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.
This pigeon has nerves of steel 😂 pic.twitter.com/oulbtLprOH
— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 5, 2021
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.
Centre Bounces Attended :
Guthrie - 12
Selwood - 7
Mitchell - 11
O’Meara - 9Pigeon - 27 #AFLHawksCats #AFL
— Nick Rippon (@Nick_Rippon) April 5, 2021
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.
This pigeon has taken his seat. pic.twitter.com/rlegwGAOCd
— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 5, 2021
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.
9. Bat...woman? (1989)
For many, the 1989 VFL Grand Final was the greatest game of football that has ever been played.
Anyone with a basic knowledge of the game can recall Gary Ablett's nine goals, Mark Yates' bump on Brereton and the Hawks going back-to-back for the first time in their history, but what is often forgotten was the minor roll played by a topless caped crusader.
https://www.facebook.com/FOXFOOTY/videos/845734172504646/
Half way through the final quarter and with the game in the balance, Batwoman made her dash across the MCG's centre square, but with the ball continually rebounding between the arcs and the near 95,000 in attendance transfixed, nobody seemed to give a hoot.