The Sydney Swans are attempting to track down a fan who was filmed taking the ball Lance Franklin kicked his iconic 1000th goal with.
“I’ve got the pill!” the man is heard crying, with footage of the incident quickly going viral.
With Franklin just the sixth man – and possibly the last ever – to reach the mark, the ball is destined to become an iconic piece of sporting memorabilia.
Taking to Twitter on Saturday morning, the Swans urged the fan to return the Sherrin, offering a meet-and-great with Franklin in exchange.
A precedent was set earlier this year by NFL legend Tom Brady, who offered a reward of one BitCoin – valued at $59,900 AUD – for the ball he threw his final touchdown with, before opting to come out of retirement.
The Swans are reportedly working with stadium security and broadcaster Channel 7 to help track down the fan.
Franklin joined AFL legends Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry, Jason Dunstall, Doug Wade and Gary Ablett Senior to reach the 1000 goal mark, with his fourth major of the evening on Friday night against Geelong.
Pandemonium erupted at the SCG, with play held up for half an hour as fans swarmed the stadium as part of a long-standing AFL tradition.
Hi Pfitzy
Guest
Much ado about nothing...
Daffyd
Roar Rookie
Mr X has cleared out with property that doesn’t belong to him. The police would probably not care for $100 of footy… But if he tries to sell it for $5,000 they might. And then there is the issue of provenance. Sure the photo of Mr X catching the ball is there. But how can a buyer be sure it’s *that* ball. After all X could sell another dozen or so if he wanted to… So long as he’s careful in his wording of his ad. The solution is simple. He and the Swans do an exchange. Mr X returns Buddy’s footy, and in return X gets another Sherrin. Signed by Buddy on one side, with acknowledgement of his 1000 goal milestone, and the other side of the ball, signed by the Swans team. It will look great on his mantle. And the ball will even be worth something simply because of the notoriety, and it will also have provenance because of the signatures And Buddy will get the footy he kicked his 1,000 goal with. Providing Mr X returns the real footy
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Probably. But finders keepers.
Ben
Guest
Buddy loves his pills
Davico
Roar Pro
It is actually theft. It states clearly on the ticket that nothing is to be removed from the ground. He has ZERO ownership rights over the ball
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
The young fella should get a few photos and then auction the ball off for charity. The Swans can bid for it!!
Virgil
Roar Rookie
Once the game starts, di the swans retain property rights over the ball? More so, has a case ever been prosecuted for taking a ball from an AFL game?
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Run Forest Run……. :silly:
Opps74
Roar Rookie
All these things eventually work out...I'm sure buddy will get his footy...if the guy is a genuine footy fan he will accept the swans offer of meeting buddy etc and hand it back...everyone talking how much he can get for it...isn't his to sell or hold for best offer...just do the right thing
Nick
Roar Guru
It's not finders keepers. The ball is the property of the swans... They provided the balls for the match last night. It's not like baseball where you do legally own the ball once caught.
JudgeMental
Roar Rookie
Cheers - understand your point completely, and agree. First world problem, indeed.
sheek
Roar Guru
JudgeMental, The Roar have made my response disappear. The banner headline has changed. It originally referred to Channel 7 not doing anything to remove the head that partly obscured the view of the goal being kicked.
Davico
Roar Pro
Just waiting on all the VFL peeps to pipe up about how the contract was a waste like they did when it was signed???
Simoc
Guest
Probably from a legal viewpoint he has stolen the football. But someone was going to get it.
JudgeMental
Roar Rookie
What is your point there? Seeing the 1000th goal is the first world problem? Getting the ball and keeping it is the first world problem? Mooty clearly gets it. Maybe it is obvious to everyone except me what you mean.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Sorry Swans, it’s his ball now.
Danno
Roar Rookie
Not for the police , as authentication/proof that this is the actual ball that buddy kicked for whoever wants to buy the ball of him
Mooty
Roar Rookie
Police have more important things to do than look for him
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Better camera work than channel 7 by the way. Give that person a job !
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Haha that was a great effort and very amusing. Gotta be worth at least $10k :laughing: