With the most clutch of set shot goals inside the final minute, Cale Hooker has helped deliver Essendon a heart-stopping come-from-behind win over Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Sunday.
With his team trailing by two points, Hooker drilled a 45m kick straight between the posts to break the hearts of the SUNS.
Jake Stringer took away the next centre clearance and added the icing with a 70m bomb for the visitors to win 16.10 (106) to 15.6 (96).
This was just after Chris Burgess looked to have snapped the SUNS' 13-game losing streak when he goaled around his body to give them the lead with 90 seconds remaining.
It was Essendon's fifth straight victory and locks it into seventh place on the ladder, two wins clear of eighth-placed Adelaide.
But it didn't come easy.
Gold Coast led by 17 points at quarter-time, 16 at the half and by 27 early in the third before Stringer was moved onball and completely changed the game's momentum.
The enigmatic former Bulldog finished with four goals from 14 disposals.
Shaun McKernan was also a forward line terror, kicking four goals and pulling in eight marks, while Dylan Shiel (28 disposals) and Zach Merrett (27) were prolific in the midfield.
The victory came in spite of a third quarter goal umpiring howler.
David Zaharakis took a set shot from 45m that, on replay, appeared to clear the goal line comfortably.
Sun Burgess leapt high, tapped the ball back into play and with no call from any umpire to review, play moved on without a review.
It cost Essendon a goal.
But from that moment on the Bombers surged, kicking the final six goals of the quarter to take an eight-point lead into the last term.
For the SUNS, Jarrod Witts led superbly, while Touk Miller (32 touches and one goal) played his best game of the season and teenager Ben King kicked a career-high four goals.
The opening half was Gold Coast's best stretch of footy since its first two quarters in a round 15 loss to Sydney.
The SUNS were energized from early on, and after conceding the game's first goal, slammed on the next five to lead by as much as 23 points.
In the same week he signed a two-year contract extension, Sam Day, who finished with three goals, was full of spring, while his sidekick Peter Wright (two) also looked dangerous around goals.
Witts was wreaking havoc around the stoppages.
One forward 50 tap directly to Brayden Fiorini resulted in the SUNS' first goal, while back-to-back centre clearances – one from his own boot – led to goals for Wright and Alex Sexton.
Veteran Jarrod Harbrow will have a nervous wait after being put on report for rough conduct following a second quarter bump on Matt Guelfi that left the Bomber momentarily dazed.
GOLD COAST 4.2 7.3 9.6 15.6 (96)
ESSENDON 2.6 4.5 10.8 16.10 (106)
GOALS
Gold Coast: King 4, Day 3, Wright 2, Fiorini 2, Sexton, Miller, Swallow, Burgess
Essendon: McKernan 4, Stringer 4, Brown 3, Parish, Shiel, Langford, McGrath, Hooker
BEST
Gold Coast: Witts, Miller, Fiorini, Harbrow, King, Hanley
Essendon: McKernan, Shiel, Redman, Merrett, Stringer, McGrath
INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
Essendon: Nil
Reports: Harbrow (Gold Coast) reported for rough conduct on Guelfi (Essendon) in the second quarter
Umpires: Chamberlain, Findlay, Heffernan
Official crowd: 15,759 at Metricon Stadium
