Dudley junior rugby league posts stolen

"It leaves a sour taste in my mouth," Dudley Redhead Junior Rugby League Football Club's George Hickey said.

"I was so annoyed that someone would pinch something that's devoted to six- and seven-year-old kids."

George said it was a "special little mini-field".

"Everything was made to scale. We put seats there for the parents and grandparents to sit along the fence, close to the game.

"It's all volunteer work. We scrounge around and get grants where we can."

He said the thieves took the posts from one end of the field.

"I made them out of water pipe, so they'd be heavy," he said.

He speculated that the posts were pinched for use in a backyard.

"From my way of thinking, a parent would have to be involved because the posts are heavy. They would have needed a ute to move them," he said.

"They're all one piece, 2.2 metres across and three metres high. It's a big thing to carry away."

He wondered whether the theft was linked to school holidays because the scoreboard power box was damaged at the same time.

"Someone will know something. It's not a big money thing. It cost me about $100 to make another set of posts. It's the principle of it," he said.

"For some lowlife to pinch them - it's ridiculous. I've been there [at the club] about 25 years. It's the first time I've had anything pinched or damaged."

He said volunteers do a lot at the ground.

"We're trying to make it the best in Newcastle," he said.

George has made a new set of posts. Regardless, the club wants the stolen posts back.

"If anyone wants to bring them back, we won't press charges. It's just the thought that someone would do it. I'd hate to think this will keep going," he said.

We grew up with a bloke who always lost stuff. He'd lose his wallet and keys regularly.

If his head wasn't screwed on, he would have lost it, too. Absent-minded types like him will be delighted to know that there's now an app for that.

A Hunter-based tech company has created software to manage lost property. Can you guess the company's name? Go on, have a go. It's called "It's Found". Being trendy, the company doesn't put a space between the two words in its name. But we can't bear to see that in print, so we added a space.

But hang on a sec, before we go further, can't organisations simply log lost property in a spreadsheet or something like that?

In theory, yes. But then they'd be missing out on expertise, according to It's Found managing director Luke Cubis.

Luke said part of his role was educating the market that "there are far better solutions than spreadsheets".

"It would be like an accountant still using spreadsheets when there is automated software available that does all the work for you," he said.

The company estimates that Australian organisations spend 25,000 hours and about $500,000 in labour each day managing lost property. It added that an estimated 420,000 items were lost each year in the Hunter.

Guess a lot of people lose a lot of stuff.

Luke said the company had raised new capital "as we continue to help organisations right around the world provide a better service for their guests".

"We aim to be the household name in Australia for lost property management, while also continuing our global expansion. This year there are plans to expand from four countries to 49, with a deal in place with one of the world's largest international companies," Luke said.

Geez, who would have thought lost property could be so lucrative?

The company said it works with hotels, shopping centres, clubs, transport, universities and stadiums. It added that Newcastle Airport, Charlestown Square and Rafferty's Resort use the software.

The company said the most common items reported lost in the region were phones, keys and sunglasses.

Places which generally have the most lost items include shopping centres, hotels, universities and airports.

"The most valuable lost item that has been recorded to date is a $10,000 engagement ring," the company said.

Just to show he's not all about making coin, Luke urged people to "try and avoid losing your valuables in the first place".

"It may sound simple, but don't forget to check your pockets and/or bag for your main belongings before moving locations. Additionally, don't forget to check locations briefly before you leave them," he said.

Once upon a time, the world of "lost and found" included a fairly loose system revolving around a cardboard box and apathetic staff who couldn't give two hoots about your lost stuff.

Some stuff in some organisations was clearly up for grabs. You know, "finders keepers" and "possession is nine-tenths of the law". That sort of thing.

It's Found, actually known as It'sFound [see what we mean], could well be about to change all that.