Nick Holman has kicked an emotional goal in his milestone 100th AFL game while wearing a special tribute to honour his late mum.
The 27-year-old’s mother Kylie died suddenly in the days after Christmas in 2021, suffering a heart attack that led to her son experiencing a crushing period of grief and anxiety.
WATCH IN THE VIDEO ABOVE: Suns players rush to celebrate with Holman after emotional goal.
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The Gold Coast Suns rallied around Holman and brought his father into the fold when, in Round 1 last year, the popular footballer played his first game since his mother’s death.
Gold Coast’s support for the Holman family reached a new level on Saturday night when they added his mother’s initials to his guernsey for his milestone game.
“Very special from the club,” he told Channel 7 in the lead-up to the clash with the Bulldogs in Darwin.
“They surprised me with that last night. Pretty emotional. It’ll be good to have her with me, as she always is, but even more.”
Holman made his AFL debut with Carlton but played just nine games before being delisted after two years.
He spent the next two years in the SANFL and received a lifeline from the Suns in late 2017, and he hasn’t looked back since.
“It’s been a long journey but a good one – one that I wouldn’t change, other than having mum here of course,” Holman said.
Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew choked back tears when asked about Holman in a pre-game interview.
“I don’t want to talk too much about him, I’ll get emotional,” he said.
“What he’s been through – we love him, we love the way he goes about it. We’re proud of him.”
Holman averages a shade over one goal every two games for his career but extended his current scoring streak to six games when he kicked a fitting goal against the Dogs.
He marked on the quarter-time siren and kicked truly, mobbed by his teammates after the ball sailed through.
“This is a moment of high emotion for that young man. It means a lot,” Channel 7 commentator Alister Nicholson said.