A week after being denied a game-winning free kick in the dying seconds, Zac Bailey has drilled a goal after the siren to break the Brisbane Lions' winless start to the season.
After Brisbane's COVID-19 outbreak caused the Lions to remain in Melbourne, they came back from a 25-point deficit in the second quarter to prevail 11. 7. (73) to 11. 6. (72) winners against Collingwood in front of a stunned crowd at Marvel Stadium.
Trailing much of the night, the Lions made one final foray down the middle of the ground inside the final minute with veteran defender Daniel Rich nailing a precision pass to an unmarked Bailey 45m out directly in front with 20 seconds left, before he drilled the goal after the siren.
Following his incredible game-winning kick, Bailey revealed that he hadn't heard the siren.
"It's an amazing feeling. A bit unlucky last week with the finish, but to get a finish like that today was amazing," he told Seven.
"There was a lot of pressure obviously and I'm just glad I was able to put it through.
"I didn't hear the siren, it was pretty loud with Collingwood fans putting on the pressure. That's footy karma for you."
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan was thrilled with the win, saying that he was confident in Bailey nailing the game-winning kick due to the young gun's poised demeanour.
"That will go down in folklore I reckon," Fagan told Seven.
"You wouldn't be able to write a better script, I'm sure he would've gone back and kicked it last week.
"I'm very proud of our players. They're a gritty group, they have been for five years now."
It was a bitter defeat for the Magpies, who led at every change and looked to have the win in the bag when Joe Daniher missed a set shot from inside 30 min with under five minutes remaining.
Playing in his first match at Marvel Stadium since being traded to Brisbane, Daniher was lively up forward, finishing with 3.3 to go along with 18 disposals and eight marks.
With all the talk in the lead-up centred around reigning Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale being tagged out of the game, Brisbane's other midfielders stood up.
Jarryd Lyons led the Lions with 29 disposals and eight marks, while Hugh McCluggage finished with 28 disposals, with 11 of those disposals coming in a scintillating final term.
Brisbane came into the match undermanned in the ruck battle, and two-time Collingwood All-Australian Brodie Grundy fully capitalised, finishing with 28 disposals and 21 hitouts to advantage, becoming the first man in AFL history to achieve such numbers.
The Lions have one more match in Victoria, a Round Four clash against the Western Bulldogs at Mars Stadium in Ballarat, before they head home. Collingwood will return to the MCG to host the GWS Giants in Round Four next Saturday.
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