25 April 2023, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
First of all, I want to give a massive thank you to the 95,000 fans who are here - record-breaking crowd
No matter whether you wear the black and white stripes or the red sash, this game’s about so much more than the four points. So, you turning up today and showing your support means a lot and we’re incredibly proud to play our part in this game.
To Essendon, both (stand-in skipper) Andrew (McGrath) and the team, as well as the broader club, thank you so much for making this event what it is.
It means a lot to us that we can come together with your football club and commemorate the sacrifice of not just the Anzacs, but all service men and women who have served Australia all around the world. So, thank you to the Essendon Football Club.
I want to thank and mention all men and women who are serving our country’s interests both at home and abroad in war and in peacekeeping operations, it means a lot to me and the team and the whole club that we can commemorate your service and your sacrifice today by doing what we do. So, thank you for your service.
To the veterans - there are over 600,000 veterans in this country who have returned from service - we also extend our thanks to you for your sacrifice and we hope that again, doing what we do today somehow honours your legacy and what you’ve done for our country. So, thank you to those 600,000 veterans as well.
And then finally to the families of those serving and those veterans: too often, your stories go untold and, on behalf of the Collingwood footy club, (I) just want to acknowledge the pain of war that runs through so many families across this country.
So, it’s a real honour for us to run out here and play our game in honour of you and your service. So, to the families of those who have served, thank you so much for your service. Thank you.