When the ball was bounced to start the annual Easter Monday clash between bitter rivals Geelong and Hawthorn, the centre square contained eight athletes, one umpire, one Sherrin and a rogue pigeon.

As the first quarter rolled on, the courageous rock dove continued to attend centre bounces and was undeterred by the myriad of studded boots that tore up the turf around it.

Although the winged invader was finally shooed to the sidelines, it did get us thinking about the weirdest and wackiest groups, individuals, items and beasts that have crossed the white line in the past.

With the game of Australian Rules Football now over 150-years-old and enjoying sesquicentennial status, we have almost certainly missed some of the game's strangest objects and intruders, so please, let us know your nominations in the comments.

Without further ado, here are the 11 most abnormal field occupants in our game's great history - besides Mark 'Jacko' Jackson.

5. Brass bands and rogue coins

For anyone that ever attended a game at the old Western Oval, you would be aware of the Bulldogs' perpetual half-time entertainment.

As the siren sounded and the players departed for oranges and some tactical restructuring, out came the trumpets, tubas and trombones of the Hyde Street Youth Band.

The band's standard routine consisted of some cheerful tunes as they paraded around the boundary line, but it was what trailed the ensemble that truly raised eyebrows.

Each time the band entered the Barkley Street ground, they were followed by a gigantic blanket that was designed to collect loose change from the outer. What wasn't planned for were the coins tossed by reprobates at the musicians rather than the quilt.