New Carlton hero Jack Newnes says he channeled Robbie Gray's thoughts when he stepped up to win the match for the Blues against Fremantle.
The 27-year old told AFL Nation post-match that he used Gray's round seven matchwinner against the Blues as inspiration for his own post-siren set shot.
“When Robbie Gray kicked his goal he said he wanted to make really good contact with the ball, so I just had that in the back of my head," he said.
“I think we had a couple of chances before my shot so I knew I had to nail my one.
"I fortunately made good contact and we won the game which is fantastic for the club."
Newnes said he didn't know how he found himself on the end of the free kick and said the umpire came in handy when the photographer on the boundary line obstructed his run up.
“The umpire said it was for me, I didn’t know there was ten seconds left, if I did I probably wouldn’t have taken it," he said.
“It was a short run up from that angle so I asked (the photographer) to move and he was just staring at me giving me donuts.
“Then the umpire came back up and said he had to get out of the way."
In his first season at the Blues since crossing from St Kilda, Newnes says his side took a while to get going but felt they deserved the win.
“They were cutting through us and we copped a bit of a bake at quarter time and it rammed us up a little bit," he said.
“I felt we really got going in that third quarter and started playing the way we wanted to play.
“I felt like we deserved to win and fortunately we did.
“I’m just glad to get away with one and move onto next week."
Newnes played 155 games in eight seasons with the Saints before being delisted.
The Blues travel to Darwin to face the Gold Coast Suns at TIO Stadium on Friday Night.