West Coast star Elliot Yeo has moved to ease the anguish of Collingwood runner Alex Woodward

WEST Coast star Elliot Yeo has moved to ease the anguish of heartbroken Collingwood runner Alex Woodward over his role in Yeo’s critical goal in last Saturday’s grand final.

Jaidyn Stephenson and Elliot Yeo in the moments after the Adams kick. Picture: AAP Images

WEST Coast star Elliot Yeo has moved to ease the anguish of heartbroken Collingwood runner Alex Woodward over his role in Yeo’s critical goal in last Saturday’s grand final.

Yeo’s mark and set shot goal entering time-on of the third quarter put the Eagles in front for the first time since the opening minutes of the match, erasing a 29-point deficit.

West Coast went on to win by five points and a shattered Woodward was in tears as he was consoled by Magpies coach Nathan Buckley after the match.

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Woodward became entangled with Collingwood’s Jaidyn Stephenson as Yeo chopped off a pass from Taylor Adams in the Magpies’ defensive 50m arc. A frustrated Stephenson gestured that the runner had got in his way.

Yeo put Woodward’s mind at ease, saying it was a misdirected kick from Adams that enabled him to intercept and that he didn’t even know of the runner’s involvement until after the game.

The John Worsfold medallist was confident he still would have out-marked Stephenson if Woodward had not been in the vicinity.

Alex Woodward on Grand Final day. Picture: AAP Images

“I thought that the kick probably wasn’t the best,” Yeo said.

“It wasn’t until after the game I found out that obviously the runner had interfered. But when I was out there, it felt like there was nothing that he could have done.

“Regardless of whether he was there or not, I still think that I probably would have taken the mark.”

If the runner involved had been from West Coast, the umpires could have paid a free kick against the Eagles if they believed a Collingwood player had been impeded.

Woodward released a statement on Friday thanking those who have supported him since the grand final.

“The feeling of guilt and disappointment was something that I could not mask but I know that once I find peace of mind I will be able to block out everything else that is out of my control,” he said.

“Character is found in times of hardship and adversity — this is just another challenge, one I’m sure I’ll be able to manage. I will be OK.”

Collingwood runner Alex Woodward and Nathan Buckley embrace after the 2018 Grand Final

Buckley said Woodward, a former Hawthorn player whose AFL career was curtailed by four knee reconstructions, was not at fault following the game.

“Woody’s shattered and he’s blaming himself,” Buckley said.

“The reason I grabbed him is he can’t be blaming himself. Things happen in life, things happen in football. He was trying to get out of the way and it didn’t work.”