The instant it left his boot, Steele Sidebottom knew he'd nailed the biggest kick of his AFL career.
His booming 50-plus metre goal proved the match winner on Saturday as Collingwood beat Brisbane by four points in one of the all-time great grand finals.
The 32-year-old starred in his 309th AFL game and Sidebottom says this feels much better than Collingwood's 2010 premiership win, when he was the youngest player in the Magpies' side.
Sidebottom was paid a 50m penalty after a mark on the wing and that brought him within range during the frenetic last quarter on Saturday at the MCG.
Jordan De Goey had put the Magpies back in front with a goal only two minutes earlier.
As it turned out, they needed Sidebottom's insurance goal because Joe Daniher's was the last of the game.
Sidebottom said he considered passing to Nick Daicos, but the young gun was manned up quickly.
He faked cramp to buy a few seconds, then realised he had some wind at his back.
"From 80 I think it was, wasn't it?," Sidebottom joked.
"I just hit it sweet and here we are.
"How do you reckon it felt? Unbelievable.
"Usually my kicks go from left to right a little bit and (the wind) probably brought it back. It felt nice - I reckon I will remember that for a while.
"I didn't cramp and I just thought I will pretend to cramp to just kill a little bit of time. I just took my time because we were in front. Probably when I got there I realised there was a little bit of a wind and thought I'd have a bit of crack.
"Luckily it came off."
Sidebottom said this means more than 2010, given everything that has happened since.
"Obviously I was very young at the time when I won the first one," he said.
"I've experienced the lows on this day ... but for today to go the way it did, it's extra-special."
Sidebottom said Collingwood prepared during last week for the hot conditions and it paid off.
"The heat was on everywhere - the weather, Brisbane brought the heat, everything," he said.
"We really handled it well during the week and we have the best (fitness staff) in the business."
