Seeing that he’s making real in-roads with Levi Casboult as Carlton’s goalkicking coach thesedays, Saverio Rocca can almost be forgiven for booting 514 career goals for Collingwood – six of them against the good guys in a game played almost a quarter of a century ago. 

It happened in Round 6, 1993, when big Sav was adjudged best on ground in the first Peter Mac Cup match involving the two teams to promote awareness and funds for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

Big Sav’s lazy half dozen contributed chiefly to the Magpies’ 26-point win, with Mick McGuane (who’d later turn out in Dark Navy) also putting four over the goal umpire’s hat, and Brent Heaver slotting five for the Blues. 

Since 2009, Collingwood's home game against Carlton has been dedicated to the Peter Mac Cup as a means of raising important funds and awareness, and supporting Peter Mac’s research in finding better treatments and cures for cancer. In that time, more than $1 million for cancer research.


Carlton and Collingwood will contest the 25th annual Peter Mac Cup on Saturday. (Photo: AFL Media)

The cause is without question, as the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is the only specialist cancer hospital in Australia and its cancer researchers – more than 500 in all - are focused on preventing, treating and finding cures for cancer.

Rest assured Rocca S. will be there for Big Levi come Saturday, as Carlton strives to repeat history in knocking Collingwood over - just as it did when the leviathans first met at Victoria Park some 125 years ago.

A crowd nearing the ’93 attendance of 86,196 is on the cards - with each and every one of them urged to part with their loose change for Peter Mac when the tin rattlers approach on the concourse this Saturday.