Sam Lloyd, Brodie Grundy, Matthew Kreuzer all won the game with a go-ahead goal in 2016
SAM Lloyd wasn’t the only player to live the dream and win a game off their own boot in 2016. And the matchwinning score often came from an unlikely source.
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THEY say it’s every footy fan’s dream to kick the matchwinning goal after the siren, and Richmond’s Sam Lloyd confirmed it.
“I always dreamt of doing that as a kid, I saw Tommy Hawkins, a good mate of mine, do it one year and I was like, ‘Gee, I’d like to do that’,” he said after giving the Tigers a miraculous one-point win against Sydney.
‘Off the boot I knew it was going through ... just amazing.”
But Lloyd wasn’t the only player to live the dream in 2016. And as often as not the matchwinning score came from a player you least expected.
As we move into a new season, we salute the last-kick heroes of the season just gone.
SAM LLOYD (RICHMOND)
The only post-siren hero of 2016 — and thank goodness for that. If it wasn’t for Lloyd, Richmond fans would want to wipe the entire year from the archives. But the last minute against the Swans in Round 8 — when the ball landed in Jack Riewoldt’s lap in the centre square via the “bounce of God”, who passed to Ben Griffiths who found Lloyd with seven seconds left — will live in the memory for a long time. It’s history that Lloyd steered his shot from 45m straight over the goal umpire’s hat to give the Tigers a crazy one-point win.
NIC NAITANUI (WEST COAST)
Nic Nat’s matchwinning goal against GWS wasn’t after the siren but it was about as close as you can get, with the bell sounding two seconds after the Eagles ruckman gathered a loose ball at a stoppage and snapped a miracle goal. The Giants looked home when a Rory Lobb goal put them a goal in front with a minute to play, but a hurried Josh Hill behind set the stage for Nic Nat’s heroics. Sadly a week later he ended the Eagles’ win against Hawthorn on crutches after a knee injury that will keep him out of action for most of 2017.
BRODIE GRUNDY (COLLINGWOOD)
Only Richmond. The Tigers had this Round 2 encounter in their keeping with 15 minutes to play when Trent Cotchin gave a cheeky sledge to Adam Treloar. But the Magpies roared to life, kicking three quick goals as Richmond went into panic mode. Then Nick Vlastuin inexplicably handballed instead of kicking out of defence and Darcy Moore put the deliberate our of bounds free kick to the top of the goalsquare. Somehow the ball fell into the lap of Grundy who wobbled a kick through the goals with four seconds left to send the Collingwood army bananas. The Tigers’ season never recovered.
JACK MACRAE (WESTERN BULLDOGS)
The last score of the match was scored by Tory Dickson, who hit the post after the siren, but Macrae was the ice man. Scores were tied in a gripping preliminary final when the Bulldogs midfielder marked at the 27:57 mark of the final quarter. His shot was never in doubt. Devon Smith had a chance to level the scores again but missed, leaving Dickson to complete one of the season’s feel-good victories.
JACK FITZPATRICK (HAWTHORN)
Hawthorn surprised the footy world by offering axed Demon Jack Fitzpatrick a lifeline but the Hawks recruiting department know what they’re doing — the move paid off massively in Fitzpatrick’s first appearance for the year in the final home-and-away round. Fitzpatrick tied the scores with two minutes remaining with a remarkable running goal from the centre square at the MCG, then Paul Puopolo scrambled the matchwinning behind with 33 seconds left to seal — or steal — a top-four spot.
JACK WATTS (MELBOURNE)
Watts silenced his doubters in 2016, most emphatically against Gold Coast in Round 19 when he steered through a 45m set shot to put the Dees back in front in an error-riddled contest, then drifting into defence to take a match-saving mark. But he was almost upstaged by Tom Lynch who’s shot on the siren landed next to the goalpost.
JASON JOHANNISEN (WESTERN BULLDOGS)
JJ was playing his first game in two months after starting the season in a blaze of glory before pulling his hamstring. The Bulldogs were two points behind Sydney in Round 15 when Johannisen marked a Marcus Bontempelli pass 45m from goal. He calmly iced the set shot and the siren sounded seconds later.
LIAM JONES (CARLTON)
One of the AFL’s whipping boys was included in the Blues team for a trip to Perth in Round 5. He became the unlikely hero when he intercepted a wayward Lachie Neale kick deep in defence with a minute to go. His goal put the Blues four points up, a margin they protected for their first win of the year — and the Dockers’ fifth straight loss.
PAUL PUOPOLO (HAWTHORN)
The Hawks survived a string of heart-stopping games, with Poppy bobbing up to steal the win against Adelaide in Round 5. Puopolo received a free kick (a recurring theme) after Crows defender Brodie Smith fell into his back. He split the middle from a tight angle to give the Hawks a three-point lead and they held on for another 18 seconds to take the four points.
MATTHEW KREUZER (CARLTON)
Port seemed home in Round 8 when it led by 17 points with just 10 minutes left but goals to Liam Jones and Liam Sumner put the Blues within striking distance before Kreuzer’s snap lifted the roof off Etihad Stadium. He put Carlton two points in front with the 2:34 on the clock and it would be the last score of the game.
JAMES SICILY (HAWTHORN)
The young Hawk announced himself with three last-quarter goals against the Bulldogs in Round 3 and was also part of one of the iconic images of the season. As Sicily marked with a minute left on the clock Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy clutched his knee, wrecking it in the final matchwinning play. Sicily nailed the set shot from 50m to give the Hawks a three-point win.
JACK STEVEN (ST KILDA)
Youngster Jake Gresham set the scene for a miracle win with his sidestepping goal on the boundary line, then Steven made it reality with a scrambled soccer off the ground to put the Saints three points ahead. The Cats pressed for the final five-and-a-half minutes in Round 14 but couldn’t find a way to score.
CYRIL RIOLI (HAWTHORN)
In June the Hawks got out of jail again, this time in Sydney. Rioli is known for his crumbing efforts but he showed he can also kick a set shot goal from 50m to inflict the Swans’ third loss for the year after leading in the last 90 seconds of the game.
MASON WOOD (NORTH MELBOURNE)
We’re not sure this really counts but Wood did kick a goal after the siren to ensure a narrow Kangaroos win after he stood like a statue as the countdown clock ticked down against the Saints in Round 7. After the Saints had come from 26 points down at the 10-minute mark of the final term to level the scores, Wood’s goal gave the Roos a seven-point win after Todd Goldstein kicked a point from a controversial free kick against Tom Hickey.
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