Josh Gibson explains why he was so emotional after that heartbreaking loss to Collingwood

Former Hawthorn star Josh Gibson has revealed he momentarily got ahead of himself at three-quarter-time of the 2011 preliminary final, admitting he started thinking about playing in the grand final the following week.

That dream was shattered in heartbreaking fashion by Collingwood, who won the match by three points.

Gibson was visibly emotional after the loss and opened up about why on 3AW’s Footy: Then and Now podcast ahead of Hawthorn’s clash with Collingwood this week.

“I’ve never really spoken about this, but I remember walking out from three-quarter-time thinking ‘s***, I could play in a grand final here’,” Gibson explained.

“You quickly whack yourself and get yourself focused on the task again …  but for one moment there I was thinking grand final.”

Gibson explained why he was so emotional after the loss.

Press PLAY below to listen to Josh Gibson on Footy: Then and Now

‘Footy: Then and Now’ is a weekly podcast that gets you excited for the weekend ahead by revisiting famous VFL/AFL moments with the people who shaped them. Follow/Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, and Google Podcasts

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)