Ex-Canberra Raider Mark McLinden won't follow David Pocock into politics

Plus, he says it's hard to be a politician if you keep breaking the law.

Although when it's pointed out Pocock was also arrested for activism during his playing days, McLinden admits it does give the ACT senator street credibility when it comes to the climate.

McLinden was arrested, fined $5000 and banned from attending future games after he ran onto the field during the NRL grand final between Penrith and Parramatta at Stadium Australia last Sunday.

He tried to chain himself to the goal post while wearing a T-shirt that said "end coal, gas and oil - for our kids".

It's a climate-change message not only close to McLinden's heart, but to Pocock's as well.

During his playing days with the ACT Brumbies, Pocock chained himself to a digger at a coal mine in Northern NSW.

He was arrested and his now wife Emma drove him back to Canberra during the night so he could sleep and train the next day.

Plus he's done things like spending time in his native Africa working with people who protect rhinoceroses from poachers.

Now he's taking a more measured approach to making change - successfully running to become one of the ACT's senators at this year's federal election.

McLinden felt he was better served following a different path to get his climate-change message across.

Along with his pitch invasion, the former Raiders halfback has recorded rap songs about climate change - and Donald Trump - and also produced a YouTube video slamming the controversial Adani coal mine.

The 43-year-old felt he was better served calling for the government to act in different ways and said his arrest on grand final day wouldn't put an end to his activism.

"He's inspiring," McLinden said of Pocock.

"His climate action and all of the other climate action from protesters around the world is inspiring. It inspires people.

"He's certainly taken the political path and doing a great job.

"I think my time is better suited challenging the idea of whether climate change is real or not and also putting myself in a position like the other night where you're breaking the law and that doesn't bode well for a politician.

"He did it beforehand. Now he's restricted in some ways, but he's also able to speak with far more authority. [I'm] certainly supporting him."

Living in Mullumbimby, near Byron Bay, McLinden had a close-up look at the flooding that ravaged Lismore earlier this year.

He also pointed to floods in the north-west of Sydney, Pakistan and Florida as evidence to the changing weather.

The former Raider said the climate science was clear, pointing towards the work of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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McLinden wrote a rap song called Hotter in the lead up to the federal election where he labelled a raft of Liberals and Nationals candidates as "climate criminals", while also labelling a number of other candidates "climate champions".

Among those was Pocock - wearing a Wallabies jersey.

"It was campaigning for people who I viewed as climate champions and that was people like David Pocock, many of the independents and the Greens, and even some Labor Party members who I thought were doing the right thing," McLinden said.

"It certainly wasn't partisan. I wasn't looking at following a particular party, but I do believe there are individuals in those parties who are doing the right thing."

McLinden said it was such an important issue he was even willing to risk his freedom to help bring about change.

While he doesn't have children of his own yet, he said he wanted to ensure there was a future for those that do.

"This is not my cause, this is everyone's cause and it's unique in that way," McLinden said.

"I follow the science and the science is telling me that we have to act, and I do these actions on behalf of the children and grandchildren that will inherit the planet that we've been lucky enough to live in.

"I encourage anyone else to do everything they can."

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