COLLINGWOOD has edged ahead in the Anzac Day rivalry with Essendon after thrashing the Bombers by 65 points at the MCG on Sunday.

The Magpies defeated the Dons 18.12 (120) to 8.7 (55); their eighth win from 16 Anzac Day encounters, with the first clash in 1995 finishing in a draw.

In front of a crowd of 90,070 - the ninth best VFL/AFL home-and-away attendance - the Pies seized control with a stunning first quarter.

Collingwood booted seven goals from 12 scoring shots as Essendon managed just three behinds.

Key forward Travis Cloke was outstanding with three first-term goals, including a beautiful set-shot banana kick from the boundary line, helping the Pies to a 44-point lead at the first break.
 
"I don't have any trouble with Travis," Pies coach Mick Malthouse said after the match. "The media seem to have a massive trouble with him. We'd love him to kick goals all of the time and he's kicked a couple of very, very good goals today."

Watch Mick Malthouse's post-match press conference »

Cloke was assisted by some outstanding work from ball-winners Dayne Beams, Sharrod Wellingham, Scott Pendlebury (who was rewarded with the Anzac Day Medal) and Ben Johnson.

In attack, Alan Didak was pivotal in setting up six scoring assists. Down back, Heath Shaw provided his usual rebound and run.

Big man Josh Fraser was also influential with three goals.

The only blemish for Collingwood was defender Harry O'Brien's report for striking Henry Slattery in the final term.

Up against it from the get-go, the Bombers finally opened their account 14 seconds into the second quarter, when Scott Gumbleton kicked truly.

Although the Dons stayed with the Pies in the second term, losing the quarter by just two points, they were still up against it heading into half time.

And when Collingwood kicked six goals to two in the third quarter, the match was well and truly over.

Coach Matthew Knights blamed his midfields and forwards for wasteful forays inside 50.

"When you're going through the corridor and you've got the last kick inside 50, and you've got time and space, you've got to make that kick in this game," he said.

"At the worst you halve it when it goes in there, but at the moment, from 70 metres and in, we're not hurting the opposition with that last kick or last disposal.

"It's putting Cale (Hooker) and Tayte (Pears) and Dustin (Fletcher - Essendon's tall defenders) under all sorts of pressure."

Watch Matthew Knights' post-match press conference »

The competition's oldest player, Fletcher, was one of Essendon's best with a match-best 12 rebounds in his 14th Anzac Day match.

Young defender Pears and Brent Stanton (with a game-high 34 disposals) also worked tirelessly.

Collingwood has now dropped just one match from five rounds, while Essendon has won only one game for the season.

Neither team has a break from playing arch-rivals, with the Dons hosting Hawthorn at the MCG next Saturday night and the Pies taking on Carlton at the same venue on Sunday.

Collingwood   7.5   11.8   17.9   18.12 (120)
Essendon       0.3     4.4     6.5      8.7 (55)

GOALS
Collingwood: Cloke 4, Fraser 3, Wellingham 2, Dawes 2, Johnson, Thomas, Toovey, Medhurst, Pendlebury, Beams, Didak
Essendon: Gumbleton 2, Dempsey 2, Hurley, Reimers, Zaharakis, Hooker

BEST
Collingwood: Beams, Cloke, Pendlebury, Didak, Fraser, Shaw, Johnson
Essendon: Dempsey, Gumbleton, Reimers, Fletcher, Watson

INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Essendon: Nil

REPORTS
Collingwood: Harry O'Brien, reported for striking Henry Slattery, by umpire Shaun Ryan in the fourth quarter
Essendon: Nil

Umpires: Vozzo, Ryan, Avon

Official crowd: 90,070 at MCG

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.