He copped a ball to the face, captured the hearts of a nation and ended up with the best seat in the house.
Meet the seagull who brought the FFA Cup final to a standstill.
The unlucky bird was struck senseless shortly after Tim Cahill's second half goal in the Melbourne City's 1-0 win over Sydney FC last night.
Sydney FC keeper Danny Vukovic didn't know what to do but was eventually granted a stoppage by the referee so he could deliver the stricken gull to the sideline.
Nursed in the arms of a Sydney FC official the bird eventually came to, enjoying the remainder of the match from the Sky Blues bench.
Cahill's header guided Melbourne City to their first silverware.
The Socceroos' all-time leading goalscorer delivered in typical fashion, outmuscling his man and converting a header off Ivan Franjic's curling cross in the 53rd minute.
Sydney fought back and applied pressure throughout the second half but were unable to convert their chances, giving City their first trophy in their seven-year history.