TALK about winding back the years.

Just a couple of weeks shy from breaking the V/AFL's all-time games record, Scott Pendlebury picked Anzac Day – his favourite day on the footy calendar – to produce yet another sensational reminder of why his career will ultimately go down one of the greatest that's ever been seen.

In game number 81, Pendlebury secured the first Anzac Medal of his career. In game number 431, he made it four. A full 16 years later, this was just reward for a performance that inspired Collingwood's 77-point romp over Essendon and was full of his typical class, poise and silkiness.

With a step outside, then a step inside, Pendlebury's goal in the third quarter began a run that helped Collingwood break Essendon's resistance. His 43 disposals also featured two goals, 10 marks, four clearances and a whopping 19 score involvements to emphatically help secure his side's 20.17 (137) to 9.6 (60) victory. 

Pendlebury had able support from both his older colleagues and some of the new ones, too. The returning Jordan De Goey kicked three goals from 18 disposals, while Nick Daicos found 42 touches and eight clearances of his own, though no one came close to overshadowing Collingwood's king.

Essendon, in truth, had battled admirably through the first half. Archie Roberts finished with 42 disposals and eight marks, while the kids showed a few glimpses here and there. But not for the first time, they were left dazed in Pendlebury's dust before then collapsing dramatically after half time.

With the adrenalin and emotion still pumping from the pre-match ceremony, the early stages were played at a breakneck speed that lent itself more to mistakes and turnovers than clean footy. But that wasn't to say the opening term didn't have its moments of brilliance.

There was Roan Steele's long-range bomb to kickstart the game, before De Goey and Will Hayes surged through contests to give Collingwood the first break. It took Essendon youngster Archer Day-Wicks to bring the early deficit back, with his own goal from distance and soaring mark providing a Bomber boost at the break.

Fortunately for Collingwood, its youthful opposition rarely threatened to make it pay for its profligacy. Instead, Pendlebury zigged and zagged and sent one through in a throwback moment of brilliance, kickstarting a run of four consecutive goals that helped to carve open what was then a game-high 34-point Magpies buffer.

And, when the Bombers did have their moments – Josh Caddy and Isaac Kako both produced fantastic efforts of their own at the other end – the Pies consistently found the response. Only more inaccurate kicking, they booted another seven behinds through the third quarter, stopped the margin being bigger.

But it would grow again, as Essendon's effort eventually ran out. Collingwood piled on nine more in the final term, though no major received as much adulation from the 92,000-strong crowd than when Pendlebury went forward and added not only a second goal to his tally but the exclamation mark on a day to remember.

Tag can't stop Daicos masterclass
It was a lesson that even when you tag Nick Daicos, you can't really tag Nick Daicos. Essendon skipper Andrew McGrath had the run-with role on the Collingwood superstar on Saturday, monitoring him closely at stoppages. But that didn't necessarily extend to around the ground, where Daicos was prolific. While his kicking was sometimes off in the first half – he had three behinds to the main change and finished with four for the match – he soon started influencing the game forward of centre after the interval. Daicos finished with 42 disposals, eight clearances and 14 score involvements.

ESSENDON              2.3    3.4    5.6         9.6 (60)
COLLINGWOOD       4.0    5.6    11.13     20.17 (137)
 
GOALS
Essendon: Caddy 3, Day-Wicks 2, Langford 2, Durham, Kako
Collingwood: De Goey 3, Steele 2, Anderson 2, McCreery 2, McStay 2, Elliott 2, Pendlebury 2, Schultz, Hayes, Lipinski, Crisp, Sidebottom
 
INJURIES
Essendon: May (knee)
Collingwood: Nil
 
Crowd: 92,231 at the MCG

2026 Anzac Day Medal votes

Isaac Smith Triple M (Panel Chair)
3. Scott Pendlebury
2. Nick Daicos
1. Jordan De Goey

Karen Lyon Australian Football Hall of Fame Selector 
3. Scott Pendlebury
2. Nick Daicos
1. Archie Roberts

Matthew Lloyd 3AW
3. Scott Pendlebury
2. Nick Daicos
1. Josh Daicos

Luke Ball ABC Radio
3. Scott Pendlebury
2. Nick Daicos
1. Josh Daicos