AFL legend Saverio Rocca stops brazen Christmas robbery

Champion AFL goalkicker Saverio Rocca chased down and stopped a shoplifter in Melbourne’s north on Sunday morning.

Champion AFL goalkicker Saverio Rocca has chased down and stopped a shoplifter in Melbourne’s north.

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Seven reported the Collingwood and North Melbourne favourite turned NFL punter was at JD Sports at Preston’s Northland Shopping Centre on Sunday morning when the incident took place.

The 51-year-old, who kicked 748 goals to rank 16th all-time in the V/AFL, didn’t even need to catch the younger alleged thief to get him to give up.

“I saw a guy, maybe mid 20s, rip out clothes from a shop assistant and I said to the girl, ‘is he stealing that’ and she said yes,’’ Rocca told the Herald Sun.

“I asked him to give them back and he said ‘nah, I’m leaving’ and he started running.

Saverio Rocca (pictured) chased down and stopped a shoplifter in Melbourne’s north. (Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )

“Stupid me, I started chasing him and I was running out the door yelling a few F-words and I said ‘if I catch you I’ll fix you up’. He decided to drop all the clothes and said all right.

“We didn’t come in contact, we just exchanged a few words and I picked up the clothes and dropped them back. If he had have kept going I don’t think I could have kept up much longer.”

The Herald Sun reported Rocca was given 40 per cent off a pair of shoes for his efforts.

It is not the first time a 1990s footy favourite has taken the law into his own hands this year.

Back in August, Carlton coach Michael Voss chased down two alleged car thieves while getting a coffee.

Originally published as AFL legend Saverio Rocca stops brazen Christmas robbery