St Kilda star Nicola Stevens misses from a metre out, costing team the win
Footy fans couldn’t quite believe their eyes as an AFLW star missed one of the easiest goals that cost her team a much-needed win.
There have been some absolute howlers over the years in the AFL of players botching what should have been simple goals.
AFL superstar Matthew Pavlich once tripped over his own feet as he was running towards an open goal, Geelong legend Cameron Ling butchered one from 2m out in a kick that missed the lot and sailed out on the full.
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On Saturday a new contender entered the discussion and while it takes the cake as the worst miss in AFLW history, it might just be brutal enough to land a podium on the all-time leaderboard.
St Kilda held a four-point lead in the dying minutes against Collingwood and launched into attack after a Sabrina Frederick behind.
Collingwood were opened up and exposed after some quick handballs and a kick from the wing inside 50 saw St Kilda player Nicola Stevens in a paddock of her own.
Stevens ran after the ball, got a kind bounce and simply had to just jog to the goal line and let the footy dribble off her boot over the goal line.
Instead Stevens pulled up maybe a metre or two short of the line and shanked her kick to the right and watched it float through for a behind.
She slumped to the ground as Saints fans in attendance were left in disbelief at what they’d just witnessed.
“Has all the forward 50, she’s all alone. Just needs a kind bounce, she’s run onto this Nicola Stevens. No one near her she’ll run into an open goal … and she has made an absolute meal of it,” commentator Jess Webster said on Fox Footy.
To make matters even worse for Stevens, the Pies snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as they claimed the two-point win at RSEA Park.
Footy fans watching on couldn’t quite believe their eyes over the miss that cost the Saints the win and saw their losing streak extend to four games.
this is a horrific miss #AFLWSaintsPiespic.twitter.com/3obgNQzOed
— Leonardo Puglisi (@Leo_Puglisi6) October 1, 2022
Oh wow... that missed goal with 3 minutes to... Just wow... How do you miss that?! #AFLWSaintsPies
— Michael Atkinson (@kinson88) October 1, 2022
Omg. Thatâs the worst miss to potentially seal a game in the history of sport ð« Please donât cost us the game. #AFLWSaintsPies
— Tim Rosen (@timrosen35) October 1, 2022
"made an absolute meal of it" says the commentator... that might actually be putting it gently.
— Michael Atkinson (@kinson88) October 1, 2022
This is one of the all time misses, in any sport. https://t.co/9zrDYRGE8T