AFL roasted over cringey social media post for Rivalry Round

The AFL and its societal media squad has travel underfire implicit a societal media station to beforehand this week’s Rivalry Round.

There is simply a superb circular of footy ahead, with immense clashes similar a stand-alone Thursday nighttime Showdown successful Adelaide, Carlton against Collingwood astatine the MCG and the high-flying Swans and Giants acceptable to look disconnected successful Sydney successful circular eight.

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Social media tin beryllium a tough, competitory crippled and accounts are ever looking for that borderline oregon thing that sets them isolated oregon generates interest.

While not each matches this circular are accepted rivalries, with West Coast hosting Essendon and Fremantle taking connected Richmond among them, determination are capable juicy match-ups to easy merchantability the circular on.

So the AFL team’s determination to usage a Harry Potter notation successful a Rivalry Round station has not gone down good with the immense bulk of fans.

The past publication successful the Harry Potter bid was published successful 2007, portion the last movie was released successful theatres successful 2011.

But the AFL pushed up with a graphic representation featuring 8 footy players depicted arsenic characters from the hugely palmy series, each riding broomsticks and playing the fictional crippled of Quidditch.

Sydney’s Isaac Heeney, GWS guardant Jesse Hogan, Brayden Maynard from the Pies, Brisbane’s Cam Rayner, Crows prima Izak Rankine, Port’s Zak Butters and Suns co-captain Touk Miller are successful the image.

Topping it disconnected is Carlton spearhead Harry McKay, implicit with Harry’s glasses arsenic helium appears to instrumentality connected the rubric role.

The capes and jerseys worn by the players besides picture their AFL squad colours.

The caption states: “Release the Golden Snitch, it’s clip for the rivals to spell head-to-head.”

The AFL has utilized much accepted posts this week, including a nexus to the preview of circular 8 with a caption “Massive rivalries instrumentality centre signifier successful circular eight”, on with a station with a elemental question: “What’s the champion rivalry successful footy?”

That 2nd station has received implicit 230 comments, 43 retweets and 133,000 views since it landed connected May 1, showing that benignant of societal media contented inactive resonates.

The Harry Potter station has had 95 comments, 78 retweets and 94,000 views astatine the clip of penning since it was published aboriginal connected Thursday greeting AEST.

The Harry Potter books person sold implicit 600 cardinal copies arsenic of 2023 and are inactive being enjoyed by children and parents, which could good beryllium down the AFL’s reasoning.

The comments connected the post, however, amusement however it has wide been received.

“Finish retired the day, instrumentality immoderate idiosyncratic belongings home. Hand successful your laptop and driblet disconnected your paper astatine security,” was 1 proposition to the societal media squad connected X.

“This representation has damaged my caput truthful overmuch it needs to beryllium referred straight to the tribunal,” wrote another.

“What successful the mudblood is this,” wrote a third, astatine slightest utilizing a notation from the series.

Others were abbreviated and crisp successful their assessment.

One wrote: “Eeek. This is conscionable weird.”

Another stated: “In 2024? Get it unneurotic guys.”

A 3rd wrote: “If you made this successful AI I’m disappointed. This is embarrassing.”

Another added: “Respectfully what the f**k is this.”

Another footy instrumentality believed different franchise with a applicable day could person been utilized successful the representation instead.

“What is this image? Two days earlier May the 4th… and you spell with a Harry Potter image,” they wrote.

May the 4th is known worldwide arsenic Star Wars Day arsenic it’s adjacent to that series’ celebrated phrase, “May the unit beryllium with you”.

We did find 1 complimentary comment, truthful we’ll decorativeness with that up of a immense circular of footy.

“This is great,” they wrote. “Harry McKay arsenic Harry Potter is simply a bully touch.”

The AFL has been contacted for remark by news.com.au.