AFL pre-match drama as LIVE EAGLE escapes at Optus Stadium: ‘He went rogue’
- Auzzie the Eagle goes rogue before the AFL match
- Bird landed several times in the crowd
- Fans warned not to approach the eagle
West Coast coach Adam Simpson has jokingly suggested the smell of steak may have contributed to the club’s live eagle mascot making a dramatic escape before their AFL match with St Kilda.
As part of West Coast’s pre-match tradition, ‘Auzzie the Eagle’ performed a flight lap around Optus Stadium in front of 47,526 fans before Saturday’s match.
But after originally returning to her designated landing point in the center of the oval, the eagle quickly escaped and began flying to different parts of the 60,000-seat stadium.
The eagle landed among the crowd several times, spending a minute or two at each spot before flying away again.
An AFL match was almost postponed when a mascot went rogue at Optus Stadium
The ground announcer – 1992 premiership Eagle Karl Langdon – warned fans not to approach the eagle, given its ‘sharp claws’.
The eagle was still flying as players from both sides hit the ground, and the accompanying fireworks raised concerns among some fans that the animal might be spooked.
After more than 10 minutes of freedom, the eagle was finally caught right next to the West Coast coach’s box as a stunned Simpson looked on.
Simpson could see the lighter side of the escape.
“He’s gone rogue, Auzzie,” Simpson said, laughing.
‘It was right before the game, so I tried to get the runner out and tell the lady to just put that thing back in the center circle – that’s where Auzzie wanted to land.
‘But in the end she knew what she was doing and she sat next to us in the box.
“Maybe there was a steak in that company box next to us that Auzzie could smell.”
Aussie failed to return to her handler, causing some chaos among officials
This isn’t the first time Auzzie has gone off script before a match, and something similar is happening in 2021.
“Gosh, there’s been some drama leading up to this game,” said Fox Footy presenter Kath Loughnan.
‘Auzzie the eagle… he’s wandered off a bit. He usually flies around the stadium for a while and lands in his stands in the middle of the ground. But he went all over the store today!
‘Luckily she did after about five minutes of intense pressure from that lady on the screen to catch him. She did a fantastic job.’