Darren Jolly wins a free-kick and boots the ball long down the wing like every good ruckman. The siren sounds and the Swans win the 2005 premiership by four points.
The 72-year-long drought is finally over.
It might not have the same ring as “Leo Barry, you star!” but that’s how the then closest grand final in 28 years would have panned out had the former Melbourne big man had his way.
“As we all saw the ball came out and Coxy (West Coast ruckman Dean Cox) gave me the biggest shove in the back of all time,” Jolly said, describing the tense final moments.
“Once the siren went it was just a huge emotion of relief.”
As the story goes, Cox marked and sent the ball back from whence it came only for Barry to pull off one of the most miraculous marks in football history.
Or “make up for kicking it to Cox in the first place” depending on which of his premiership teammates you ask.
Jolly, now 33, claimed the first of two premiership medallions, embraced beloved partner Deanne during the post-match euphoria and sent his close mater and comrade-in-arms, Jason Ball, off in the best possible way.
“Because Jason started his career by winning a premiership at the Eagles, I remember saying to him a couple of weeks earlier how good it would be to end his career with one,” Jolly recalled.
“Obviously, dreams can come true.”
Jolly himself finished up (with the Swans) after four more seasons.
The 237-gamer would go on to win a (never to be spoken of) flag with Collingwood, hit even more fame as a two-time contestant on Channel 9’s The Block and endure a cancer scare in which (thankfully) a benign cyst was removed from his head.
It has been one hell of a journey for a premiership hero who’s game could have been captured a little differently had the push in the back been paid.
“Ask anyone, the dream for any footy player is to play in a grand final on the MCG and win a premiership…I had achieved that,” Jolly added.
“The siren had gone, it was official. Nobody could take it off us.”
Darren Jolly
Recruited: Melbourne
Sydney Debut: Round 1, 2005
Games: 237 (Melbourne 48, Sydney 118, Collingwood 71)
Premierships: 2 (Sydney 2005 and Collingwood 2010)
2005 Grand Final Stats: 10 disposals (8 Kicks, 2 Handballs, 1 Mark, 12 Hit Outs, 1 Goal).
