Collingwood runner in tears after a blunder gifted West Coast a goal in the AFL Grand Final

A team runner may have cost Collingwood the AFL Grand Final by getting in the way of a player when the ball was kicked to him.

The blunder by Alex Woodward gifted West Coast a goal in the middle of the third quarter to give the Eagles the lead for the first time since the start of the game.

Woodward got tangled up with forward Jaidyn Stephenson as he was running to take a mark from Taylor Adams in the Magpies back half.

Instead, West Coast midfielder Elliot Yeo was able to intercept the ball and score and easy goal, putting the Eagles up by two points.

The 25-year-old was ‘shattered’ by his costly mistake and was in tears after Collingwood went on to lose by just five points.

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley had to console him and was filmed giving him a hug before defending him in the post-match press conference.

‘Woody’s shattered and he’s blaming himself,’ he said.

‘The reason I grabbed him is he can’t be blaming himself. Things happen in life, things happen in football. He was trying to get out of the way and it didn’t work.’ 

Instead, West Coast midfielder Elliot Yeo was able to intercept the ball and score and easy goal, putting the Eagles up by two points

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley had to console him and was filmed giving him a hug before defending him in the post-match press conference

AFL legend Wayne Carey also felt sorry for Woodward, saying he saw him walking off the ground ‘inconsolable’. 

‘Walking off the ground for that big moment. Stephenson probably could’ve got across to spoil that ball, so once again that little thing in a game that goes down to the wire that means so much. You feel for that man. I feel for him.’

Woodward was drafted by Hawthorn in 2011 but only played two games because his knees kept getting injured.

He joined Collingwood’s reserve VFL team last season but ruptured his ACL for the fourth time, forcing him into an early retirement.