Ollie Florent's brutal response as Sydney Swans botch game-winner

The moment Ollie Florent connected with what would be the final kick in Sydney's clash against Port Adelaide, it looked for all money as though the 24-year-old had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The siren rang out at the SCG as the ball travelled through the air, an accurate shot that sailed above the goalposts.

The Sydney crowd erupted - as did Callum Mills, who began sprinting towards Florent as the shot was in the air. But then it began to drop and pandemonium erupted on the goal line.

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Buddy Franklin hit the deck, Mills was nowhere to be found and it meant former Swans defender Aliir Aliir became a hero in a split second, his athletic leap and spoil preventing a Swans score and brutal defeat.

In an excruciating scene, it took a few moments to register both for the crowd and Florent on field that their celebrations had been too hasty. Elation became despair in a heartbeat as Florent looked on in disbelief at the Power players mobbing Aliir in their own celebration.

The Power had seized a two-point lead just moments earlier, with Jeremy Finlayson kicking his third goal of the evening after juggling a mark with 90 seconds to play. Florent's final shot didn't go through for a minor score either, with the match ending in a 9.12 (66) to 9.10 (64) Power victory.

While there was no doubt Florent had gone the early crow with his celebration, it was Mills who came under substantial criticism after vacating the goal-line in celebration. Replays showed Aliir got a clean run at the footy in almost the exact spot where Mills could otherwise have blocked him.

“You see Cal Mills,” Cameron Ling observed on commentary. “Watch this here, he’s off. He vacates that line and that’s where Aliir comes to and makes the spoil.”

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, who had been the subject of much scrutiny throughout the week, quipped he was thanking his lucky stars that it wasn't Franklin taking the deciding kick. He said he believed Florent would have been right on the limit of his kicking range as he took the shot.

“He went a bit early didn’t he (Florent)?” Hinkley said. “I thought he’d be on his absolute limit.

“We’ve done a lot of preparation for moments. To defend the goal line really well was clearly critical.

“I thought the kick was going to maybe struggle to make the distance. I did look quickly and was glad it wasn’t Budwa.”

Sydney Swans slammed over last second error against Power

Though the Power were more than happy to head back to Adelaide with four points in hand and improving to an even win-loss record after four games, Sydney were left to rue the crucial error they had made. Having had a string start to the season, the Swans have now lost two in a row.

Former AFL player Jordan Lewis said Port Adelaide had done well to play the game until it was well and truly over. He pointed out that key forward Charlie Dixon was on the goal line as further tall timber available to prevent a Sydney goal.

“If you look back at that play, it was the Port Adelaide players who were in the moment, who knew what was at stake,” he said. “They probably knew it would fall short or be right on the limit so they had to have their taller players right on the line to affect that play.

“Mills celebrated, Bud (Franklin) got knocked over, (Pete) Ladhams got caught behind. We sit here and just can’t believe they’ve done it. It’s an extraordinary effort.”

Even the likes of Finlayson and Dixon admitted after the game that they too thought Florent had nailed the game-winning goal. Fox Footy commentator Brad Johnson said the same.

“It looked like a pure hit from Ollie Florent," Johnson said. “I’m thinking, ‘that’s game, it’s through’.

“The big boys for Port Adelaide got themselves set on the line and were able to keep it out. Ollie Florent’s on the ground celebrating with teammates and you’ve got the Power players jumping around in the goalsquare.

“Callum Mills actually had his hands in the air like, ‘it’s going through’. It looked well inside though. Buddy did what he had to do, taking out the Port player in front of him. But it left Aliir Aliir.”

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