It was the premiership victory that broke the 43-year drought for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. A night in 2014 when dreams became reality, and in the middle of it all was fullback Greg Inglis. The defining moment of the historic win? GI’s post-80th minute try celebration dance – the goanna crawl.
Sending the crowd into a joyful frenzy, Inglis danced across the line. Cameras flashed and whirred, as pictures and videos of the event were captured and transmitted across the country. But where did Greg Inglis’ signature goanna crawl first come from?
He rang me up before a game [and said] "I'll give you $20 if you do the goanna"
Speaking after the match, he revealed the $20 motivation behind his trademark dance. It stemmed from a conversation he had with his cousin Michael Davis.
"My cousin said 'you need to come up with a new try celebration'. I was like 'what's that?' He said 'a goanna'. I said 'righto'. He rang me up before a game [and said] 'I'll give you $20 if you do the goanna'. When I first did it, it's just evolved from there.
It's a very spiritual animal.
"I like to express my heritage. As soon I crossed [at the premiership], I went for it.”
South Sydney chairman Nick Pappas also commented on the significance of Inglis’ moves, saying “The goanna crawl resonates very deeply with his Indigenous origins. It's a very spiritual animal. It was an apt celebration and a moment you couldn’t dream up. It’s really quite a remarkable thing.
“He’s got the physique to do it. A scrawny little guy doing it might look like a mosquito. Greg turns himself into this very formidable creature. It’s fitting because he’s become a formidable and admired member of this football club.”
