Fan completes $100k kick of a lifetime

How often is it at live sports events do the people selected at random from the crowd to participate in the promotional events organised by sponsors at half-time to win a large sum of money actually pull through and successfully win themselves thousands of dollars?

Not very often would be the correct answer to that.

Take, for example, Blues fan Keaton Pronk's failed kick at goal from 15 metres out in the TAB's Blues Big Shot Challenge that took place at halftime during the Blues clash against the Waratahs at Eden Park three weeks ago.

Had he slotted his attempt at goal, he would have walked away $5000 richer.

Despite stories of failure like that being the reality for the majority of those who take part in halftime promotional activities, there is the occasional story of success where, against the odds, the thousands of dollars on offer are won by an average Joe picked at random from the crowd.

This was certainly the case for Australian television producer Paul Waterhouse, as described by SMH columnist Peter FitzSimons.

A producer for Australia's Channel Seven, Waterhouse is also a huge Aussie Rules fan, with his team of choice being the Greater Western Sydney Giants.

So while attending the Giants vs Swans local derby during round 12 of the AFL last month, you can imagine the nerves Waterhouse would have felt having been plucked from a crowd of 21,000 at Spotless Stadium to land a kick worth $AU100,000 ($NZ105,787) in the Toyo Tires' Kick For Cash promotion.

Waterhouse kept his nerves of steel intact, however, keeping his cool to take a kick and land it inside a stack of tires from 30 metres out, leaving the AFL-loving television producer, his wife and his year-old daughter $100,000 wealthier.