This is how it feels to kick first goal
WIL Powell’s stunning goal with the first touch of his AFL career has put him into an exclusive club at the Gold Coast Suns.
Powell didn’t waste time in adding the opening addition to his highlights reel, snapping his maiden senior goal from a tight angle with his first kick in his AFL debut against Collingwood at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
Gold Coast lost the Round 15 game 14.15 (99) to 8.12 (60).
The 19-year-old is the 267th player ever to record the feat at AFL level, the fifth to do it at the Suns and the only current member of Gold Coast’s list to achieve it.
Keegan Brooksby (2015), Josh Glenn (2015), Joseph Daye (2011) and Charlie Dixon (2011) all did it at the club while former Suns players Nathan Ablett (Geelong), Ryan Davis (West Coast) and Nick Malceski (Sydney) did it at their first clubs.
Suns assistant Andy Lovell also slotted a goal with the first kick of his career at Melbourne in 1988.
Powell recounted the first quarter passage of play that led to the biggest moment of his young career so far.
“I was on the wing at a stoppage and Dave Swallow gave the footy to Touk Miller,” Powell said.
“I was in the corridor ready for a little lead and realised Touk was going long to Peter (Wright).
“I saw the ball going over my head so I dashed back for a front and centre.
“The ball came to ground, Jack martin did his thing, picked it up cleanly, looked me in the eye and gave it over.
“I grabbed it with my left hand while running at full tilt with (Jack Crisp) on me and chucked it on my left boot and swung it in.
“I was confident when left my boot.”
Powell said he woke up yesterday morning still feeling the nerves of his first AFL game. it
“It was a massive privilege to put on the red and gold guernsey for the first time and run out with blokes you looked up to when you were a young tacker running around with a footy,” Powell said.
“Being out there with them on the big stage was a dream come true. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Powell spent most of the game matched up against Brayden Maynard between short stints on idol Scott Pendlebury and his midfield teammate Steele Sidebottom.