JOHN Suta is the proud owner of a plate signed by actor George MacKay, who plays Ned Kelly in the movie The True History of the Kelly Gang.

“Russell Crowe wasn’t there when the plate was signed unfortunately,” he said.

Mr Suta got the plate as he was having lunch at Martini’s in Wangaratta.

“At the time the actors were shooting the movie, they had dinner at Martini’s and signed the plate there," he said.

“The restaurant owner knows that I love Ned Kelly and just gave it to me."

Mr Suta became a Kelly fan at 11 years old.

“My history teacher and my father both told me Ned Kelly was a bad man so I did some research and became fascinated by him; I’m 55 today and I am still a Kelly buff,” he said.

Mr Suta also owns ‘The Last Stand’, an artwork painted by the late Sir Sidney Nolan which cost $176,900.