MELBOURNE — Tim Membrey’s grin said it all as he stood on the MCG’s hallowed turf, soaking in the roar of 90,000 fans. “A lot different,” he quipped, recalling his last Anzac Day clash a decade ago. Back then, he was a 20-year-old St Kilda rookie, fifth game under his belt, playing across the ditch in Wellington’s Westpac Stadium—known to locals as the ‘Cake Tin.’ On April 25, 2025, now a Collingwood recruit, Membrey traded New Zealand’s modest 28,000-seat bowl for the “goosebumps” of the AFL’s biggest stage: the Essendon-Collingwood Anzac Day blockbuster.
Ten years ago, Membrey was a lanky forward finding his feet. St Kilda faced Carlton in Wellington on April 25, 2015, the first time the AFL staged an Anzac Day game outside Australia. The Saints won by 40 points, but Membrey’s role was small—two goals, a quiet contributor in a foreign city. Fast-forward to 2025, and the 30-year-old’s move to Collingwood has thrust him into the heart of footy’s most storied rivalry. The MCG, packed to the rafters, was a far cry from Wellington’s chilly, half-full stands. “You don’t forget the Cake Tin,” Membrey said post-game, chuckling. “But this? This is something else.”
The Anzac Day clash, a tradition since 1995, is sacred in AFL circles. Essendon and Collingwood draw massive crowds, with last year’s game pulling 95,000. Membrey, who joined the Magpies in the off-season after 161 games with St Kilda, knew the stakes. His performance on April 25, 2025, was no cameo—he kicked three goals, hauled in six marks, and earned a nod from coach Craig McRae for his “clutch” play in Collingwood’s narrow 12-point win. The victory kept the Pies’ season humming, their record now 4-2.
Membrey’s journey to this moment wasn’t straight. After a tough 2023 sidelined by injury and personal challenges, he was delisted by St Kilda, only to be thrown a lifeline by Collingwood. His one-year deal, signed in November 2024, was a gamble that’s paying off. On April 16, 2025, McRae praised Membrey’s pre-season, noting his “hunger” to prove himself. That hunger showed on Anzac Day, where he outmuscled Essendon’s backline and won over skeptical Pies fans still warming to the ex-Saint.
The MCG’s atmosphere hit Membrey hard. “You hear about it, but until you’re out there, you don’t get it,” he said. The pre-game Anzac ceremony—complete with the Last Post and a minute’s silence—sent shivers through the veteran. It was a stark contrast to Wellington’s smaller, less intense vibe a decade earlier. Back then, the AFL’s New Zealand experiment aimed to grow the game but fizzled out after a few years. Membrey’s 2015 game was one of only three Anzac Day matches played there.
Collingwood’s win capped a day of tributes. The Anzac Medal, awarded to the game’s best player, went to Pies midfielder Jack Crisp, but Membrey’s impact didn’t go unnoticed. His teammates mobbed him post-game, a sign he’s settling into the black-and-white fold. For a kid from Traralgon who once dreamed of just cracking an AFL list, running out on the MCG felt like a full-circle moment.
Membrey’s contract runs through 2025. Collingwood’s next clash is against Port Adelaide on May 3. Essendon, now 3-3, faces the Western Bulldogs on May 1. The AFL’s Anzac Round continues to honor fallen soldiers, with all games this week featuring pre-match ceremonies.