Ex-NRL player Mark McLinden revealed as Grand Final pitch invader

The former NRL star who tried to chain himself to a post during the Grand Final says he has no regrets about making a stand for climate action.

Former Canberra Raiders NRL star Mark McLinden has spoken of his plans to lock himself around the goalposts during Sunday night’s grand final.

And he has vowed to continue his climate action protests.

Security guards thwarted McLinden’s extraordinary plan after he invaded the field during the second half of Penrith’s 28-12 win over Parramatta. He was arrested and charged before telling News Corp on Tuesday night the full extent of his plans.

The former rugby league teenage prodigy, now 43, jumped onto the Accor Stadium surface with football boots on and made a beeline for the goalposts on the southern end of the ground.

He had a bike chain on his neck.

“On the night, with the climate action message on my T-shirt, my intention was to jump the fence, run past security, clear the barrier near the dead-ball line, rip the post-pad off and lock on to it with a chain around my neck,” McLinden told News Corp.

Mark McLinden tries to evade secruity.

But security guards eventually caught up with him.

“As it happened, the security were quick to act and my legs don’t carry me as fast as they used to. I knew the odds were against me but so are the odds of preserving a stable climate. I chose to act, regardless of the likelihood of success.

“I was taken in to custody and have accepted any and all consequences for standing up for our children’s future. While I regretted the prospect of stopping play, the action I attempted and others like it around the world appear to be the only hope for influencing governments to act.”

Play continued at the far end of the field as security guards wrestled with McLinden. He managed to remove the advertising from one goalpost pad and avoided the first wave of security before other officers swarmed.

He was wearing a shirt which read “end gas, oil and coal” on the front.

“I took the field in the hope that I could stop play long enough for a message to be read,” McLinden said. “That message being that we must end coal, gas and oil faster than our governments have planned in order to preserve a stable climate for our kids to enjoy. This is not my message alone, this is the message that the world’s top climate scientists are saying.”

McLinden was fined $5000 and received a ban from attending matches.

He played 165 matches for Canberra between 1998-2004.

Some man just ran onto the pitch and tried to tear off the padding on the goalposts. #NRLGFpic.twitter.com/2cGNmsgNgP

— Brendan Bradford (@1bbradfo) October 2, 2022

Despite this, he was vowed further activism.

“I cannot give up,” McLinden said.

“Inaction and despair are not options. I give you my word that I will do everything I can to ensure your children and grandchildren enjoy an environment as close to stable as we have been lucky enough to enjoy. Even if it means a delay of footy games.”

Police confirmed a 43-year-old man from Mullumbimby was arrested and issued with an infringement notice for enter competition playing field.”

McLinden has made no secret of his views on climate change, posting a missive on his Facebook page during the opening half of Sunday night’s game.

The post has a time stamp of 8.04pm – the game kicked off just after 7.30pm.

“The world’s climate scientists have concluded that the continuing burning of coal, gas and oil is causing catastrophic ecosystem loss and climate change,” he wrote.

Mark McLinden during his playing days.

Mark McLinden rips padding off a post during the NRL Grand Final.

Originally published as Ex-NRL player Mark McLinden revealed as Grand Final pitch invader