Essendon beats Collingwood by 24 points in AFL Anzac Day match at MCG as Port Adelaide, Hawthorn post wins

Essendon has overcome the loss of Aaron Francis to injury to hold on for a pulsating four-goal win over Collingwood in an Anzac Day arm wrestle.

In other AFL matches on Sunday, Port Adelaide thumped St Kilda by 54 points, and Hawthorn snuck home against Adelaide with a three-point victory.

In front of 78,113 spectators at the MCG — a world-record crowd at a sporting event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic — the Magpies got the jump on their rivals in each of the first two quarters.

But the Bombers held control for longer, riding Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti’s five goals and Darcy Parish’s career-best performance to register a stirring 16.13 (109) to 13.7 (85) victory.

Both sides were desperate as they entered the…