Everyone is encouraged to follow their dreams, and we have to assume that’s what this seal was doing at Churchill Park Soccer Grounds on Sunday morning when it arrived just in time for junior training.
A surprise discovery when coaches and players turned up around 10am, the seal briefly took a seat on the bonnet of a nearby car before finding a more comfortable resting place near the driveway.
Tasmania Police attended and contacted Parks and Wildlife, who had to collect their ‘seal kit’ from Hobart before arriving to politely suggest a better location for the seal would be back in the river, not goalkeeping.
While it’s not clear how the seal got into the fenced-off complex, the sports park is adjacent to the North Esk River, for which the Bureau of Meteorology issued a minor flood alert on Sunday.
Launceston residents are familiar with stubborn seals in unusual places.
In December Tasmania Police spent Boxing Day chasing Lou-Seal around Newstead.
The creature was spotted by residents atop a silver Toyota Camry.
In front of onlookers, the animal leapt from the vehicle - leaving behind extensive damage, including a cracked windshield and dents in the car's frame.
The Examiner’s video of the seal in the car park also provided fodder for Launceston’s comedians: