Lions’ McGrath recalls iconic Gabba goal 10 years on

Oliver Caffrey | June 23, 2023

Hours after slotting one of the most famous goals in AFL history, Ash McGrath’s dream day continued.

Already buzzing after a life-changing 200th game, the Brisbane Lions premiership player swapped his fortune from the Gabba to one of the Queensland capital’s pubs.

“What happened at the Story Bridge (Hotel) when I first walked in, I chucked $20 in the pokies and ended up … pulling out $1300,” McGrath told The Roar Deal podcast earlier this month.

McGrath always intended to mark his milestone match by having a “few quiet drinks” with Lions teammates following the Sunday twilight game.

But midway through the third quarter of Brisbane’s round-13 game of 2013 against Geelong, the gathering was looking like being more of a wake than a celebration.

Down by 52 points, the 14th-placed Lions were getting humbled at home by a powerful Geelong line-up that had won three premierships in the previous six seasons.

Two late goals in the third quarter reduced the deficit to 38 points at the final break.

But never in anyone’s wildest dreams could they have imagined what was to come – a fightback that earned the title ‘The Miracle On Grass’.

The struggling Lions came alive with seven goals in the final quarter to cut Geelong’s lead to five points in the dying seconds.

In a sequence of events that still defies belief 10 years on, the ball landed in McGrath’s arms 50 metres out from goal just before the fulltime siren sounded.

“When I took the mark, I actually cramped up in my left leg, my left calf,” McGrath told The Roar Deal.

“I just remember (Lions teammates) Dayne Zorko, Brent Moloney and Ryan Harwood coming up and saying, ‘Please kick this goal’.

“Ryan Harwood actually said to me, ‘Mate, how good are the beers going to taste if you put this through’.

McGrath launched the the ball through for a goal to give the Lions one of the most improbable victories in VFL/AFL history.