Dan Keighran might not be an avid AFL fan, but the eyes of the football world will be on him on Anzac day.
The former Australian soldier and recipient of the military’s highest honour, the Victoria Cross, will toss the coin ahead of the Essendon and Collingwood clash.
“I’m from Queensland, but I’ve been in Western Australia the last few years so I’ve got into it a little over there,” he said.
“I’ve never actually been to a game in Melbourne before so I can’t imagine what it will be like to be standing on the ground in front of 100,000 people.”
The centre of the MCG is a long way from the Battle of Derapet in Afghanistan.
It was here, Corporal Daniel Keighran produced an act of bravery that saw him awarded the Victoria Cross.
During a three-hour fight, Corporal Keighran continually drew enemy fire.
The move not only helped identify targets but also distracted insurgents away from his colleagues who were treating a wounded soldier.
Keighran had been in the army for a decade. It was in his blood.
“Both of my grandfathers served in the Second World War and went through some pretty tough times,” he said.
When Australians at home, abroad and at the MCG pause to remember, Keighran’s attention turns to the mates left behind, and his family.
“I reflect on my service but not just my service, but also my family’s service as well.
“When that bugle plays and when we have the minute’s silence for me it’s a reflection of what they’ve done for the country.”
Keighran is no longer in active service. But he continues to make a contribution helping returned soldiers as the inaugural Ambassador of the Australian Defence Force Assistance Trust.
“It supports soldiers and their families that aren’t doing so well. So that’s financial assistance and helping out with widows,” he said.
The trust is helping many who have returned from Afghanistan.
Some will be at the MCG on Saturday, while many still serving, will be watching from abroad.
“100 years later we’re still remembering. We’re talking about the ANZAC spirit that was forged on the shores of Gallipoli. So it’s great to see 100 years later that it’s still alive.
“We remember the sacrifices of those who are no longer with us.”
Click here to secure your tickets to the ANZAC Day Brunch at Crown Palladium. This includes a reserve seat for the Essendon vs Collingwood clash at the MCG.
