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.
"(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.
However, Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli said the applause would be a 'tip of the hat' to fans back home.
"I think that'd be great," he said.
"I guess anything that does send a bit of a tip of the hat to all the people back home that they can't fully experience the game and build up I think would be a nice touch.
"Because everyone's thinking of them, all those people who are part of both football clubs as well. Staff and fans that can't be can't be here that, they're with us every step of the way."
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.
