Portland's Garry Hincks holds 2016 AFL premiership cup

The dyed-in-the-wool fanatic received a call from Glenelg Shire Council inviting him to hold the Bulldogs’ prized possession.

“I got my clutches on it,” Mr Hincks said.

“It was totally unexpected. You normally wouldn’t get anywhere near it.”

The grand final was Mr Hincks’ 973^rd consecutive Bulldogs game – an incredible feat notched over 43 years.

He said he was thrilled the one-time battler was now the king of the competition after accounting for Sydney in an emotion-charged decider.

“I didn’t hear the siren, there was that much noise,” the Portland resident said.

Mr Hincks expects his 974^th consecutive game and beyond to provide more reasons to celebrate.

“If we’re injury-free and with the same personnel, I don’t see why we can’t go back-to-back,” he said.