Willie Rioli makes stunning revelation about iconic West Coast Eagles grand final moment involving Dom SheedSamantha RogersThe West AustralianMon, 7 July 2025 12:07PM
Willie Rioli has made the stunning revelation that he did not know West Coast teammate Dom Sheed was in the vicinity when he engaged Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard in the dying minutes of the 2018 grand final.
Rioli played a crucial role in the famous chain that led to the iconic premiership-winning goal by Sheed, which also involved Jeremy McGovern, Nathan Vardy and Liam Ryan.
Maynard argued vehemently with the umpire that Rioli had blocked him, as the pair competed at the drop of the ball inside 50 before Sheed went back with the flight to take an uncontested mark just inside the boundary.
RE-LIVE THE MATCH-WINNING CHAIN IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
Rioli admitted if it happened now, Maynard would likely be awarded a free kick but revealed that at the time, he “didn’t even know Dom was behind me”.
“Dommy was meant to be on the bench. We had the boards up of all the players that were meant to be off,” Rioli told Port Adelaide’s Peeled podcast.
“Dommy was actually running to the bench while McGovern took that mark. And then I think when McGovern marked it, he kind of started sprinting back towards us… he started sprinting back towards the goals, knowing he was free.
“I was up the ground and I sprinted back and then I realised I was in a one-on-one with Maynard at the time. I didn’t even know Dommy was there.
“Once I saw Liam marked it, I knew he was going to wheel and go to me. I was hoping he would kick it to my advantage, so that’s why I tried to kind of push him to protect the space, didn’t know Dommy was there.
“I thought it was just a one-on-one contest at the time. Once I had Maynard in the contest and he had my neck, I looked up and saw ‘oh, Dommy’s there’.”
Rioli said he knew Sheed, who announced his retirement last week after 165 games with the Eagles, would kick the goal, given it was the same angle as the race at the club’s old Subiaco Oval base.
The 30-year-old said he had seen Sheed nail the kick more often than not and knew he was far better placed than himself to kick it.
“I knew he was a left-footer and I knew it was a good side for a left footer,” Rioli said.
“I remember when he marked it, he turned and he looked like he was going to give the hands to me and I said ‘No, hold it, hold it, hold it.
“I backed him in straight away… it was in the perfect hands at the right time.”
Only five players from the 2018 premiership remain on West Coast’s list, with Sheed’s call following the medical retirement of McGovern last month.
Ryan, Jamie Cripps, Liam Duggan, Elliot Yeo and Tom Cole are still with the Eagles, while Rioli (Port Adelaide), Tom Barrass (Hawthorn) and Jack Darling (North Melbourne) are now at other clubs.
Rioli will face his former side on Sunday, as the Power (7-9) host bottom-of-the-ladder West Coast (1-15) at Adelaide Oval.
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