The Peter Mac Cup is the longest-standing charity match in the AFL, and on Thursday night, at the MCG, it reaches its 30-year milestone.
Traditional arch-rivals Collingwood and Carlton rarely "unite" on anything, but they'll come together to support cancer research at Peter Mac, helping find donations to all Australians affected by cancer.
Players from both clubs head into the Peter Mac Centre each year, visiting those affected by cancer and providing support as they go through their journeys.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Blues veteran Sam Docherty and Pies midfielder Patrick Lipinski spoke of the "magnitude" of the contest, declaring the game means so much more than the four premiership points.
Docherty's connection to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation is deep-rooted on multiple levels. The 31-year-old has been diagnosed twice with testicular cancer, dating back to 2020.
Docherty overcame his first battle and remarkably returned to the field the following season, but a second bout of cancer was revealed in August 2021, diagnosed then with stage 3 cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes, lungs and stomach.
The star Blue made a fairytale Round 1 return to the game and kicked a goal โ after fearing he'd never play the sport again.
Since 2023, he has sat on the board of the Peter Mac Foundation. The same year, he was awarded the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award, which acknowledges the commitment players make to helping others and making a difference on and off the field.
"To both clubs, both families, is to take a stand and to be about something bigger than all of us is, is something really special to play in," Docherty said.
"My personal connection, both as a patient and as a board member to the foundation.
"One of the big reasons I play footy these days, is to instill hope in people that feel hopeless at times and when you're in the crux of your treatment."
Collingwood's Bobby Hill also had his health battles whilst he was at the Giants, after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2022.
Lipinski said it is a "privilege" to feature in a game that means so much to a vast range of people.
"Playing in the Peter Mac cup is a privilege to drive awareness on the foundation," Lipinski said.
"And then on a deeper level, the Carlton-Collingwood rivalry is always one that is amazing. And I think to be able to unite over the Peter Mac Cup will be truly great.
"And the moment that happens pre-game, where all the lights go on, it's pretty cool that you know, Carlton and Colin can unite for a great cause, which you wouldn't really think that Carlton and Collingwood would unite for anything.
"I think even having an event attached to it, and playing for something deeper than just the Carlton-Collingwood game and the four points, you feel the magnitude of the game."
Ahead of the opening bounce, supporters at the ground are asked to shine their phone lights in unison.
In last year's edition of the marquee contest, International signing sensation and avid Carlton fan Robbie Williams was included in the pre-game tribute, as Angels was belted throughout the MCG.
The song was introduced by the artist himself, who recorded a message that was played on the big screens to the crowd.
The Pies are returning from the early-season bye with two victories under their belt while Carlton are hoping to notch up their first win of 2025.
