A pitch invader with a noticeable hole in his underwear provided a light-hearted moment in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final.
With the Melbourne Demons well on the way to securing their first flag since 1964, the man entered the arena at Perth‘s Optus Stadium.
He was unable to escape nearby security on the ground, as the party started in earnest for Demons fans.
And after waiting 57 years to hoist the trophy aloft, the premiership celebrations are tipped to be significant.
The pitch invader being chased by security during the 2021 AFL Grand Final match between the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium on Saturday
The man showed some impressive early pace, before the guards swarmed in large numbers
Despite being cornered by security, the man was all smiles before he was escorted away from the field
The man (pictured) was quickly removed by a team of security guards at Perth’s Optus Stadium
The Demons were first on the scoreboard with two behinds before Christian Petracca extended their lead to boot the first goal of the contest.
Luke Beveridge’s Bulldogs fought back strongly in the second quarter, finding themselves eight points up at halftime.
An emphatic third quarter set up the Demons to finally end their premiership drought, with the end margin 74 points.
Pre-game, Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan arrived via train proudly donning a Demons scarf as he posed for photos with fans.
Footage of McGowan openly showing his allegiances to the Demons surprised Channel 7 commentators.
‘He’s made a statement there, I did not expect that,’ James Brayshaw said.
Abbey Holmes added: ‘That’s controversial.’
The sell-out crowd also enjoyed a pre-match entertainment line-up of Australian chart-topping anthems from the likes of Eskimo Joe and John Butler ahead of the first bounce at 7.15pm (AEST).
But not everyone watching at home was impressed, with some calling the musical entertainment ‘worse than Meatloaf’ – referring to American singer Meatloaf putting in a widely panned 12-minute performance at the 2011 AFL Grand Final at the MCG.
Bulldogs cult hero Bailey Smith had an unusual preparation when he arrived at the ground separately from his teammates after leaving his official player accreditation lanyard at the team hotel.
In AFL obsessed Melbourne, fans have gathered at a number of private venues to watch the big game – despite warnings from health officials to stay home.
It came after Victoria recorded 847 newly acquired Covid cases and one death on Saturday, the highest daily infection spike during the pandemic.
Once the fulltime siren went, the Demons players celebrated as a unit after breaking their premiership drought of 57 years
Luke Jackson of the Melbourne Demons celebrates with fans after scoring a goal during his team’s Grand Final win
A crowd of other 60,000 made their way to Optus Stadium in Perth for the 2021 AFL Grand Final
Jack Viney started the match strongly for the Melbourne Demons, who were favourites pre-match
Source: Daily Mail