MAX ON MONDAY

On Saturday, across our city, state and nation, we honoured our war heroes, ordinary men and women who performed extraordinary deeds, by playing football.
This was an appropriate thing to do and around the VAFA grounds at 2:00pm, there were the buglers, minutes of silence, flags and oaths to tug at our emotions and help us remember that we are free, and free to play and to watch the great Australian game because of the sacrifices made by our men and women of our armed forces.
Of course, it only takes a moment to spoil an occasion and for me that occurred as I negotiated the Saturday night traffic. I learned via the radio that Essendon had pulled off a last gasp win at the MCG, which was good news I suppose for those who care about such things.
It apparently wasn’t good news for one M Malthouse, or so I soon learned. The said Mr Malthouse, who will surely one day retire to a tertiary institution and assume the Albert Gore Jr Chair in Taking Oneself Seriously, opined in his post-game press conference that his team had perhaps let the Anzacs down.
Football has long been a pastime on Anzac Day and long may it continue. However, to suggest that our game, at any level, in any way equates to a battle or that the dangers faced by a footballer are akin to those of a soldier, sailor or airman under enemy fire is, at very best, a misunderstanding of the horrors of war and a gross under-calculation of the price paid by so many in defence of our way of life.
I witnessed some years ago a dawn ceremony in Hyde Park, London, where thousands of Australians and New Zealanders gathered in the rain, without public transport, just to reflect. There was no chatter about how the Pies had gone in the hours prior. I have seen at Villers-Bretonneux the headstones that mark the graves of too many young Australians who left our shores and never came back. None of them care whether Collingwood won or lost on Saturday. A poor performance by the Magpies does in no way diminish the deeds of real heroes.
Let’s not be complicit in this misrepresentation of Australia’s greatest holiday. When we think of Anzac Day, let’s not remember the deeds of James Hird and Sav Rocca, but rather those of John Monash; let us recall the bravery of Henry and Maurice Buckley (Victoria Cross recipients) rather than their namesake, Nathan (Victoria Park star).
So Mr Malthouse, maybe your team did let you down on Saturday, but please don’t imply that the diggers really give a tinker’s cuss. Those that do care are probably blaming their general anyway.

The views of Max McGraw do not necessarily represent those of the VAFA.
He can be contacted at [email protected]