The AFL and its social media staff has come underfire over a social media put up to advertise this week’s Rivalry Spherical.
There’s a very good spherical of footy forward, with enormous clashes like a stand-alone Thursday night time Showdown in Adelaide, Carlton towards Collingwood on the MCG and the high-flying Swans and Giants set to face off in Sydney in spherical eight.
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Social media generally is a robust, aggressive recreation and accounts are at all times searching for that edge or one thing that units them aside or generates curiosity.
Whereas not all matches this spherical are conventional rivalries, Fremantle taking over Richmond and St Kilda dealing with the Kangaroos amongst them, there are sufficient juicy match-ups to simply promote the spherical on.
So the AFL staff’s determination to make use of a Harry Potter reference in a Rivalry Spherical put up has not gone down nicely with the overwhelming majority of followers.
The final guide within the Harry Potter sequence was revealed in 2007, whereas the ultimate film was launched in theatres in 2011.
Writer JK Rowling has additionally been embroiled in controversy for some years over her feedback relating to transgender rights, which led to a cut up with a few of the stars of the film sequence, together with Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
However the AFL pushed forward with a graphic picture that includes eight footy gamers depicted as characters from the massively profitable sequence, all using broomsticks and enjoying the fictional recreation of Quidditch.
Sydney’s Isaac Heeney, GWS ahead Jesse Hogan, Brayden Maynard from the Pies, Brisbane’s Cam Rayner, Crows star Izak Rankine, Port’s Zak Butters and Suns co-captain Touk Miller are within the picture.
Topping it off is Carlton spearhead Harry McKay, full with Harry’s glasses as he seems to tackle the title position.
The capes and jerseys worn by the gamers additionally depict their AFL staff colors.
The caption states: “Launch the Golden Snitch, it’s time for the rivals to go head-to-head.”
The AFL has used extra conventional posts this week, together with a hyperlink to the preview of spherical eight with a caption “Huge rivalries take centre stage in spherical eight”, together with a put up with a easy query: “What’s the perfect rivalry in footy?”
That second put up has obtained over 230 feedback, 43 retweets and 133,000 views because it landed on Might 1, displaying that kind of social media content material nonetheless resonates.
The Harry Potter put up has had 95 feedback, 78 retweets and 94,000 views on the time of writing because it was revealed early on Thursday morning AEST.
The Harry Potter books have bought over 600 million copies as of 2023 and are nonetheless being loved by youngsters and fogeys, which might nicely be behind the AFL’s reasoning.
The feedback on the put up, nevertheless, present the way it has broadly been obtained.
“End out the day, take any private belongings residence. Hand in your laptop computer and drop off your card at safety,” was one suggestion to the social media staff on X.
“This picture has broken my head a lot it must be referred on to the tribunal,” wrote one other.
“What within the mudblood is that this,” wrote a 3rd, not less than utilizing a reference from the sequence.
Others had been brief and sharp of their evaluation.
One wrote: “Eeek. That is simply bizarre.”
One other acknowledged: “In 2024? Get it collectively guys.”
A 3rd wrote: “For those who made this in AI I’m dissatisfied. That is embarrassing.”
One other added: “Respectfully what the f**ok is that this.”
One other footy fan believed one other franchise with a related date might have been used within the picture as an alternative.
“What is that this picture? Two days earlier than Might the 4th… and also you go together with a Harry Potter picture,” they wrote.
Might the 4th is thought worldwide as Star Wars Day because it’s near that sequence’ well-known phrase, “Might the pressure be with you”.
We did discover one complimentary remark, so we’ll end with that forward of an enormous spherical of footy.
“That is nice,” they wrote. “Harry McKay as Harry Potter is a pleasant contact.”
The AFL has been contacted for remark by information.com.au.
