'Please no': Basil Zempilas criticised for plan to acknowledge footy fans during Grand Final

‘Please no’: Basil Zempilas criticised for plan to acknowledge footy fans during Grand Final

Perth lord mayor and Channel Seven presenter Basil Zempilas has copped a swift blowback to an idea to acknowledge footy fans throughout the country during Saturday’s AFL Grand Final.

With Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs set to face-off at Perth Stadium, Zempilas used his Twitter account to encourage spectators to applaud footy fans who could not be there on the day.

A man in a blue suit walks down Murray Street and is talking and has his hands clasped together. — Perth lord mayor and media personality Basil Zempilas has come under fire over plans to acknowledge footy fans at the AFL Grand Final.(

ABC News: James Carmody

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“(At) 20.21 in the first quarter (of the AFL Grand Final), we’re asking everyone in the stadium to stand for one minute and applaud — a nod to our friends around the country who are doing it tough & to let them know we’re with them in this difficult time,” Zempilas tweeted to his 20,000 followers.

“Let’s do it WA.”

But the feedback from eastern state footy fans was both swift and mostly negative.

More than 60,000 fans are set to watch the game on Saturday night, as the Demons look to break a 57-year premiership drought.

It is the second season in a row that the decider has been moved away from the MCG, after the Gabba in Brisbane hosted Richmond and Geelong last season.

More to come.

Source: AFL NEWS ABC