Aussie Rules player bounces ball off pigeon in stunning dribble move

BIRDS on the field are a torment for many athletes, often sparking chaos when getting in the way of a ball travelling their way.

But for Collingwood Aussie Rules star Scott Pendlebury, a pigeon was exactly what he needed to throw off the opposition defence.

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'Pendles', who plays for a team nicknamed the Magpies, saw the opportunity during his side's 130-64 thrashing of North Melbourne.

In front of 50,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Pendlebury spied a gap in the home team's defensive line.

Unfortunately for the unlucky pigeon, that gap coincided directly with its flight path.

As the Collingwood captain went to bounce the ball off the turf, the bird swooped up and met the ball clean on the head before flying away, seemingly dazed by the experience.

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Some fans on social media questioned the legality of the move, as the ball must touch the floor if it is to be considered a legal dribble.

In Aussie Rules, a player must bounce the ball at least once every 15 metres of running, or they will be pulled up for 'travelling', similar to in basketball.

It is by no means the first time pigeons have meddled with Aussie athletes at 'the G'.

In 2015, the curious case of 'Sammy Seagull' stunned viewers when it appeared to come back from the dead.

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Sammy, also perching innocently on the MCG turf, was struck by an Adam Voges shot in a Big Blast T20 cricket game between Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars.

Stars fielder Rob Quiney motioned that the bird was beyond all medical help, placing what appeared to be a corpse beyond the boundary rope.

But to the amazement of the crowd, Sammy sprang back into life, hopping along the boundary rope.

Later in the game he even swooped down on Quiney while he was trying to field another ball, perhaps displeased at how the Aussie had given up on him so early.

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