Since it opened with a high-scoring draw back in 1995, there have been no shortage of iconic moments as the Pies and Bombers have squared off on Anzac Day for now three decades.

From last minute winners, out of the box performances, and freakish feats in the air and on the ground, players have always brought their best for the biggest game of the home and away season.

With 30 years to choose from, whittling a list down to a top five moments is no small task, but there’s no doubting the quality of each moment.

5. Dane Swan’s goal & belly rub (2012)

The previous year’s Brownlow Medallist, Swan had been receiving some undue media pressure in the early stages of the 2012 season, however it typical fashion, he would take it in his stride.

Having already kicked two goals for the day, Swan burst through a pack at the Punt Road end halfway through the third term and calmly slotted his third, before cheekily rubbing his belly in celebration.

It was part of a 42-disposal, three-goal performance that unsurprisingly netted him the Anzac Day Medal, with the goal celebration going down in Collingwood folklore.

4. Antony Rocca’s 70m goal (1997)

In the first edition of the Anzac Day match two years earlier, it was Saverio Rocca that stole the show with a brilliant nine-goal performance.

However, in 1997, it was little brother Anthony who in one kick etched his own name into Collingwood history, with a miraculous torpedo.

Launching from well outside the 50m arc, Rocca’s torp just kept sailing and sailing, and was a sign of things to come in what was his first season in the black and white.

3. Dane Swan’s left foot lifter (2014)

Having starred two years prior with the aforementioned Anzac Day Medal performance, Swan continued his dominance over the Bombers with another in 2014.

Having already helped lift his side from a six-goal deficit early in the second quarter, Swan’s running goal on his non-preferred gave the Pies a 14-point lead as three-quarter time crept up.

Gathering the ball just outside 50, Swan took two bounces as he backed his pace and wobbled through an unbelievable major, again at the Punt Road end.

It was the cherry on top of another dominant performance that netted him a second Anzac Day Medal, courtesy of 26 touches and four goals.

2. Jamie Elliott’s screamer (2024)

An unlucky number two, Elliott’s mark was immediately regarded as one of the best of all time from the moment he hit the MCG turf last year.

Able to get the perfect run and jump at the ball, Elliott soared high on the shoulders of Bombers defender Ben McKay to reel in an Anzac Day classic.

He would calmly slot the goal from 45m out after as well, putting the icing on the cake in what was a memorable moment from the 2024 match.

1. Jarryd Blair’s winner (2012)

One of the most talked-about moments in Anzac Day history, a young Jarryd Blair made a name for himself back in 2012 with a heart-stopping winner in the final seconds.

Reading the fall of the ball faster than anyone else like all good small forwards, Blair swooped on the Sherrin which was rolling abruptly to be a rushed behind, sticking his right leg out and just getting enough purchase on it to score a major.

Umpires sent the goal upstairs to confirm whether the ball had in fact come off his boot, much to the dismay of the Magpie Army, however it was soon verified, with the Pies back in front by just one point.  

That would be the final margin, with the Pies holding on in the only single-point victory in the game’s 30-year history.