Nick Riewoldt recalls tense final moments of 2010 qualifying final against Geelong
Nick Riewoldt has the prefect sledge up his sleeve to use on ex-Cat Cam Mooney. But the St Kilda champ has kept his powder dry for 10 years for two very good reasons.
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Nick Riewoldt has the perfect sledge to use on Cam Mooney every time he walks past the former Cat in the corridors at Fox Footy.
But he has kept his powder dry for a decade, and doesn’t plan on changing that even when social distancing rules are eased.
Mooney gave away a crucial free kick in the dying moments of the 2010 qualifying final against Riewoldt’s Saints, and was caught on TV microphones telling umpire Matt Stevic “you cost us the game” shortly before the siren sounded on the Saints’ four-point win.
Stevic ruled Mooney pushed James Gwilt in the back in a crunching tackle, allowing Cats skipper Cameron Ling to kick what he — and most of the 60,000-plus crowd — thought was the winning goal.
“I remember thinking, ‘Not again’,” Riewoldt recalls.
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“It felt like we had iced the game then out of nowhere up the other end Ling kicked the goal.
“Immediately my mind went back to the 2009 Grand Final when the ball rushed down the other end and Paul Chapman won them the game.
“I think it took a long time for everyone to realise Cam Money had given away a free kick, there was a fair bit of confusion out on the ground.”
The league ticked off the decision and Saints coach Ross Lyon was adamant after the game the free kick was there, but after watching the replay Riewoldt says Mooney may have been hard done-by.
“I don’t think there was much in it.”
The siren sounded after a throw-in on the Saints’ half-forward line, and Riewoldt — who kicked three goals in a low-scoring slog and had been going third-man up in the ruck for most of the final quarter — erupted in rarely seen jubilation.
“When you feel like you’ve won it, then you feel like you’ve lost it, then you’ve won it again — the celebration is a bit harder than for a run of the mill game of footy. I’ve got fond memories of that one.”
He says both teams were aware of the stakes at a rain-soaked MCG, with the winner dodging a rampaging Collingwood until Grand Final day.
The Saints earned the week off then defeated the Bulldogs to earn a right to face the Pies, who had knocked out the Cats in a preliminary final. The decider famously ended in a draw.
Riewoldt says it was a bizarre end to a “strange season” after he missed 14 weeks with a ruptured hamstring tendon.
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“Personally it was very difficult being captain and being out for 14 weeks, knowing we’d get the pointy end of the season because we were a pretty good team but not knowing whether I’d make it back.”
And there is another reason he doesn’t take aim at Mooney for his actions that Friday night.
“If I did he’d remind me about 2009. You’ve got to pick your battles.”