'He's shattered': Collingwood runner's heartbreak over costly mishap
A Collingwood runner has left the MCG in tears after inadvertently setting up a goal that helped West Coast win the AFL grand final.
The cruel moment occurred in the third quarter of Saturday’s decider when VFL player and Pies runner Alex Woodward got in the way.
CRUCIAL ROLE: The Justin Langer speech that was the ‘last piece’ for the Eagles
‘ABSOLUTE RUBBISH’: Collingwood fans fume over controversial finish
SHORT AND SWEET: Scott Pendlebury’s runner-up speech divides fans
Pies player Jaidyn Stephenson collided with Woodward and couldn’t get to the ball, resulting in an easy intercept mark for Elliot Yeo inside his forward 50.
Yeo made no mistake from the set kick, giving West Coast their first lead of the game.
“That has cost them a big opportunity,” Brian Taylor said in commentary at the time.
Collingwood did manage to get back in front, but eventually lost by five points, making the runner mishap all the more brutal.
AFL great Wayne Carey said Woodward was in tears at full-time.
“He was inconsolable walking off the ground,” Carey told Channel 7.
“Big moment, Stevenson probably could’ve got across to spoil.
“Just a little thing in a game that goes down to the wire that means so much.
“I feel for him.”
Hamish McLachlan also expressed his sympathy.
“You can’t imagine starting the day thinking you’ll leave the ground in tears because of a split-second moment,” he said.
Channel 7 cameras then captured Nathan Buckley embracing Woodward in the sheds as the runner broke down in tears.
“He’s shattered, he’s blaming himself,” Buckley said in his post-match press conference.
“But he can’t be blaming himself, things happen in life and in football.”
Woodward has suffered a torrid time in his footy career, undergoing four knee reconstructions and struggling to reach the heights he probably should have.
Oh I feel for Alex Woodward at moment. Before people start the abuse look up his back story. 4 knee reconstructions stopped him from playing more at the top and Buckley 😇 got him in as the runner. You can’t put that turnover as strictly on him & he didn’t cost the pies the game.
— Tamsyn Lewis Manou (@tamsynlewis) September 29, 2018
In fairness, Alex Woodward should be playing, not running for, an AFL team!!#AFLGF
— Megan Hustwaite (@MeganHustwaite) September 29, 2018
How much bad luck can Alex Woodward possibly have!? #AFLGF
— Erin Marie (@ErinLMarie) September 29, 2018
One of the greatest grand finals of all time?
West Coast won their fourth AFL premiership, holding off Collingwood in an epic grand final.
Dom Sheed’s nerveless goal from an acute angle with two minutes left put the Eagles ahead and they held on to win 11.13 (79) to 11.8 (74) on Saturday at the MCG in front of 100,022 fans.
It is the Eagles’ first flag since 2006 and they have laid to rest the ghosts of their horror grand final loss three years ago to Hawthorn.
Eagles midfielder Luke Shuey won the Norm Smith medal for best afield with 34 possessions, 19 of them contested, and eight clearances.
He also took a crucial mark in the last minute as Collingwood desperately tried to clear out of defence for one final scoring chance.
West Coast overcame the loss of star players Nic Naitanui (knee reconstruction) and Andrew Gaff (suspension), plus several other injuries and it comes a year after coach Adam Simpson was under pressure to keep his job.
with AAP