A thief who tried to steal one of Scott Pendlebury’s commemorative sherrins reportedly had his leg broken as a fan made a citizen’s arrest.
The bizarre scene unfolded at Pendlebury’s open training session ahead of his record-breaking AFL game.
The alleged suspect even posed for a photo with the Collingwood great before committing his act of deception.
He then asked Pendlebury to sign one of the 30 specially designed balls, before whisking it away and putting it in his bag.
Fortunately bystanders caught him in the act and chased down the alleged culprit.
He was tackled to the ground and the ball was retrieved in an incident that led to his leg being broken, according to Channel 7’s Tom Morris.
Pendlebury watched on stunned by the events, before returning to sign fans’ merchandise.
The 38-year-old is preparing to make a record 433rd appearance in the AFL against West Coast on Saturday.
Each of the 30 specially made sherrins are designed with that number, while Pendlebury will wear a gold number on his guernsey.
His son and daughter have also helped customise his boots with drawings for the special occasion.
Pendlebury sat out the previous two games with the Pies stating his fitness is being managed, and the veteran is not sure his body will hold up for much longer.
“I’m not sure. I think if my form’s good enough and my body holds up, that’s a discussion that I’ll have later on in the season,” Pendlebury said when asked if he will carry on playing next season.
”But yeah, I feel good, and I’m almost over some niggles that I need to get over. But yeah, feeling good.”
Collingwood lost the two matches Pendlebury missed against Hawthorn and the Swans, prompting criticism from many including Kane Cornes.
