Security guards are vital at sporting fixtures to ensure the safety of players and staff, as well as the crowd, but what happens when a guard breaks the mould and becomes the play of the day?
In honour of the legend who took one of the cleanest catches of the summer at the Big Bash on Wednesday, we’ve found the ten best performances from security guards who stepped up to the plate and stole the show!
Big Bash
Whether it’s something impossible in the field or an everyday battler keeping a firm grasp on his beer whilst taking a one-hander, the Big Bash has laid a platform for some cool catching performances under pressure.
Perhaps none have been as cool as the one taken by this security guard at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday night! The bloke barely even mustered a smile!
Twenty20 International
Clearly, short-form cricket is a hub for the more skilled security professionals.
In this game alone, professional players dropped easier catches with more hands and focus involved than the boundary security.
Russian Thriller
The Russian Ice Hockey League has a reputation as one of the roughest and most lawless professional sporting competitions in the entire would, so you would think that the security officers employed to keep the crowd in line are cut from the toughest cloth conceivable.
That is certainly not the case.
Baseball Dance Off
It’s pretty difficult for the average Aussie to get into Baseball – it’s long and tedious and can go for an awfully long time without anything really happening. Our market for that is already tied up with cricket.
The Houston Astros haven’t produced a lot in recent seasons, so what better way to liven up the crowd than a ‘non-scripted’ dance-off between the mascot and an unlikely source?
AFL
If these last few videos have proven anything, it’s that dancing is more often than not the chosen avenue for security guards to shed their tags as tough and emotionless.
Clearly it has been done, but the tenacity shown by this guard to continue after a probable nose break means that he is a worthy inclusion.
Head Shot
I distinctly remember Michael Crocker dropping to the deck when he copped a rogue ball to the noggin off Mitchell Pearce’s boot during a State of Origin game a few years ago.
With that in mind, this guard goes to show that players are by no means the only heroes gracing our pitches.
Ed Sheeran
Who knew that before he made it big, Ed Sheeran was a buffer for football hooligans in England’s lower leagues?
It’s great to see the bloke laughing along with the fans, but surely a couple of bars wouldn’t have gone astray.
Absolute Muppet
I’m not actually sure what is going on here, but I think the high-vis jacket and the proximity of his seat to the field is enough to assume that security detail is part of this bloke’s job description.
Here’s hoping that he knew he was being watched while he was doing this because all sorts of questions, namely why he has a puppet at a sports game, can be raised.
Good Sack
When you spend a good portion of your time policing a sporting arena, it makes sense that some of the on-field action would begin to work its way into your skill set.
The only thing better than the shot that this guard put on in is his satisfaction with the instant replay. What a top bloke.
Australian Open
Undoubtedly one of the best parts of a security guard’s job is their almost unrivaled access to players before and after a game.
Who knows what this guy did, but he’s clearly a big deal to be on such a comfortable first-name basis with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray! You can bet on the Australian Open Odds markets with Ladbrokes.