THINK next week's AFLX tournament will mark the first time that silver footballs have been used in an AFL context?

Think again.

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Thanks to eagle-eyed Richmond supporter Dylan Leach (admittedly a former AFL Media photo researcher) it emerged on social media on Tuesday that silver Sherrins have been spotted before and even at the holy of holies, the MCG.

Back in 1992, Coca-Cola, at the time a major sponsor of the AFL, unveiled Futureball, a $1 million promotion, described in the Football Record "as how Coca-Cola see the Game being played in the 21st Century starring the hottest players in the AFL and is an amazing technical, mental and physical spectacle."

As part of the promotion, a photo shoot took place in the middle of the MCG starring Brownlow medallists John Platten and Tony Lockett, as well as star Saint Nicky Winmar. The results were on display in the Round 22 edition of the Record. 

Platten is pictured in the Record kicking the silver Sherrin, wearing what is depicted as the footy uniform of the 21st century but, upon closer examination, looks to have been heavily drawn from the cult 1975 movie, Rollerball.

The whiz-bang TV commercial can be seen on YouTube. Type 'Futureball' and 'Coca-Cola' into the search bar.

Platten's uniform hasn't been spoken for since. It probably ended up in a dumpster somewhere beneath the Great Southern Stand.

The silver footballs? It was thought they had disappeared into the ether as well, along with Tamagotchis, AOL disks, Game Boys and VCR box sets of Married With Children.

But apparently, they have not.