Jarryd Blair

Brook “Boris” Kilpatrick Reporting for AFANA

Mason Cox had not heard of Australian Rules Football just two years ago. Today, he debuted for arguably the biggest team in the AFL – Collingwood – in front of more than 85,000 fans on a day that holds huge importance on the Australian and New Zealand calendar: ANZAC Day (the equivalent of Memorial Day).

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Perth

Even if you remember these events from 2003 - the space shuttle Columbia disintegrating on its return to Earth, Andre Agassi winning the Australian Open in tennis and Netscape being taken down for Mozilla - you will be forgiven if you don’t remember that 2003 was the last time that the West Coast Eagles defeated the Collingwood Magpies in Melbourne.

2003 was a very long time ago in football terms and the Magpies may have expected the trend to continue as second placed Eagles traveled to Etihad Stadium in Round 16. All things must pass and so it was with the hoodoo when - despite horrific shooting on goals - the Eagles ran over top of the cooling Pies.

Brook “Boris” Kilpatrick Reporting for AFANA from the Melbourne Cricket Ground

A beautiful Melbourne afternoon greeted fans of Collingwood and Richmond as they headed in droves towards the mecca of Australian sport, the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Under enormous pressure after three losses in a row and with a tough draw ahead, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was in desperate need of a win to avoid another week of speculation about his tenure at the helm of the Tigers. The late withdrawal of small forward Shane Edwards, arguably the Tigers' best player of the season to date, was a cruel blow to Hardwick and Tiger fans prior to game time. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley would have been feeling confident of victory with the Magpies holding a winning streak against the Tigers that went back as far as Round 19 in 2007.

Jamie Kloeden reporting for AFANA from Australia

After two long weeks of matches, Round 18 was finally coming to a close as Collingwood hosted Adelaide in an immensely important Sunday game. Following the Gold Coast Suns' thrashing by crosstown rivals Brisbane, a win for Adelaide would see them enter the Top Eight for the first time this year, leapfrogging both the Suns and their opponents Collingwood. On the flip side, a Collingwood win would have them sitting two games clear of the Crows and a strong chance for Finals' action.

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Australia

An undermanned and battered Collingwood held tough over the West Coast Eagles by eight points at the MCG in a thrilling Round 10 encounter. The Eagles had not beaten Collingwood on this ground since 1995 and were looking to turn the tables and set up their year by stealing a game that many thought they could not win. Collingwood players - down one man by quarter time and another by half time - looked out on their feet at times, and at one point trailed by nearly three goals. To their credit, the Pies stood tall when it counted and recorded the win in a high scoring game.

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Patersons Stadium, Perth

In Round 13 these two teams met in what was a top of the table clash. Collingwood knocked the West Coast Eagles off their top of the ladder perch in a bruising encounter, winning by a slender three points in what many thought was a preview of the Grand Final. Both teams have had a horror patch over the last couple of months, the Eagles having the worst of it and sliding way down from the top of the Ladder to sixth position. Collingwood had no trepidation about the trip west, having not lost a game there since 2007. Dubbed the “House of Pain” by opposing coaches due to the loud roars of parochial hometown fans, Patersons Stadium was packed to the rafters with supporters hoping to see another thriller.

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Kevin Sheedy coached his 650th game in Round 16. He coached Essendon in 635 games 1981-2007. The leading ten coaches in the game’s history are Jock McHale (714 games with Collingwood), Michael Malthouse (664 games with Footscray, West Coast and Collingwood), Kevin Sheedy (650 games with Essendon and the GWS Giants), Allan Jeans (575 games with St Kilda, Hawthorn and Richmond), Tom Hafey (522 games with Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong and the Sydney Swans), David Parkin (518 games with Hawthorn, Carlton and Fitzroy), Ron Barassi (515 games with Melbourne, Carlton, North Melbourne and the Sydney Swans), Leigh Matthews (461 games with Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions), Norm Smith (449 games with Fitzroy, Melbourne and South Melbourne) and Dick Reynolds (415 games with Essendon).