Herald Sun |THE mighty Maldon Bombers are hopping mad after a mob of kangaroos invaded their oval.

As the team eagerly prepares for the footy season ahead, players are also anxiously glancing down at the oval below, littered as it is with the pitch-invaders’ nuggety deposits.

Maldon Football and Netball Club president Brian Kelly said the unstoppable hoppers spring onto the pitch after practice, nibble the grass, and leave behind what he politely calls “organic matter”.

Players doing stretches had to clear a space on the grass free of roo poo.

“It certainly stops players falling over, and it’s an incentive not to get tackled.

“In the olden days you would pick some up and throw it at the opposition players, but you’re not allowed to do that sort of stuff any more,” he joked.

The biggest male was huge, he said.

“We had one doing laps one night, in the opposite direction to the players.

“It came flying round a bit spooked, he was on the outside of the oval, bounding and jumping head high, barely missing a player.”

Mr Kelly said roos have always been about but this year they have gamely ventured onto the oval because it is the greenest grass for miles amid the region’s extremely dry weather.

And it seems there is nothing the club 40km south west of Bendigo can do to keep the bouncy creatures off.

“If we shut the top gate they just come down the road and if we shut the other one, they jump the fence which is about seven foot high,” he said.

Maldon Bomber half forward line Kyle Winstanley, 24, said the players were used to their marsupial visitors.

“We get a couple that come down to watch us for the last 15 minutes, then the whole gang comes down and 15 or 20 of them will sit on the oval.”

But he wasn’t put off by the droppings which he described as “just grass”.

“Occasionally someone will pick up a bit if you’re not looking and throw it at you.”

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