Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Find your frequency hereThe top 5 moments in King's/Queen's Birthday history
Luke Mathews • June 9th, 2025 12:41 pm
The annual King’s/Queen’s Birthday match between Collingwood and Melbourne has been going strong since 2001.
Across those years, the Magpies have won 15 matches to Melbourne’s seven, while 2010 was a draw.
With the match having even more eyeballs on it across the last decade thanks to Neale Daniher’s efforts with the Big Freeze for MND, the game has become one of the highlights of the home and away calendar.
Ahead of Big Freeze 11, we’ve looked back over the last two decades to pick out the top five most memorable moments in King’s/Queen’s Birthday clashes over the years.
Check them out below.
1 - 2010 draw
The Magpies were at the top of their game and pushing for an elusive 15th premiership while Melbourne were once again down the bottom in 13th spot.
It was widely assumed that the Pies would continue on their merry way and easily account for the Dees, however it wasn’t that straight forward.
The Magpies were unable to make the most of their chances and the Demons kept hanging around to be down by just five points at three quarter time.
Matthew Bate goaled to put the demons up by six points late in the last quarter however the Pies hit back through Tarkyn Lockyer to tie the scores 26 minutes into the final term.
After a hectic final three minutes, the sides couldn’t be split with the scores locked at 76 apiece when the siren sounded.
Brad Dick starred for the Pies kicking four goals after a late call-up to replace the injured Alan Didak, while Brent Moloney finished with 37 touches for the Demons.
2 - 2017 Watts redemption
After being well beaten in a number of Queen’s Birthday clashes, Melbourne were finally on the rise and looking to qualify for their first finals appearance since 2006.
They were facing an under-siege Collingwood outfit who were failing to live up to preseason expectations and were sitting in 10th spot at the midway point of the season.
The Magpies opened up a 28-point lead 19 minutes into the second term before the Demons clawed their way back to hit the front just before three quarter time.
The sides went goal for goal in the last term with Melbourne in front by just five points with only two minutes left.
The Dees took the ball from end to end and found Watts in space with the number one pick taking the responsibility to kick the match winning goal and write the ultimate redemption story.
Melbourne would go on to win the game by four points however would miss the finals on percentage after they lost their Round 23 match to the Pies.
3 - Chris Tarrant mark
Chris Tarrant was building a reputation as one of the best high flyers in the league and his grab in the 2001 Queen’s Birthday clash was arguably his best ever.
The swingman was quickly finding his feet at AFL in 2001, and the Pies were climbing up the ladder in just Mick Malthouse’s second season at the club.
In the second quarter, the Pies took the ball out of the middle and Tarrant climbed over a pack of players to take one of the marks of the year in an iconic Queen’s Birthday moment.
He would be pipped for mark of the year by Gary Moorcroft however he would go on to win the award in 2003 for his mark against Geelong.
4 - Watts' tough footy introduction
After being selected by the Demons with the first pick in the 2008 draft, Watts was selected to play in his first game against the Pies in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Clash.
The Demons were languishing in 16th spot on the ladder while the Pies were pushing for another top four finish and were in sixth spot.
It was clear from the outset what Collingwood wanted to do, with the 18-year-old thrown to the ground by three Collingwood players as soon as he got the ball.
It was a rough introduction to AFL football for the number one pick with Watts collecting just eight disposals as the Dees went down by 66 points.
Watts would be much maligned throughout his Melbourne career, struggling at different times however he would play 153 games in the red and blue.
The club later conceded that Watts wasn’t ready for an AFL debut at that point in time and selected the highly talented youngster as a way to spark interest from a frustrated supporter base.
5 - The first Big Freeze and Cloke’s big bag
2015 was a landmark moment for the Queen’s Birthday clash, with the game transformed by Neale Daniher’s FightMND charity.
Blue beanies took over the MCG and several of footy’s biggest names put their hand up to take the plunge into a pool full of ice for motor neurone disease.
Tim Watson, Brian Taylor, Garry Lyon and Dermott Brereton all went down the slide in the first edition and plenty of the country’s most famous figures have followed suit in recent years.
On the field, Travis Cloke was unstoppable kicking an equal career high seven goals in a best on ground performance to claim the first Neale Daniher trophy.
The event has become one of the best days on the footy calendar with the blue beanies becoming a staple of winter in Melbourne and over $115 million being raised to help find a cure.
