A two-year-old girl who accidentally walked onto the field during an Australian rules football match was rescued by a player who carried the curious kid away from danger.
The unusual incident took place at the weekend during the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) Premier Division match between St Bernard’s and the the Old Melburnians.
In the middle of the game, the toddler, who was later identified as Pippa Biggs, appeared to have wandered away from her parents to join the action on the field.
The kid could have been hit by the footballers after play moved quickly towards her but St Bernard’s player Alex McLeod spotted the little pitch intruder just in time.
Instead of chasing after the loose ball McLeod immediately took the girl to his arms carrying her off the field.
“There are always plenty of kids down at St Bernard’s on a Saturday but I’ve never seen one so close to the boundary line — let alone having a run around with the seniors,” McLeod said after the game.
“Initially (I) thought that someone on the boundary would grab her, but she made a run for it and ended up on the half forward flank. Being the closest on the field I thought it was best to pick her up and get her out of harm’s way. The ball actually bounced towards her so there were a fair few players in the area,” he added.
VAFA released a statement saying that the little girl was “safe and sound” after the incident. “We can report the little girl left the game safe & sound as she looks forward to donning the Snow Dogs women’s jumper in about 15 years…”