Jamie Elliott’s goal for Collingwood against Essendon at the MCG on Sunday will be remembered forever.
With his side two points down with 33 seconds remaining, Elliott took a mark close to the boundary just inside 50. He turned his back on goal, knowing that he would be taking the final kick of the game.
Elliott nailed it, delivering the Magpies a four-point win and setting the agenda for the Monday morning conversations.
Garry Lyon rated it as one of the best goals in footy history.
“What happened at the MCG yesterday is going to be at the top of most people’s list,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.
“Particularly that last minute and a half.
“To the moment that ‘Billy’ Elliott just went back and kicked one of the greatest goals in the history of footy. I say that without any fear of going over the top.”
Despite the fact Elliott did not look in-board for perhaps a better option, Lyon loved how he took on the responsibility.
“He turned his back and the siren hadn’t sounded, so I was watching and was thinking, ‘at least turn around’,” he added.
“Everyone talks about not turning your back, particularly in this instance.
“He just turned his back and said I will take this responsibility upon myself and when he kicked it, he had the look of a bloke who said, ‘Yep, that’s what I’m there to do’.”
Lyon added: “I love how Elliott conducted himself in the post-match interview.
“He just looked like a man who accepted the responsibility and I thought there was a nice humility about it.”
His former coach Nathan Buckley added: “He is a very shy fella and he is very humble.”
While Elliott’s goal was the match-winner, was it as good as the ripper Josh Daicos kicked in the first quarter?
He beat two Essendon players on the half-forward flank, before he took two bounces, cut inside and snapped truly from the pocket.
It posed the question - Would you vote for Daicos or Elliott’s goal as Goal of the Year?
Buckley: “Traditionally, we always go to the Daicos one, don’t we?
“We just think a set shot, there’s less at-ball pressure, so there’s no physical pressure on Jamie Elliott, but there is an expectation.
“You couldn’t have greater pressure on the execution.”
Lyon: “The physical act of kicking that from 50 metres from the boundary, even at any time of the game it’s a hard kick.”
Buckley: “In terms of pressure, yeah.”
Lyon: “When you add what was riding on it.”
Buckley: “I still think the Daicos goal would be seen as a greater candidate for Goal of the Year.
“But if you’re actually talking about the best goal of the day, it was clearly Jamie Elliott.”
Lyon: “The goal of the day might be Jamie Elliott, the Goal of the Year might be Josh Daicos.”
Check out both goals below:
Josh Daicos delivers an absolute beauty with dad watching on 🔥#AFLPiesDons pic.twitter.com/TtJfIwc6mP
— AFL (@AFL) July 24, 2022
UNBELIEVABLE 🤯
— AFL (@AFL) July 24, 2022
JAMIE ELLIOTT WINS IT AFTER THE SIREN!#AFLPiesDons pic.twitter.com/IjAIukwYWr