More than 78,000 fans crowded the Melbourne Cricket Ground Sunday to watch Collingwood and Essendon clash on ANZAC Day - the biggest crowd for a sports event since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The crowd of 78,113 topped the 67,000 who attended a Twenty20 cricket international between India and England at Ahmedabad last month.
The annual ANZAC Day match is one of the traditional highlights of the AFL season, when sport combines with a solemn national commemoration.
© GettyEssendon and Collingwood's ANZAC Day clash set a new record for COVID crowd numbers. (Getty)
The match did not take place last year because of the pandemic and crowds since have been down on previous years.
But a decision by the Victoria State government to allow the Melbourne Cricket Ground to be filled to 85 percent of its capacity led to Sunday's record turnout.
The MCG has a capacity of just over 100,000.
ANZAC Day - April 25 - is the day on which Australians commemorate those who served in both world wars and in other conflicts and peacekeeping operations.