Sorry to bring you down right off the bat, but I’m working on a public holiday and feeling a little gloomy. Enter this delightful video from the AFL‘s annual Essendon v Collingwood ANZAC Day match, which I’ve been watching on repeat and laughing at for an hour.
The moment occurred about halfway through the second quarter of Tuesday’s arvo clash, when the Essendon Bombers were leading the Collingwood Magpies 33-28.
Things were tight and spicy, and clearly a Collingwood fan was feeling the pressure at this point.
With Essendon’s Kyle Langford heading over to the boundary line to take a free kick inside 50, the punter held the Sherrin out for him.
In a classic stitch-up, the bloke dropped the ball juuuust before Langford could grab it, meaning the Essendon player had to bend down to pick it up.
While Langford didn’t react in the moment, he proceeded to slot the goal. Then he turned around to give the cheeky Collingwood supporter credit for his excellent aim.
Watch the moment unfold below.
Kyle Langford has the last laugh 😂#AFLPiesDons pic.twitter.com/5tue0xNJvJ
— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 25, 2023
A real rollercoaster this one. The Collingwood fan really got Kyle Langford with that ball-dropping gag, but then it all turned around with the twist at the end. It’s a true classic in the player v punter genre.
But in another twist for this tale, Collingwood actually had the last laugh. The team pulled off a come-from-behind victory, clawing their way from 28 points down to snatch the W from Essendon.
Seven unanswered goals in the final quarter will do that.
Essendon v Collingwood is one of the classic footy rivalries, so I’m glad it’s extended into the player v punter multiverse too.
