chance to commemorate the Anzacs and their spirit.
As important as football is to Adams and everyone else, it is nothing compared to the sacrifices Australian and New Zealand soldiers made in wartime.
It is why Adams will commemorate the fallen on Saturday, as he has done previously, despite there not being a match to attend at the MCG due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Paying my respects to the people that have sacrificed in the past, and continue to sacrifice now, I think that’s the most important thing about the whole day,” Adams said.
“The footy is awesome and the atmosphere at the MCG on the day is a great tradition … it’s because there’s something really, really substantial behind it.
“Raising awareness and paying our respects to the people that have gone before us and sacrificed so much for us to be able to do what we do.”
HERALD SUN
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