SANFL trial game halted after big brown snake enters the field

Ah Australia — what a country — where even a game of footy can see the local venomous wildlife put the health of players at risk.

In a true ‘only in Australia’ moment an extra body on the ground has once again caused havoc at a North Adelaide SANFL game — but this time there was no need for a tribunal hearing.

The dangerously evasive recruit forced play to halt in the second quarter of the trial game between South Adelaide and the reigning premier Roosters at Noarlunga Oval after a boundary umpire saw it sneak into the forward pocket at the southern end of the ground.

As the players quickly parted, the large brown snake slithered across the ground and officials decided to take the halftime break a bit earlier than the timekeepers had planned as they called in the services of a snake catcher.

The evasive pitch invader makes its way across Noarlunga Oval during the trial game between South Adelaide and North Adelaide. Picture: South Adelaide Football Club

South Adelaide chief executive Neill Sharpe said it didn’t take long for the players to react when the venomous intruder started making its way across Noarlunga Oval.

“The boundary umpire noticed it and then the players noticed it and it was right on halftime, so we decided to go in (to the rooms),” Sharpe said.

“It made its way across the oval and by that time we had called the snake catcher and they came and grabbed it.

“The girl who turned up to grab the snake just jumped out of the car, picked it up by the tail and put it in a bag and it was all done.

“The players couldn’t quite believe it and nobody was too keen to go near it.”

Brown snake on the ground at the south v north game #sanfl pic.twitter.com/1fpDyiOyr4

— Kelly (@Kelly06928395) March 16, 2019

As for the game, the Roosters finished in front, 13.8 (86) to 11.7 (73).

The Roosters infamously fielded a 19th man in the final quarter of 2018’s preliminary final win, the incident resulting in an extraordinary SANFL Commission sitting and independent tribunal hearing. They went on to win the grand final.