The 20-year-old from Canberra planned to be at the Gallipoli Dawn Service in Turkey on Saturday before playing in a rugby sevens tournament as part of the Anzac centenary commemorations.

He had planned to place a wreath for his great-great uncle, George Oswald Blair, who was part of the 4th Australian Infantry Battalion that served in Gallipoli in 1915, the Western Front and Ypres before he was killed in action in 1917.

But the Gallipoli Games were postponed at the last minute until later this year.

"I'm devastated," Narracott said. "But not because we're not going. This whole experience has made me appreciate the Anzac spirit a lot more. I've done research. I feel really connected with the whole story now."

Debate has raged this week about sport's place on Anzac Days. There are more NRL and AFL games scheduled for Saturday, a day of remembrance.

There are fears different sports are hijacking an occasion when all Australians should pay tribute to war veterans.

It's a fine line to walk with commemorative jerseys and marketing. But one thing that gets overlooked is the fact sport is playing a part in perpetuating the Anzac spirit.

With 10 NRL and AFL matches, as well as Super Rugby fixtures including the ACT Brumbies' match against the Otago Highlanders on Friday night, the message of Anzac Day can potentially reach almost 400,000 people.

For those 400,000 sports fans, the minute's silence, Last Post and Anzac tribute before matches could be their time to reflect on what happened at Gallipoli 100 years ago and every soldier who served before and since.

The kids in the stands see their sporting idols moved by the memory of the Anzacs. It might prompt them to ask the question of why their favourite sports teams are pausing to reflect.

And that one question could be enough to ensure the Anzac memory lives on for generations.

Why should it matter if people take time to reflect at the Dawn Service at the War Memorial, at the pub playing two-up or in the stands at Canberra Stadium? Isn't the most important aspect that people take time to reflect?

For Christmas there's Santa Clause. For Easter there's chocolate eggs. And while teams, players and officials have to be careful not to disrespect, sport has its place on Anzac Day, as long as boundaries are not over-stepped.

The 10 matches in the AFL and NRL on Anzac Day is unusually high because it falls on a Saturday.

If they're successful in luring large crowds, the test will be in the coming years when Anzac Day returns to the middle of the week.

For Narracott, it was a chance to take a journey back in time and investigate Blair's efforts in World War I.

Knowing he would be at Gallipoli on the Anzac centenary prompted him to research Blair's story, search for family medals and photos. Blair was killed in the battle of Polygon Wood on September 22, 1917.

Narracott says that's the beauty of the Anzac spirit - being able to connect with a person he never met.

He might be a world away from Gallipoli, but Narracott will pay his respects when he runs out for Sydney University instead of playing in Turkey on Saturday.

"I absorbed it and maybe understood the sacrifice a bit more when mum told me about [Blair]," Narracott said.

"Just reading about George … He was about my age. It's pretty special to think of that selflessness the Anzacs had. That could have been me or my mate 100 years earlier. That puts things right in perspective."

If you think professional players don't get it, you're wrong. About 15 Brumbies were at the Last Post Ceremony at the War Memorial on Thursday night.

Some are uncomfortable with the way people draw comparisons between sport and war with the use of certain language.

For Brumbies winger Henry Speight, the chance to play in an Anzac Day-eve match was his way of paying tribute to his brother, Sam, who is a member of the British army.

"It's only fair we pay respects to people who are serving now and who served 100 years ago. It's because of them that we have what we do now," Speight said.

"We get to play against a New Zealand franchise with 10,000 fans at the ground and more watching from home. To show them respect is the least we can do.

"I'm honoured to play, to pay my respects. I just hope the message of Anzac Day is not lost or compared to [sport]. I respect what they did and do and the sacrifices they made."