AFL 2021: Zac Bailey opens up on his match-winning goal which snatched victory after the siren

Zac Bailey became a match-winner after the siren while under immense pressure from the Collingwood faithful. He opens up on the moment.

Zac Bailey sank the Magpies with the winning goal after the siren. Picture: Getty Images

Brisbane Lions match winner Zac Bailey credited a team message of “lowering the eyes” going into attack – and Daniel Rich’s surprise adherence to it – as the catalyst behind his post-siren goal that sank Collingwood on Thursday night.

As the dramatic finale unfolded, Bailey could see Rich streaming through the middle of Marvel Stadium in the dying seconds and expected him to launch a long bomb at goal.

Bailey was a little surprised – but grateful – when Rich steadied himself and chipped the ball to him, following a coaching directive to be more composed entering inside 50m.

Bailey, 21, was “still buzzing” on Friday when he spoke to the Herald Sun after a near sleepless night that followed the biggest moment of his 49-game AFL career to date.

Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Before the kick. Picture: Getty Images

After slotting through the winner Picture: Getty Images

“We’d spoken about having a bit more composure with the ball going inside 50m,” Bailey said. “’Richy’ got the ball in the centre and he was going forward. Usually whenever he is anywhere inside 80m (of goal), he would be thinking about just putting it through.

“He’s a great kick. But he showed a lot of composure to hit it short to give me the chance.”

Bailey tried to play down his own importance in the win, saying his teammates had collectively fought their way back into the contest.

Six days earlier he had been denied what should have been a free kick – and almost certain goal – that cost the Lions victory over Geelong, but he wasn’t going to miss out this time around.

“It’s every kid’s dream to do that, and I was rapt for the team that I was able to kick it,” he said.

“I’ve never really been in that position before (to win a game off his own boot).”

The endless work he had put in on the training track in practising pressure kicks and his strict goal kicking routine helped him deal with the pressure of the clutch moment.

“We do a lot of simulated pressure kicking at training and I do think if any of the boys had been in the same position as I was, they would have kicked it,” Bailey said.

“I just happened to be the one with the ball at the end.”

“I pretty much tried to just follow my routine. I love to take a couple of short steps coming in … I don’t like to come in too fast. I just went back and tried to focus on what I do at training.”

Teammates Mitch Robinson and Lincoln McCarthy signalling to the man of the moment. Picture: Getty Images

The one thing you can’t train for is the roar of the crowd, and in this instance, the parochial Collingwood supporters tried to put him off his game when he came in to shoot for goal as the siren sounded.

“It was so loud,” he said.

“Most of them were Collingwood supporters and the noise was just incredible. I just tried to concentrate on what I had to do.”

Bailey is considered one of Brisbane’s best kicks – in field play and for goal – with skipper Dayne Zorko saying on SEN: “The ball was in the right guy’s hands.”

“He (Bailey) started celebrating once he had kicked the ball over the man on the mark. I do a lot of goalkicking with Zac … once he kicks them, they stay straight.”

Bailey knew almost as soon as he made contact that it was going through, to give the Lions the result by one point.

“Sometimes you just know when the ball comes off that it is a good hit,” he said.

His father, Brent, was in the Marvel Stadium stands, but given the COVID protocols the pair weren’t able to celebrate in the Lions rooms after the game.

Bailey and forwards coach Jed Adcock celebrate post-game. Picture: Getty Images

He barely had any sleep after the game, as he and his teammates reflected on the Lions’ first win of the 2021 season after a week spent in Melbourne following the three-day Brisbane lockdown.

“The boys were all ecstatic that we got our first win for the season,” he said. “It was a massive win for us and hopefully has given us something to build on.”

“I’m just glad I can have a bit more of an impact on games now. As a team, we have all grown through another preseason and I feel like we are ready for what’s coming this year.”

Zorko said of the post-game excitement: “We caught the bus back to the hotel … it was up to (the players) whether or not they wanted to have a beer.

“I don’t think anyone got off the bus and went up to bed. We all stayed downstairs and had a feed and a couple of drinks and you just sat there talking about the game.

“Pretty much everyone was just talking about Zac.”