Anthony Albanese appeared without a scarf at Saturday night’s A-League semi-final between Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC after being roasted for his surprise post-match appearance in the dressing room of AFL club Hawthorn last weekend .
The Prime Minister’s fiancée, Jodie Haydon, wore a Mariners scarf to the game in Gosford, New South Wales, but Albanese, perhaps stung by last week’s criticism, wore an open-necked shirt, with no scarf to show. would protect him from the cold.
Last Saturday, the Prime Minister was filmed standing alongside Hawks players as they sang the club’s theme song after their victory against St Kilda at the University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston.
While the players seemed to take Albanese’s appearance in stride, many Australians were less than impressed.
After the prime minister shared a collage of photographs from the game, voters demanded he focus on more pressing issues, such as the cost of living crisis.
“People are struggling to pay the bills and this guy is talking about football,” wrote one online commenter.
Anthony Albanese (pictured with fiancee Jodie Haydon) appeared without a scarf at Saturday night’s A-League semi-final between Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC.
Anthony Albanese was criticized for his surprise post-match appearance in the AFL club Hawthorn’s dressing room last weekend (pictured)
‘The last time you were in Tassie, I remember you were interrupted: “Let’s talk about housing, Prime Minister” and you couldn’t get away fast enough.
‘It’s gotten worse since then and here you are, back in selfie mode. God, you are not inspiring,” said another.
A third wrote: ‘Your priorities suck!’
Albanese’s visit followed a controversial announcement earlier this year in which his government pledged $65 million to expand the stadium.
The decision followed an identical commitment from the Tasmanian Government in January, which brought total funding for the stadium expansion to $130 million.
The Tasmanian Devils will enter the AFL as the 19th team in 2028.
The Prime Minister has a long career. the rope of donning the scarves and jerseys of various sports teams over the years.
This has included his hometown AFL team Sydney Swans, although Albanese is a casual observer of Australian rules, unlike his staunch support of the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team.
Part of Anthony Albanese’s long history of wearing scarves from various sports teams was documented in this angry tweet (pictured)
Anthony Albanese (centre) is pictured wearing a scarf from his beloved Bunnies at the Penrith Panthers v South Sydney Rabbitohs match at Accor Stadium on September 24, 2022.
He has often said that his single mother raised him “in three great religions: the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Australian Labor Party and the Catholic Church”.
His tenuous links with the AFL were criticized by Channel Nine personality Tony Jones on The Sunday Footy Show.
“I almost got sick yesterday when I watched the Hawthorn Club song and front and center was the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese,” he said.
‘He has no interest in the AFL. And there he was…he had the scarf around him…just go away.
‘Seriously, when is the Prime Minister going to learn to stay in his lane and that’s usually in the House of Representatives… Albo, aren’t you an AFL fan? Stay away.’
The last time the Prime Minister wore a scarf in the Hawks locker room led one angry man to tweet a series of four different team colors he has worn over the years.
The tweeter captioned the collage: “Talking about a fake @AlboMP is so full of shit.”
The Prime Minister has a long history of donning the scarves, and sometimes the entire set, of sports equipment over the years. He is shown warming up during the annual AFL Reclink Community Cup match at Henson Park in Marrickville, Sydney on Sunday 11 August 2019.
Anthony Albanese is pictured at the AFL match between Sydney Swans and Gold Coast Suns at the SCG on April 21, 2024.
Premier Anthony Albanese is pictured with Collingwood AFLW player Ruby Schleicher at Melbourne Olympic Park, Friday 29 September 2023.
Players, coaches and executives of whatever club they apply to generally welcome politicians with open arms, but there are exceptions.
Last October, Socceroos coach Graham Arnold criticized Albanese for the lack of funding for soccer in Australia compared to other soccer codes.
“We see the Prime Minister and governments, they love going out to see the Matildas and the Socceroos with scarves on, but they have to take them off when they come home,” Arnold said.
Pictured, left to right, Anthony Albanese’s fiancee Jodie Haydon, Suns chief executive Mark Evans, Swans chief executive Thomas Harley and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the SCG, on April 21, 2024, in Sydney.