The prevailing image of Alastair Lynch holding the ball aloft when the final siren sounded to end the 2001 Grand Final will forever hold a special place in the hearts of all Brisbane Lions fans.

Lynch himself vividly remembers sharing the moment intimately with former premiership teammate Chris Scott.

“Once the siren went I was in a loving embrace with Chris Scott on the ground, centre wing in front of the Southern Stand,” he told the packed crowd at Thursday’s 3-Peat Anniversary Luncheon.

“It’s probably the only place and time you can justify actually doing that.”

“I’m not generally a big touchy-feely man, so that was a unique experience.”

So what exactly ended up happening to the ‘famous’ match ball?

“I get that question a lot,” Lynch said.

“So we’ve gone to ground and are having a nice little cuddle and the ball was in my hand. The umpire actually came over and said ‘Lynchy you’ve got to give me the ball’. I said, in so many words, ‘I don’t think so’.”

“He told me that he needed to take the ball off the ground, and that he would give it to me afterwards. So I ended up giving it to him and never saw the ball again.”

The umpire might have stolen his football, but he could never take away that overwhelming feeling that remains with Lynch today.   

“I don’t think anyone can understand what the experience is going to be like until the final siren goes,” Lynch said.

“Then in the months, and sometimes years, afterwards you realise that it was an amazing sensation. That’s what I appreciate now.”

“Right now, I love going to Grand Final day. I love being there knowing that there’s a supporter base, and 22 players, that are feeling what we felt three times in the early 2000s.”