Collingwood forward Bobby Hill defies ‘Bermuda Triangle’ with goal of the year contender on Anzac Day

Collingwood forward Bobby Hill has made an early submission for the AFL goal of the year with a “ridiculous” effort from the boundary line during the traditional Anzac Day clash against Essendon.

The 2023 Norm Smith medallsit was unsighted in the first half, not registering a single stat as rain soaked the MCG on Friday.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Bobby Hill nails impossible goal from the pocket.

Hill finally got involved early in the third quarter, contributing twice to a chain of play that ended in his own hands with a shot at goal from deep in the pocket at the Punt Road end of the ground.

It’s a pocket that was made famous by West Coast midfielder Dom Sheed, who sunk Collingwood hearts with the match-winning goal from the impossible angle in that very spot on grand final day, 2018.

Hill’s shot on Friday was not quite as perfect, spraying across the face of goals for a point.

“You talk about this being the Dom Sheed pocket — Dom Sheed’s almost the only player that’s ever kicked one from there,” James Brayshaw said.

Brian Taylor added: “Yeah, it’s hard, it’s a really hard pocket. A strange little pocket, this one at the ‘G.”

Just before missing it, Brayshaw foreshadowed what would eventually happen — but not with this kick.

“If anyone’s going to do it, it’s Bobby Hill,” Brayshaw said before Hill missed the shot.

Matthew Richardson joked: “So you’re saying it’s the Bermuda Triangle, BT?”

Barely two minutes later, as though it were scripted, Hill pounced on a ground ball in the exact same spot and, this time on the run, snapping a freakish goal to arrest the lead back from Essendon.

“Here is Bobby Hill... that pocket! Broken play, he makes it work — that is ridiculous!” Brayshaw said of the goal.

Brayshaw, Taylor, Richardson and Dale Thomas were all in awe of what they’d just seen, especially given how difficult Hill himself had just proved kicking a goal from that spot to be.

Richardson: “You wouldn’t read about it!”

Taylor: “That can’t be true.”

Richardson: “That might be the end of the Triangle, that’s broken it.”

Taylor: “Nah, I don’t think so — that’s exceptional. That doesn’t break Bermuda, ever.”

Richardson: “Well, they needed him in the game, Bobby, and he’s come alive in the last couple of minutes.”

Thomas: “You just see the energy he got from those couple of touches before, and from the Bermuda Triangle, you’ve got to pay your respects, and he certainly did.”

Taylor: “That is, well, that’s a Bermuda goal. That is amazing.”