Aussie Olympic heroes get pride of place at the AFL grand final – here’s why some footy fans aren’t happy

Footy fans have been left scratching their heads after a host of Olympians were included in the AFL Grand Final motorcade normally reserved for retiring players and champions of the sport.

While a host of retired players and Brownlow Medal winner Patrick Cripps were present and accounted for, fans were shocked to see the addition of other athletes as well. 

Australian Olympic and Paralympic stars including Alexa Leary, Mollie O’Callaghan, Ariarne Titmus and Emma McKeon were also paraded around in the Toyota Hilux’s doing laps of the MCG. 

‘I don’t get why we are honoring our Olympians, it’s not about them! it’s about the footballers moving on,’ one viewer posted.

‘Surprised Raygun wasn’t part of the grand final motorcade,’ another joked.

‘I’m sorry but Olympics isn’t footy related. why are they there with awards and retiring players?’ asked another.

Olympian Mollie O’Callaghan and inspirational Paralympics star Alexa Leary were also present

Others questioned why Olympians and Paralympians were singled out, and not champion athletes from other codes. 

‘May as well parade Jared Waerea-Hargreaves from the NRL Sydney Roosters too,’ one posted.

‘Can someone explain why the AFL are wheeling out Olympians? Next they will have a motif of Lionel Messi,’ added another.

The most anger came from football fans who felt AFL legends were disrespected in favour of the Olympians and Paralympians.

Richmond superstar Dustin Martin, recently retired Melbourne AFL premiership player Ben Brown and Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy who was forced into a premature retirement through concussion were all notable absentees.

‘So Ben Brown doesn’t get to be honoured, an absolute icon of the game, but we got the Olympians out here doing a lap?’ asked one fan.

‘I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and that maybe Murph declined to be apart of the motorcade but IF they really decided to lap around Olympians over a premiership player who retired due to head knocks then that’s a disgrace,’ fumed another.

Ben Brown, who had a long and distinguished AFL career, was oddly not present

Collingwood defender Nathan Murphy who had to retire due to concussions was also not there

‘I get that there would be contracts in place with Toyota about number of cars, but why do we have Olympians when there was 20 retirees not in the motorcade?’ asked another viewer. 

‘Have to show a lot of Toyota Hilux’s in the #AFLGF Pre-match, I guess, which is why we have random Olympians coming around?’ questioned another. 

‘I get the Olympians and Paralympians did a great job. But this isn’t a day for them… This is a day for the AFL and this convoy is for the retiring stars and big achievements of the sport. Also why were so many retirees not there. I don’t like this inclusion at all,’ posted yet another.

Others defended the move by the AFL, especially for the Paralympians.

‘Seeing so many of our brilliant athletes doing a lap of honour at the “G” on GF Day is the tip of the iceberg of what they deserve,’ one viewer posted with the hashtag #AUSParalympics.

‘How good to get around the Aussie Olympians at the ‘G,’ posted another.