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Rookie David Zaharakis has booted a goal with rain pelting down - and while being tackled - from 40 metres out with seconds remaining as Essendon defeated Collingwood by five points in front of 84,829 fans on ANZAC Day at the MCG.

The 13.15 (93) to 12.16 (88) victory was the Bombers' third for the year, with Paddy Ryder winning the ANZAC Day Medal for his unbelievable effort in the ruck.

The Magpies trailed by nine points at the final change before building an 11-point lead 17 minutes into the final term.

But after Pies forward Leigh Brown missed two opportunities to ice the game, goals to Leroy Jetta and a superlative set-shot from the boundary from 45 out by Ricky Dyson gave the Bombers a sniff.

Jetta then had a chance to run onto a loose ball in the goal-square and boot the match-winner, but he somehow failed to convert under pressure.

Enter Zaharakis, a first-year Bomber.

After some great work in the centre from the Bombers, the ball wound up in Zaharakis' hands and he ran inside 50 chased by several Pies. He somehow managed to float the ball through.

Essendon's No.1  ruckman, David Hille, sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury - which 3AW's Gerard Healy says will keep him out for the rest of the season - while trying to take a mark in the opening term.

This forced Ryder into the ruck for the rest of the day, and after playing the entire match, he emerged with 16 possessions, 27 hit-outs and an amazing 13 tackles. He also kicked an important goal in the final quarter when the Pies looked like running away with it.

Brent Stanton was terrific for the Bombers with 34 disposals and a goal, with Andrew Lovett, Jobe Watson and Dyson having big games. Adam McPhee was sensational down back on Travis Cloke, while ageless Dustin Fletcher may have played Anthony Rocca back into the twos such was his dominance.

Down the other end, Magpie backmen Simon Prestigiacomo shut Dons skipper Matthew Lloyd (no goals) out completely and Nathan Brown had Scott Lucas' measure all day. Lucas showed some signs, but his foot skills were below-par and he often looked sluggish in the chase.

Collingwood's gun midfielder Dane Swan tried his guts out for the Pies, finishing with 37 touches and 11 marks, while Scott Pendlebury - who kicked Collingwood's final goal - gathered 30 possessions. Leon Davis amassed 20 touches and booted two goals. John Anthony kicked four goals from eight kicks.

Essendon had a terrible start to the game with Hille going off with his injury and veteran Rocca taking a strong mark and kicking Collingwood's first goal two minutes in.

The Magpies made it two straight when first-gamer Brent Macaffer took a strong mark and converted before the Bombers worked their way into the game around the ground, but failed to apply scoreboard pressure.

Angus Monfries and Danny Meyers missed two goal-scoring opportunities and Matthew Lloyd failed to slot a banana kick before Paul Medhurst marked and goaled for the Pies against the run of play to give his side a 14-point lead.

Stanton, who had a good first term with 10 possessions, set up Jason Winderlich for the Bombers first goal, but with Cloke getting on the end of a good pass from a sprinting Dale Thomas just before the siren, which he put through for a goal, Collingwood led 4.2 (26) to 1.5 (11).

Pendlebury had 12 touches in a bright opening quarter.

Essendon kept building at the start of the second term, but Matthew Knights' side continued to be dogged by its own poor skills by hand and foot.

Despite this, the Bombers booted the first three goals in the term through Lovett, Sam Lonergan and McPhee – the latter a 60-metre set-shot after a 50-metre penalty was paid against Medhurst.

The Bombers, smashed in the contested possessions statistical category in the first term, hit back to lead the Pies 10-5 in the second term as they worked their way back.

Anthony had a purple patch for the Pies in the latter half of the quarter, booting two goals from difficult set-shots, but these majors were offset by two great goals to Bomber utlities Dyson and Monfries.

As the sides entered the rooms at half-time, the game was up for grabs with the scores knotted at 6.6 (42) apiece.

The Bombers could have iced the game in the third term but for more poor skills and conversion.

Stanton, dominating the term, kicked a goal six minutes in to give his side an eight-point break, but with Lloyd missing another banana kick and Lucas failing to convert a 25-metre set-shot, Anthony's third goal on 11 minutes kept things close – the Pies down by four points.

Essendon then caught a break, with Alwyn Davey's snap bouncing over two players wrestling in the square for his first goal from his first kick of the day.

Cloke then blew a great chance for the Pies, as did Lovett for Essendon. But the latter had a chance soon after to make amends, and his first goal stretched the deficit to 11 points at the 20-minute mark.

Collingwood – now proving to be just as wasteful with its skills as Essendon – crept closer with a goal to Davis. But youngster Dayne Beams missed a set-shot after the siren which would have reduced the gap to four points again – the Bombers clinging to a 9.13 (67) to 8.10 (58) advantage at the final change.

The Magpies (2-3) now face North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium next Friday, while Essendon (3-2) travels to Brisbane to take on the Lions Saturday night.

ESSENDON 1.5  6.6  9.13  13.15 (93)
COLLINGWOOD 4.2  6.6  8.10  12.16 (88)

Goals:
Essendon: A Lovett 2 R Dyson 2 A Davey A McPhee A Monfries B Stanton D Zaharakis J Winderlich L Jetta P Ryder S Lonergan.
Collingwood: J Anthony 4 L Davis 2 A Rocca B Macaffer L Brown P Medhurst S Pendlebury T Cloke.

ANZAC Day Medal votes:

Paddy Ryder 6
Dane Swan 5
Scott Pendlebury 3
Adam McPhee 3
Stanton 1

Voting Breakdown:

Graeme Bond (3AW)
3 Paddy Ryder
2 Scott Pendlebury
1 Adam McPhee

Rohan Connolly (The Age)
3 Paddy Ryder
2 Dane Swan
1 Brent Stanton

Gerard Whately (ABC)
3 Dane Swan
2 Scott Pendlebury
1 Adam McPhee