'Read the bloody room': Fury over Victoria's 'condescending' move

Victoria’s health department is facing backlash over a “condescending” message to residents on AFL Grand Final Day.

The state recorded 847 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday — a day that is annually reserved for the AFL Grand Final. Given the current outbreak in Victoria, the big game has been moved to Perth.

Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said it was crucial Victorians stayed home to watch the AFL decider between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.

"I'm extremely worried that large numbers of Victorians will say tonight 'we'll all get together and have a night out. And we'll take our masks off and we will scream and shout and have a good drink'," Mr Weimar said during a media conference.

"As a result of that, six or seven days down the road we have another big cluster of cases."

His comments come after the health department on Friday tweeted a list for “Celebrating the AFL Grand Final” while in lockdown.

The list includes: “Celebrate with your household, Call a mate to heckle them” and to “Belt out your team’s anthem”.

• Covid warning for almost 200,000 people as 'sad' trend continues

• ‘You won’t mention China’: Scott Morrison grilled by US reporters

• Victoria's new Covid cases soar past 800 as outbreak rages on

However, the list did not exactly endear itself to readers.

One man suggested the list was patronising, tweeting he heard “the Play School theme song” in his head while reading the list.

“Who on earth comes up with this garbage? Such a condescending tweet, it's insulting to the Melbourne public who have missed so many events during lockdown,” one woman said.

Another man also called it “condescending crap” and “absolutely dross”.

“Read the bloody room. Waited my whole life for a Melbourne flag. This is just a stab in the heart given I’m vaccinated,” another woman tweeted.

The 2021 AFL Grand Final is the first one to be played in Perth.

It is also the second consecutive AFL Grand Final to be played outside of Victoria after the 2020 decider was played in Brisbane last year due to coronavirus.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.