Nick Daicos opens his AFL scoring account with kick from range

Nick Daicos has taken to life in the AFL seamlessly and on Saturday night the young gun proved once again that the hype is real after kicking his first goal in senior footy.

The Pies have enjoyed a remarkable start to the 2022 season, with back-to-back wins allowing fans to swiftly forget their lowly 17th place finish last term.

Craig McRae’s side face their toughest test at the MCG in the Cats, with the visitors desperate to mark Joel Selwood’s landmark achievement of skippering the side for a record 2727th time – breaking Stephen Kernahan’s record.

Nick Daicos kicked his first goal in AFL with a sensational effort from range on Saturday night

The 19-year-old’s entrance into senior footy has been highly-anticipated among supporters

He proved that the hype is real with a stunning right-footed kick from inside 50 at the MCG

Yet Daicos set out to prove that while the likes of Selwood and Pies team-mate Scott Pendlebury have been standout performers of the last decade, he is the future. The 19-year-old son of Collingwood hero Peter made his presence known with a superb right-footed kick that sailed through the posts, just inside 50. 

Daicos was immediately surrounded by his team-mates in celebration of his incredible moment, the first of many special feats expected of the midfielder during his career. 

‘No sooner was that ball loose, it was in his grasp and he took half a step to finish,’ former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said on Fox Footy. 

‘He has started his career really well, really strongly. He is very clean, he finds the ball, he is a smart defender. 

‘He had the highest number of pressure points in round one, he has got it all. To see him do things like that in his third AFL game, it is pretty exciting.’ 

More to follow.